SEALS AND SEA LIONS 241 



fully. A blow — sometimes even a light one— 

 will bruise the thick layer of fat or "blubber" 

 with which their bodies are covered ; and these 

 bruises have been known to eventually cause 

 the animal's death. Also, any blow given 

 hastily might land on the nose, the most 

 tender and susceptible spot on a seal's or a 

 sea lion's body. One well directed blow on 

 the nose causes death. In this way the fur 

 seals are always killed when hunted for their 

 fur. 



It was the custom at night for the seals 

 and sea lions to be carefully locked up in 

 their own quarters, for these animals are 

 fond of taking little journeys on their own 

 account about the building. At one time 

 when in London, England, Toby and the rest 

 of his company had quite an adventure of 

 their own. In some way they pushed open 

 the wooden door of their apartment in the 

 middle of the night, scrambled out, and 

 finally found their way upstairs and into the 

 theater. After wandering round the orches- 

 tra for a time— they left their marks plainly 



