THE HABITS OF THE PUPS. 469 



are a lot of yearlings. ■ There are probably 200 pups on the rocks, and of this number 

 there are about 35 yearlings. There are many yearliugs also playing among the 

 swimming pups. There is no difficulty at all in accounting for 15,000 or 20,000 of 

 these little fellows from the number of them daily to be seen in the water and on the 

 rookeries and hauling grounds. 



One 2-year-old on the rock below me is playing bull with the little pups, rounding 

 them up, imitating perfectly the movements and sounds of the old bull on the harem 

 ground. Near him is a little yearling doing exactly the same thing. They keep the 

 fussing up right along, though the pups are sleepy and cross. 



The water here is quite deep, but has a bottom of light-colored rocks, so that you 

 can see all the motions of the swimming pups. They dive to the bottom and go along 

 with their noses on the rocks as if feeling for something until their breath gives out. 

 Then they come up for air and go down again. They dart hither and thither in the 

 water like fish. One could easily suppose that a little fish in this water would have a 

 hard time of it. But tke pups, while quick to catch the object with which they are 

 playing, do not so quickly take up with a new object. I threw a stalk of arctic wheat 

 in the water just now. It was a moment before any pup noticed it. Then one came 

 up and cautiously put his nose to it, later taking hold of it and biting it. Then he 

 took it by the middle, diving with it and going through all the motions before observed 

 with other objects. 



A dozen other straws thrown in are quickly appropriated by as many apparently 

 delighted pups. Many pups are playing with pieces of seaweed. One little fellow 

 has a small feather. This seems to please him very greatly. He carries it down with 

 him and catches it from below with unerring precision. From the way in which they 

 play they apparently never take their eyes off the object. When other swimming pups 

 come along they sometimes plump into the playing pup, who pays no attention, or at 

 least does not allow his attention to be diverted to such an extent as to lose his 

 plaything. The pups, as a rule, do not attempt to interfere with one another. 



Judging from the motions of two little pups in the water, one can not help 

 thinking that those who have seen coj)ulation in the water have mistaken this play 

 for the act. These little pups have tlieir noses together and their front flippers 

 wrapped about one another and are rolling over and over, having a jolly time. Then 

 they break away and chase one another. Bachelors have been seen playing in a 

 similar manner. 



There is a little pup in the water marked in a peculiar fashion. The tips of his 

 fore flippers are pink inside and out at the tips. It looks as though the flippers liad 

 been shaved down so that the flesh showed. Both flippers are marked in the same 

 way. It does not seem to incommode the little fellow as he is playing as lively as one 

 could expect. 



A little fellow is swimming in from some distance out with about a yard of kelp 

 balanced in his mouth and streaming out behind. He goes out of sight under the 

 projecting rock. 



SEPTEMBER 9. 



Mr. Macoun and Mr. Barrett-Hamilton went on a collecting trip to Southwest Bay 

 and Bogoslof. In thefbrenoon I went over to take a look at the Eeef. 



