350 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



FUR SEAL. 



Callotaria ursina (Linnaeus). 



As the natural history of tlie fur seal forms the basis of discussion in this whole 

 report, and is furthermore spread over the pages of numberless other reports bearing 

 on the fur-seal question, 1 shall refrain from any attempt to summarize it here. No 

 one who has seen the great seal herds will hesitate to reckon them among the chief 

 wonders of the world, and there is no naturalist who would not think himself well repaid 

 for a journey lialf around the earth by the sight of them, were it but for a i'ew days. 

 Nowhere else, I presume, is an e(iual body of large wild animals to be found which 

 can be observed at close range in their natural snrroundings from day to day and 

 week to week without danger to the observer or fear in the observed. 



STELLERS SEA LION. 



Eumetophifs slelleri (Lesson). 



I had but a few opportunities of observing tlie sea lion at close range while on tlie 

 Pribilof islands in IS!),"), and can add little, therefore, to Mr. Elliott's elaborate 

 description of its natural history, published in 18813.' 



The great northern sea lion is an aninml njore grotesque and fully as interesting 

 as the fur seal, but its reduced numbers at the present day and the general inaccessi- 

 bility of its stations render detailed observation of the species more diHicult. 



On St. Paul the main station is at Northeast Point, and on St. (!eorge at Tolstoi 

 Point and the East rookery. In 1895 a few resorted to (lorbatch Bay, Kitovi rookery, 

 and other points on St. Paul Island, lying on the rocks at the water's edge. They 

 appeared to be females. 'I'hey were very consi)icu()us among the bhuik basaltic rocks 

 and the dark lur seals on account of their light color, which on sunny days api)eared 

 white by contrast. 



At the East rookery, St. George Island, the old bulls and harems mingled at the 

 water's edge with the fur seals, but neither gave the slightest heed to the other, the 

 bull sea lions dozing contentedly on the beach, while the fur seals ])asse(l to and fro, 

 seeking the water or returning to the rookery. Many of the bull sea lions at this 

 point take up their stations near the shore in the shallow water, which covers them 

 to the shoulders. Viewed from the neighboring lieights, they presented the ai)pear- 

 ance of so many casks half covered by the waves. 



I surprise<l the grou}) at Northeast Point, St. Paul Island, at quite near quarters, 

 and succeeded in photographing them with a snap-shot camera, but the females 

 (juickly scented danger and ]»lunged into the waves with a great splash, followed by 

 the bulls. 



The movements of the bulls on land are awkward aiul labored to an extreme 

 degree. Their j^reat weight, though easily sustained in the water, oppresses them 

 when on land and renders them almost helpless. Mr. Elliott affirms that they can be 

 driven but 2 miles in twenty-four hours. 



Fifty large males were killed in June, 1890, by the natives, and the skins of six of 

 the largest were measured by Mr. Palmer, with the following results, the measure- 



'U. S. Fish Com. Special Ikill. 170, 1882, A Monograph of the Seal Islands of Alaslui, pp. 84-92. 



