CHAPTER VIII 

 THE SEA ELEPHANT 



AS far as size goes, this giant seal could probably give 

 points to the walrus, but he is certainly not so 

 ferocious-looking. Except for the curious nose 

 (whence his Greek name) he is just a big black seal fairly 

 agile in the sea, and clumsy ashore, like all his kind. 

 Again, but for his partly-developed proboscis, he should 

 be called sea hippopotamus, rather than Sea Elephant. 

 He is about the bulk of a hippopotamus of the same 

 age, although more hirsute and with a less extensive 

 opening of the jaws. His proboscis is just an extension 

 of the skin of the nose, which usually hangs down 

 limply before the mouth for about a foot, and is inflated 

 when the animal is enraged or excited. The young 

 ones and females are destitute of this appendage — 

 one cannot call it an ornament. He holds among 

 seals the unique position of being common to both 

 hemispheres, although from the ardour with which he 

 has been hunted, very few specimens exist now north 

 of the Equator. 



Like every other sea mammal which I have hitherto 

 dealt with, he has now a respite, and is consequently 

 increasing in numbers rapidly. He forms practically 

 the only population of many an otherwise lonely series 

 of barren rocks in the Southern seas, finding in the 

 inclement waters washing their bases the humble food 

 he desires (for like the walrus, and for the same reason, 



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