e 
484 The Natural History of Kerguelen Island.  [ August, 
enough to do so with safety. During the breeding season the 
bulls are very pugnacious, fighting fiercely with each other, and 
even attacking the sealers themselves. Although seemingly so 
unwieldy, they are described as getting over the beaches with 
surprising speed, advancing both flippers at a time and using 
them like crutches. The beaches of Royal Sound are fringed by 
innumerable wallows — cradle-shaped pits — in which the animals 
lie during the breeding-season, recalling the buffalo-wallows of 
our western prairies. 
The increasing scarcity of the sea-elephant and the consequent 
uncertainty in hunting it, together with the diminished demand 
for the oil since the introduction of coal-oil into general use, 
have caused a great falling-off in the business of elephant-hunt- 
ing. The Crozet Islands, for example, have not been “ worked” 
for five years, and at Kerguelen there was only one small schooner 
engaged in this pursuit, two others making Three Island Harbor 
their head-quarters, but spending the “ season ” at Heard’s Island, 
three hundred miles to the southward. It may, therefore, be 
reasonably hoped that these singular animals, but lately far on 
their way toward extinction, will have an opportunity to ‘increase 
again in numbers, and that the sealers may learn from past ex- 
perience to carry on their hunting operations with more judg- 
ment, sparing breeding females and very young cubs. When 
the Monongahela visited the Crozet Islands on December Ist, 
they found the sea-elephants very numerous, although left undis- 
turbed for only five seasons. 
Besides the sea-elephant, the sea-leopard ( Ogmorhinus lep- 
tonyx) often visits the island, as do several species of seal. The 
sea-leopard is also. sought for its oil, but is less valuable, being & 
much more active animal, and therefore less heavily loaded with 
blubber. The king-penguin is said to be its favorite food, “4 
statement which speaks well for the sea-leopard’s activity 10 the 
water, the penguin swimming rapidly enough of course to ca 
the fish upon which it feeds. The leopard is described as pa 
ing and overtaking the penguin under water, rising to the surface 
and tossing it into the air, so as to catch it more securely, Cross- 
wise in its jaws. : 
