PALATE OF PATAGONIAN SEA LION.
HOOKER’S SEA BEAR.[212]—Among the collection obtained during the eventful voyage, under Captain Sir J. C. Ross, in the Erebus and Terror to the Antarctic regions, were the skin and skeleton of a Sea Bear from the Auckland Islands, which Dr. Gray named after the celebrated botanist of the Expedition, Dr. (afterwards Sir) Joseph D. Hooker. No account of the life-history of the animal accompanied these remains, but the narrow skull, deeply concave palate-bones, and other osteological features, clearly showed its specific distinction. The precise geographical distribution of this Sea Bear thereafter became a knotty point, and from general outward resemblance of the Otary tribe one to the other it has been confounded with several of them. The investigations of Mr. J. W. Clark of Cambridge, however, set this at rest, and without enlarging into particulars, we shall briefly say that he has shown that besides the English voyagers, the French Expedition in the Astrolabe (1826–29), and Captain Thomas Musgrave (of whom I shall say something immediately), obtained it at the Aucklands. Moreover, the French, in their last Transit of Venus Expedition—to Campbell Islands—there met with it, and Mr. Clark identified it with a sub-fossil form found by Dr. Hector on the coast of New Zealand.
The original specimens of this Hair Seal in the British Museum are throughout of a darkish grey, inclining to yellow, or yellowish-brown, and what appears to be the male is about five feet long, while the female is smaller and yellower in colour.
The little that we know of the habits of this creature is chiefly derived from Captain Musgrave’s extraordinary narrative, “Castaway on the Auckland Islands.” In 1863, the schooner Grafton, of Sydney, was wrecked on the islands in question, where captain and crew were condemned to reside for twenty months. His journal of their sufferings on these desolate rocks was written in Seal’s blood, and the editor of the gallant captain’s narrative appropriately quotes worthy old Richard Hakluyt’s words:—“How shall I admire your heroicke courage, ye marine worthies beyond all names of worthinesse!”
Before the distressed seamen had been a week on shore, the captain notes “that the Seals are very numerous here, and go roaring about the woods like wild cattle; indeed, we expect they will come and storm the tent some night.” They found the sucklings delicious eating, exactly like lamb, but the flesh of the old males was rejected. Indeed, stewed, boiled, or roasted Seal’s flesh and liver, with roots fried in oil, and occasionally mussels and fish, constituted dainties; for it happened at times they were driven to extremities for lack of fare. For a while a few crumbs of biscuit were regularly laid on the table, but only to look at, “or point at,” as Paddy would say. On a single occasion they obtained the milk of a slain female, which they considered to be rich and good, and superior to Goats’ milk. Needful of clothing, blankets, and shoes, by a rude manipulation with lye of ashes, drying and rubbing, and by tanning with bark, the skins were thus rendered available. Seals’ tracks were found at the top of a mountain four miles from the water. They run fast in the bush, and where it is thick have an advantage over men, even climbing rocky cliffs and steep slippery banks almost inaccessible to the latter. Captain Musgrave believes their sense of smell to be very keen, but neither hearing nor sight acute on land. The old “bulls” have long, coarse, almost bristly fur on their neck and shoulders, which ruffles up when attacked, and this, with their great teeth, gives them rather a formidable leonine appearance. These “bulls” are savage, and so fierce that caution is required in facing them; they even are so bold as to leave the water and chase a man. One great and very old dark-coloured fellow, “king of a mob,” was christened “Royal Tom,” whose daring and dignity would barely allow him to move off when driven hard. On board the vessel which rescued the castaway survivors was a very large courageous Dog, which would fasten on the Otaries, but get dreadfully torn, and was no match in point of strength. Their tenacity of life is extraordinary. For instance, one received two bullets, had its head split open with an axe, and brain hanging out, but nevertheless dragged along the beach the men who were trying to keep him out of the water by hanging on his hind flippers. The males arrive in October, fat, choose ground, fight furiously, and remain until the end of February. The females go with young about eleven months, and bear a single offspring in February; but previous to parturition, in December and January, the smaller timid females wander in the bush bellowing in a dismal manner. The new-born young are black, become greyer after a few weeks, and when older brownish, the adult colouring following. Musgrave recounts the amusing manner in which the mother coaxes the young towards the water, which at first it is averse to enter, and she often displays ingenuity in getting it in. She puts it on her back, swims along gently, while the little bleating fellow slips or splutters off into the sea; the mother again gets underneath, or even becoming angry, gives it a cruel bite or slap with flipper. Ultimately, after such drilling, the youngsters take to the water of their own accord, and paddle about or play on shore in groups. There is a periodical migration of these Hooker’s Sea Bears, but it is not so regular as in some other species, several remaining in the same quarters all the year round. They shift their camp, though, in the bays, and sleep ashore only at night. When in the water Captain Musgrave assures us their speed is very great, not exceeding twenty miles an hour, and they have a most extraordinary power of arresting their progress instantaneously.
