280 



THE FIN-FOOTED ANIMALS. 



extending forward for about sixteen inches, and 

 sometimes measuring double this length when the 

 animal is excited. The hue of the fur undergoes 

 modifications not only under the influence of age 

 and sex, but also according to the season of the 

 year. Immediately after a change of coat the pre- 

 vailing color is a bluish gray, which later merges 

 into light brown. 



Range and Habits The Elephant Seal inhabits the south- 

 of Elephant ern regions of the oceans, from about 

 Seals. flfty degrees south latitude, perhaps 



all over the southern Arctic circle. Formerly it was 

 found on the southern extremity of America and the 

 adjacent islands, off the island of Juan Fernandez, 

 and on the southern coasts of Chile; also on New 

 Zealand, Tasmania and many other islands situated 

 in these latitudes, but in most of these localities it is 

 either entirely absent or nearly extermmated 



THE CBESTES OE BLADDEB-NOSE SEAL. A glance at this picture will explain the reason for 



the name given to this Seal. When filled with air, the bladder at the end of this animal's muzzle, gives it a 

 very peculiar appearance. The body does not differ much in shape from that of ordinary Seals, but the numer- 

 ous dark spots distributed all over the fur, as shown in the illustration, give it a distinctive individuality. 

 {,Crystopkora crisiaia.) 



The habits of the Elephant Seal remind us of 

 those of the Fur Seal and the Sea Lion. Like them 

 it undertakes annual migrations in its southern 

 range, only diseased and enervated animals stay- 

 ing behind, while the others all make the journey 

 together. They arrive in great numbers in Patagonia 

 in September and October, and sometimes as early 

 as June, and leave again at the end of December to 

 travel in a southerly direction. On the ground they 

 prefer sandy and pebbly spots, but also prowl around 

 in fresh water. Families numlaering from two to five 

 members form a separate company in the great herd; 

 and are always found closely huddled together, 

 usually sleeping in the mud or reeds. During a 

 period of intense heat they cool themselves with 

 damp sarid, into which they dig a hole for them- 

 selves, or which they throw on the upper surface 

 of their, body with their fore-feet; sometimes they 

 look more like heaps of earth than living animals, 

 and in this respect resemble Thick-skinned animals. 



Their movements on dry land are exceedingly 

 clumsy and weary them greatly. If they are very 

 fat the body shakes at each jerking movement like a 

 huge bladder filled with jelly. They work to propel 

 themselves forward a little way, and then they are 

 tired and have to rest; still in California they climb 

 up inclines from five to ten yards high and reach 

 spots situated upwards of sixty feet above sea-level 

 even on very uneven ground. In the water they 

 are totally different creatures. They are excellent 

 swimmers and divers, execute rapid turnings, calmly 

 lie down to sleep on the waves and let themselves 

 drift, and display great zeal and agility in hunting 

 their food, which consists principally of fish. They 

 also swallow stones. Forster found in the stomach • 

 of an Elephant Seal twelve round stones, each of 

 the size of two fists, and so heavy that he could 

 hardlv understand how the walls of the stomach 

 could bear the burden. 



Elephant Seals Their s e n s e s 

 of a Peaceable are said to be 

 Disposition. little devel- 

 oped. They are lazy, dull- 

 witted creatures, that rarely 

 suffer themselves to be dis- 

 turbed in their easy repose. 

 They .enjoy the reputation of 

 being of a gentle and peace- 

 able disposition, as they have 

 never been seen to make un- 

 provoked attacks on other 

 mammals or human beings. 

 Small Seals of other species 

 and Men quietly bathing 

 may swim among them with 

 security. Pernetty affirms 

 that his sailors rode astride 

 them, and when their gait 

 was too slow, urged them to 

 more rapid motion by knife 

 thrusts. K. von den Steinen 

 describes their manners as 

 follows: "Usually the males 

 stared at us with their mouths 

 open, but did not stir. The 

 expression of their faces was 

 wonderfully ludicrous, as 

 they gazed at us in their 

 stupid astonishment, wrink- 

 ling their thick noses up and 

 down in their discontent. A 

 hypochondriac of the most somber disposition could 

 not have refrained from a woe-begone smile at the 

 sight of the funny physiognomy of one old hook- 

 nosed fellow in particular." 

 Youthful Life of Ten months after the breeding sea- 

 the Elephant son, usually in July or August, but in 

 Seals. Patagonia the beginning of Novem- 



ber, and about a month after the arrival of the herd 

 on the islands, the young Seals make their appear- 

 ance. They are large creatures, about fifty-two or 

 sixty inches long, and weigh about eighty pounds. 

 The mother suckles them for about eight weeks and 

 guards them carefully. In the seventh or eighth 

 week of their lives they enter the sea. The whole 

 herd slowly leaves the shore, and swims farther out 

 each day. The cubs follow the main body of the 

 herd on all these wanderings, but are deserted by 

 their mothers in a very few months after their birth. 

 The proboscis develops in the male in the third 

 year of life. ' ' " 



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