EARED-SEALS. 501 



by gripping. The heads are darted out and back as quick as a 

 flash, their hoarse roai'ing and shrill piping whistle never ceases, 

 while their fat bodies writhe and swell with exertion and rage ; 

 furious lights gleam in their eyes ; their hair flies in the air, and 

 their blood streams down ; all combined, makes a picture so fierce 

 and so strange, that from its unexpected position and its novelty, 

 is perhaps one of the most extraordinary brutal contests man can 

 witness. 



" In these battles of the seals the parties are always distinct ; 

 the one is offensive, the other defensive. If the latter proves the 

 weaker he withdraws from the position occupied, and is never 

 followed by his conqueror, who complacently throws up one of his 

 hind-flippers, fans himself as it were, to cool his fevered wrath and 

 blood from the heat of the conflict, sinks into comparative quiet, 

 only uttering a peculiar chuckle of satisfaction or contempt, with 

 a sharp eye open for the next covetous bull or " see-catch " (native 

 name for the bulls on the rookeries, especially those which are able 

 to maintain their position)." 



" All the bulls have the power and frequent inclination to utter 

 four distinct calls or notes. This is not the case with the sea- 

 lion, whose voice is confined to a single bass roar ; or that of the 

 walrus, which is limited to a dull grunt ; or that of the hair-seal, 

 which is inaudible. This volubility of the fur-seal is decidedly 

 characteristic and prominent ; he utters a hoarse resonant roar, 

 loud and long ; he gives vent to a low, entirely different gurgling 

 growl ; he emits a chuckling, sibilant, piping whistle, of which it 

 is impossible to convey an adequate idea, for it must be heard to 

 be understood ; and a splitting or rapid choo-choo-choo sound, 

 like steam puffs as they escape from the smoke-stack of a locomo- 

 tive. The cows have but one note — a hollow, prolonged bla-a-ting 

 call, addressed only to their pups. On all other occasions they 

 are usually silent. It is something strangely like the cry of a calf 

 or an old sheep." 



" The sound which arises from these great breeding-grounds of 

 the fur-seal, where thousands upon tens of thousands of angry, 

 vigilant bulls are roaring, chuckling, and piping, and multitudes 

 of seal mothers are calHng in hollow, Meeting tones to their 



