THE SEA BEAR. 153

Sea Bears. The Northern Sea Bear is otherwise known
as the Northern Fur Seal. Captain Charles Bryant gives a
very interesting account of these singular animals, in which
he describes them as approaching and taking possession oi
the shores of St. Paul’s Island near the coast of Alaska, aboui
the middle, or towards the end of April, when the snow has
melted and the drift ice from the north has all passed. A
few old male seals first make their appearance and reconnoitre
for two or three days, afterwards climbing the slopes and
taking possession of the rookeries, each male reserving about a
square rod for himself and his wives. The scouts then
return and younger male seals soon begin to arrive in small
detachments, but are prevented from landing by their elders
and are so forced to remain in the water or go to the upland
above. By the middle of June all the males have arrived,
and having adjusted their differences and divided the rock-
erties between them, await the arrival of the females. “These
appear in small numbers at first but increase as the season
advances, till the middle of July; when the rookeries are all
full, the females often overlapping each other. The bachelor
seals swim all day along the shore, escorting and driving the
females on to the rocks as fast as they arrive. As soon as
a female reaches the shore, the nearest male goes down to
meet her, making meanwhile a noise like the clucking of a
hen to her chickens. He bows to her, and coaxes her
until he gets between her and the water so that she cannot
escape him. Then his manner changes, and with a harsh
growl he drives her to a place in his harem. This continues
until the lower row of harems is nearly full. Then the males
higher up select the time when their more fortunate neigh-
bours are off their guard to steal their wives. This they do
by taking them in their mouths and lifting them over the
heads of the other females, and carefully placing them in
their own harem carrying them as carefully as cats do their
kittens Those still higher up pursue the same method until