when the seas are stormy? One other marine mammal, the Sea Otter in the 
Aleutians, undergoes extended periods without feeding in the winter months 
due to heavy seas. 
Also on Lisianski a group of nine loosely associated adult and sub¬ 
adult males were hauled-out on the sandy beach near the water. 
REPRODUCTION 
One pup was born on Laysan Island on 10 June. The umbilical cord was 
still connected to the pup, but there was no sign of the placenta. The 
pup was still wet with amniotic fluid. The female made no effort to lick 
the pup. Two other gravid females were seen on Laysan Island; one was 
seen on Lisianski. 
Again the Laysan Island survey shows a disparity between the ratio of 
male and female pups (Table 3)« There were 10 male pups (in natal pelage) 
and only one female. . Although the ratio is closer in older pups (those in 
post-natal pealge), there are still 125$ more males than females. No such 
large disparity in the sex ratio was noted on the other islands. No ex¬ 
planation is offered at this time. 
GENERAL 
Similarities between Monachus and the Northern Elephant Seal ( Mirounga 
angustirostris were pointed out by Balcomb. However, he failed to note one 
important dissimilarity in the behavior of the two species when comparing 
reproductive rates of the two animals. The elephant seals have complex 
harem behavior, whereas the Hawaiian Monk Seal apparently has none. The 
danger of comparing reproductive rates is that in the elephant seal there 
is an exchange of parental duties between the bulls and cows. The follow¬ 
ing comes from discussion of elephant seals with Dr. Carl L. Hubbs: The 
month of March was known to the sealers as "the month of the big bulls" in 
California and Mexico. During that time cows go to sea to feed and rest 
and the bulls remain on shore. Then in April, and at least early May, the 
cows return to the islands and the bulls go to sea. 
Balcomb noted circular bites on immature Hawaiian Monk Seals and sug¬ 
gests that they may have been inflicted by moray eels. He notes further 
that similar bites are common on elephant seals on islands off Baja, Mexico 
but states that moray eels are not found there. The latter is not time. 
On the recent SIO Marine Vertebrate Cruise to Guadalupe Island a lobster 
trap was set just offshore Guadalupe Island. When pulled this trap was 
filled with moray eels. I think that these circular scars, which look 
much like gun wounds, may indeed be caused by moray eels in both species 
in their respective geographical locations. 
Initial survey on 7 June yielded a total (without breakdown) of 13 
monk seals on the beach. When the complete count was taken on 11 June, 
