over the body; but both
sexes are formed alike with regard to the feet, or rather fins. Those
fins, which originate near the breast, are large flat pieces of a black
coriaceous membrane, which have only some small indistinct vestiges of
nails on their middle. The hinder fins are rather more like feet, being
black membranes divided into five long toes, with a thin thong, or
membrane, projecting far beyond the nails, which are very small. With
these nails, however, we have seen them scratch all parts of their body.
The tail is excessively short, and hid between the hind feet or fins,
which grow close together. The whole hind quarters are very round, being
covered with an amazing quantity of fat. The noise which all the animals
of this kind made together was various, and sometimes stunned our ears.
The old males snort and roar like mad bulls or lions; the females bleat
exactly like calves, and the young cubs like lambs. Of the young we saw
great numbers on the beaches; and one of the females being knocked down
with a club, littered in the same instant. The sea-lions live together
in numerous herds. The oldest and fattest males lie apart, each having
chosen a large stone, which none of the rest dares approach without
engaging in a furious battle. We have often seen them seize each other
with a degree of rage which is not to be described; and many of them had
deep gashes on their backs, which they had received in the wars. The
younger active sea-lions, with all the females and the cubs, lie
together. They commonly waited the approach of our people, but as soon
as some of the herd were killed, the rest took flight with great
precipitation, some females carrying off a cub in their mouths, whilst
many were so terrified as to leave them behind. When left to themselves,
they were often seen caressing each other in the most tender manner, and
their snouts often met together, as if they were kissing. They come
ashore on these uninhabited spots to breed; they do not, however, breed
during their stay on shore, which sometimes lasts several weeks, but
grow lean, and swallow a considerable quantity of stones to keep their
stomach distended. We were surprised to find the stomachs of many of
these animals entirely empty, and of others filled with ten or a dozen
round heavy stones, each of the size of two fists."--Professor Steller's
description of these animals, which he found at Bering's Isle, near
Kamtchatka, corresponds perfectly with