THE SEA LION: GENERAL HISTORY. 39 



it does not appear to have been met with north of about the latitude of Saint Matthew's Island 

 (about latitude 61°). Neither Mr. W. H. Dall nor Mr. H. W. Elliott has met with it above this 

 point, and they have both informed me that they have no reason to suppose it extends any further 

 northward or beyond the southern limit of floating ice. According to Steller, it existed in his time 

 along the whole eastern coast of Kamtchatka and southward to the Kurile Islands. He found it 

 abundant on Bering's and Copper Islands, where it is still well known to exist. If Dr. Gray's 

 Humetopias elongatus, as originally described in 1873 (the same specimen was referred by him in 

 1872 to U. Stelleri), be referable, as I believe, to the female of E. Stelleri, the range of this species 

 appears to extend southward on the Asiatic coast as far as Japan. 



Although the Sea Lions of the California coast that have of late years attracted so much 

 attention appear to be the smaller species, Zalophiis Calif or niamis, the occurrence of the present 

 species there is also fully established, where it is resident the whole year, and where it brings forth 

 its young, as proven by specimens transmitted some years since by Dr. Ayres to the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



General history. — The Northern Sea Lion was first described in 1751 by Steller, who, under 

 the name of Leo marinus, gave a somewhat detailed account of its habits and its geographical range, 

 so far as known to him. 



Captain Scammon, in 1874, published a very interesting account of the Sea Lions of the Aleu- 

 tian Islands, particularly as respects the methods employed in their capture, portions of which will 

 be quoted later. His account is devoted largely, however, to the Sea Lions of the California coast, 

 and certainly includes the history of the smaller species, if in fact this part does not relate mainly 

 to the latter. About the same time appeared Mr. H. W. Elliott's more detailed history of the 

 northern species, which is so full and explicit that I transcribe it almost entire. 



The Sea Lion, he says, "has a really leonine appearance and bearing, greatly enhanced by the 

 rich golden-rufous of its coat, ferocity of expression, and bull-dog muzzle and cast of eye, not 

 round and full, but showing the white, or sclerotic coat, with a light, bright-brown iris. 



"Although provided with flippers to all external view as the Fur Seal, he cannot, however, make 

 use of them in the same free manner. While the Pur Seal can be driven five or six miles in twenty- 

 four hours, the Sea Lion can barely go two, the conditions of weather and roadway being the same. 

 The Sea Lions balance and swing their long, heavy necks to and fro, with every hitch up behind 

 of their posteriors, which tbey seldom raise from the ground, drawing them up after the fore feet 

 with a slide over the grass or sand, rocks, &c., as the case may be, and pausing frequently to take 

 a sullen and ferocious survey of the field and the drivers. 



"The Sea Lion is polygamous, but does not maintain any such regular system and method in 

 preparing for and attention to its harem like that so finely illustrated on the breeding-grounds of 

 the Fur Seal. It is not numerous, comparatively speaking, and does not 'haul' more than a few 

 rods back from the sea. It cannot be visited and inspected by man, being so shy and wary that " 

 on the slightest approach a stampede into the water is the certain result. The males come out and 

 locate on the narrow belts of rookery ground, preferred and selected by them ; the cows make their 

 appearance three or four weeks after them (1st to 6th June), and are not subjected to that intense 

 jealous supervision so characteristic of the Fur Seal harem. The bulls fight savagely among them- 

 selves, and turn off from the breeding ground all the younger and weak males. 



"The cow Sea Lion is not quite half the size of the male, and will measure from eight to nine 

 feet in length, with a weight of four and five hundred pounds. She has the same general cast of 

 countenance and build of the bull, but as she does not sustain any fasting period of over a week 

 or ten days, she never comes out so grossly fat as the male or 'see-catch.' 



