KTNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 40. NIO 5. 17 



the seals have too little speed they fall back again. They do not mind that, how- 

 ever, but repeat their attempts several times till they finally succeed. 



Sörling once saw a Leopard-seal on top of a high piece of ice which suddenly 

 löst the balance and turned round. The seal made involiintarily a long jump through 

 the air and fell head foremost in the water but appeared to be completely un- 

 concerned by the whole proceeding. 



When the Leopard-seals haul up on shore they prefer sandy beaches and avoid 

 — in opposition to what is the case with the Elephant-seals — the tussock-grass. 

 Their long and comparatively slender body makes their movements even on terra firma 

 much quicker and more gracefid than those of the Elephant-seals. When on land 

 the Leopard-seals never use their hindlegs, but with the fore-flippers they make »row- 

 ing» movements, especially if they work upwards a slope, sometimes, however, especi- 

 ally when going downwards, they keep the fore-flippers pressed to the body and im- 

 movable, while they throw themselves forward on the belly with undulations of 

 the body. 



The Leopard-seals are never seen in flocks on the shore like the Elephant-seals, 

 but one is seen, here another there. Neither were specimens of these two kinds seen 

 near each other. Von den Steinen (12) saw once three Leopard-seals sleep near 

 each other on the beach, but they were not in company and took no notice of each 

 other. K. A. Andersson (8) saw even as many as 10 on the same beach not far 

 from each other, but this author, as well, denies that this seal is a sociable animal. 



As a rule the Leopard-seals are not agressive when on land. They only widely 

 open their mouth without, however, emitting any sound but showing their formid- 

 able armature as if to try to scare off the intrader. But some are more ill-tempered 

 and if they do not exactly attack, they at least defend themselves readily. The large 

 and pregnant females are the most bad-humoured, and there is at least one example 

 that such a one attacked when offended. Sörling tells about this as follows : »One 

 day in the beginning of September, I walked along the beach to the »Leopard-point» 

 and saw there a very large female Leopard-seal. She was between 13 and 14 feet 

 long and the largest one I have ever seen. I stole up to her and tried to wake her 

 by throwing some small stones at her. She woke and as soon as she perceived me 

 she made straight for me, at once. I ran to the side and heard how her teeth clashed 

 when she snapped at my legs. When I was some way from her she lay down again 

 to sleep, but, as soon as I approached, the same maneuvres were repeated. After a 

 wliile she went, however, into the water.» 



The usual proceeding when a Leopard-seal was disturbed was that he opened 

 his mouth without any sound. If that did not scare off the intrader 'he wriggled 

 off into the water, often emptying as well bladder as rectum on the way. 



In the water the Leopard-seals are more agressive. If a man is out in a 

 row-boat the Leopard-seals are very apt to come and swim partly behind the stern, 

 partly on the sides of the boat, often coming so close that it looks as if they wanted 

 to get into the same. Dr. Gunnar Andersson was 1902 seriously pursued by a 

 Leopard-seal when rowing in his canoe in Cumberland Bay. He landed as soon as 



K. Sv. Vet, Akad. Handl. Band -JO. N:o 5. 3 



