rs and the roaring of the bulls.

Another feature in connexion with the rookery is the presence of what
may be called unattached bulls, which lie around at a little distance
from the cows, and well apart, forming a regular ring through which any
cow wishing to desert her pup or leave the rookery before the proper
time has very little chance of passing, as one of these grips her firmly
with his powerful flipper and stays her progress. The lord of the harem,
in the meantime, hastens to the scene of the disturbance, whereupon the
other bull decamps.

The sea immediately in the vicinity of a large rookery is generally
swarming with unattached bulls, who may be seen with their heads out of
the water eyeing each other and keeping a bright look out for escaping
cows. Now and again one may see a bull in the water gripping a cow with
his flipper, despite her struggles, and roaring at a couple of others
who show up menacingly quite close to him.

It may be remarked that towards the end of the season changes in the
proprietorship of a rookery are rather rapid, as continuous raids are
made by individuals from the outside. The need of continuous vigilance
and the results of many encounters eventually lead to the defeat and
discomfiture of the once proud proprietor.

I have never seen two bulls fight without first indulging in the usual
preliminaries, that is, roaring and advancing a few yards and repeating
the performance till within striking distance. Then both animals rear
high up, supporting themselves on the lower part of the body, and lunge
savagely with their whole weight each at his opponent's head or neck,
tearing the thick skin with their teeth and causing the blood to flow
copiously. Several lunges of this kind generally finish the battle,
whereupon the beaten one drops to his flippers and makes all haste
towards the water, glancing fearfully behind him on the way. We have
seen bulls with their snouts partly torn off and otherwise injured, but
worse injuries must occur in the rare, desperate battles which sometimes
take place between two very much enraged animals.

When a bull in the centre of a rookery has occasion to rush at an
interloper, he does so without regard to anything in his way, going over
cows and pups alike and very often crushing some of the latter to death.
Again, it seems as if all the outlying bulls recognize the noise of the
rookery bull, because each time he roars they all lift up their heads
and t