WHITE-NECKED OTARY,[213] OR AUSTRALIAN SEA LION.—Under these two names, and those of the Counsellor Seal, the Cowled Seal, and Gray’s Australian Hair Seal, has the Sea Lion been called which inhabits the shores of Australia. Two localities are specially noted—Houtman’s Abrolhos and King George’s Sound, on the west and south-western parts of the continent—though Mr. Scott mentions that this species was formerly very abundant in Bass’s Strait, as also on the north-west coast of Australia, and that it is still found tolerably numerous on the Seal Rocks off Port Stephens, a short distance north of Sydney. Very old males of this animal are stated to attain a length of twelve feet, and to be as large in girth as a Horse, but adults from eight to nine feet long are more commonly met with, the females being still smaller. Mr. J. W. Clark deftly catches the salient points as follows:—“The adult has the face, front, and sides of the neck, all the under surface, sides, and back, dark or blackish-brown, passing into dark slaty grey on the extremities of the limbs; the hinder half of the crown, the nape and back of the neck, rich deep fawn-colour. It is the peculiar shape of this stripe of light colour stretching over head and neck which has given it the name of ‘Cowled Seal,’ and perhaps the appellation ‘Counsellor Seal,’ which I find is also applied to it, may have been suggested from a fancied resemblance to a barrister in his wig.” The males and females differ in colour, the latter being lighter in tint. The white neck-spot, it is suggested, distinguishes the males. The “pups” are born black, and have an abundant coat of soft fur which diminishes with age, and in the old animal is entirely wanting. The skins, therefore, are of no great value, but as a commercial product the oil is of more importance.
THE PATAGONIAN SEA LION,[214] OR COOK’S OTARY.—Magellan, after whom the Strait dividing Tierra del Fuego from Patagonia is called, in his eventful voyage (1520) found, off the Rio de la Plata, what the Spaniards knew as a Sea Wolf (Lobos de mar), doubtless the Otary above named, for even in the present day the Government of Buenos Ayres protect the colony of Seals of one of the islands at which the celebrated navigator touched. Now these animals are scarce, and their range somewhat limited, but when the buccaneers carried fire and sword into the Spanish provinces they were of frequent occurrence, not only around Patagonia and the neighbouring islands, but up the Peruvian coast. Few of the voyagers that afterwards passed along these shores but had some slight adventure to relate concerning these creatures.
It was this animal that attracted the attention of Captain Cook and his naturalist, Forster, both describing it, the latter giving it the specific name of jubata, from the Latin juba (a mane), a feature, however, that some naturalists of the present day are inclined to deny. But the fact is that at that date many exceedingly old, large, and rugged individuals of this species existed which are no longer to be met with.
Apart from the historical connections attaching to this creature, inasmuch as many famous voyagers’ names have been associated with it, in our own generation it is remarkable as that first brought alive to England. The individual in question was latterly purchased by the Zoological Society, and died in their Gardens in 1867, in consequence of having swallowed a fish-hook among the food given to it. This notable animal created an interest in the Eared Seals (hitherto little studied) which since has led to the introduction of several living examples and of different species. To those who only knew the Seal tribe from the common sort, this Otaria seemed a marvel of docility, and at a glance most distinct in appearance, habits, and intelligence from anything heretofore exhibited. It was originally captured in the neighbourhood of Cape Horn, and François Lecomte, the French sailor into whose possession it fell, exhibited the animal for a short time in Buenos Ayres before bringing it to London, where for a time he earned a living by showing it off. By kindness and dint of training he taught it to become quite a performer in its way, mounting a ladder with perfect ease, and descending indifferently, head or tail foremost. It fired a small cannon, and went through several other performances indicative of the teachableness of its disposition and the successful assiduity of its trainer. From being cribbed, cabined, and confined, the animal, on its transference to the Zoological Gardens, was allowed the use of a spacious pond, and along with others of the Seal tribe exhibited greater freedom and naturalness of habit. So well known have its appearance and little tricks of mounting chairs, catching with open mouth fish thrown towards it, kissing its keeper, and so on, become, that it is needless to enter upon a detailed account of these matters. There is no doubt, however, that this animal, and others of different species since shown at the Zoological Gardens, Brighton Aquarium, and elsewhere, have manifested traits of brain-power of a superior kind. One feature has struck all, namely, its voracity, twenty-five pounds of fish a day being barely more than short commons. If we estimate this amount to each individual, namely, an equivalent of 9,000 pounds a year, and remember that there exist colonies of these animals more than a million in number, the wonder arises that the finny tribe is not exterminated in those spots inhabited by the Seals.