URSINE SEAL, 
193 
suppliant manner, and washes them with her 
tears ; he, at the same time, brutally insults her 
..misery, stalking about in the most insolent man- 
ner. But if the young is entirely carried off, he 
melts into the greatest affliction, shedding tears* 
"and shewing every mark of sorrow. 
Those animals that, through age or impotence, 
are deserted by the females, withdraw themselves 
from society, and grow excessively splenetic, peev- 
ish, and quarrelsome ; they become very furious, 
and so attached to their own stations, as to prefer 
even death to the loss of them. If they perceive 
another animal approaching them, they are instant- 
ly roused from their indolence, snap at the en~ 
croacher, and give him battle. During the light, 
they insensibly intrude on the station of their 
neighbour, who then joins in the contest ; so that 
at length the civil discord spreads through the 
whole shore, attended with hideous growls, their 
note of war. Mr. Steller, and his men, in order 
to try the experiment, wantonly attaekcd one of 
these seals, put out both his eyes, and irritated 
four or five of his neighbours by throwing stones 
at them. When these pursued jhim he ran towards 
the blind animal, who, hearing them approach, 
fell upon them with the utmost fury. Mr. Stel- 
ler escaped to an adjoining eminence, from whence 
he observed the battle, which raged for several 
hours. The blind seal attacked, without distinc- 
tion, both friends and enemies ; till, at length, the 
whole herd, taking part against him, allowed 
him no rest, either on shore or in the sea, out of 
which they more than once dragged him to land* 
till lie was dead. 
This is one of the causes of disputes among 
these irritable creatures. But the most serious 
one is when an attempt is made to seduce any 
of their mistresses, 'or- a young female of the 
