Democratic messenger., 1894-12-29
lsArINo fRom ~. IS.
California Sea Lions Are Small. but Are
Champion Climbers ami jumpers.

California sea Lions Are small. but Are
Champion Climbers and jumpers.
Closely resembling Sellers soa lion
is tho California sea lion. the Slim fcl-
low i'll the animal show who climbs up
out Of the water all black and shiny,
points his long thin neck straight up
ward, gazcs at the top of his cage and
bawls out. "liokc. Hokc, llokc!" until
all the littlc boys outside tho tent are
fairly wild 10 get in.
In form and habits this animal 50
closely resembles the smaller specimens
Of Stcller's sea lion that ON tho Farai-
lone islands, whcr" the two species come
together, the difference between them
was for years quite overlooked Never
theless the points of difference between
them are very marked.
The California sea lion is only about
half the size Of the preceding species
The male has less development Of neck,
less abundant hair, and. being much
lighter in build, is more active in move
mcnt. Indeed, if reports are true, We
may truthfully call this creature the
champion climber ansi jumper of all
the pinnipeds i'll the world.
Captain Scammon states that on san
ta Barbara island the old male sea lions
are in the habit Of climbing To the tops
of the bold rocky cliffs that abound on
its coast and lying there for days ut 4
timc-to enjoy the scenery perhaps.
What is stranger still, these wonderful
creatures, when attacked or thoroughly
alarmed, will take flying leaps from the
tops of those same cliffs into the sea.
Captain Scammon relates how he and
his crew once corncred u herd of about
20 old male sea lions who were collect
ed OH the brink of n PERCEPTIONS cliff. ct
height of ut least go feet above the
rocks which shelvcd from the beach be-
low. Our men Were sure, i'll their own
minds. that hy surprising the animals
we could drive them over the cliff.
This was easily accomplished, but
to our chagrin. when we arrived at the
point below where we expected to find
the huge beasts disabled or killed. the
last animal Of the whole rcokcry was
seen plungiGS into the sea.
The California sea- lion is found only
on the coast of California and the pen
insula of Lower California. and its
two ccn;crs of greatest abundance are
the F..rallonc islands. near san Fran
CISCO and Santa Barbara island. In for
mcr years immense numbers were killed
for their oil, but that has ceased to bc II
paying industry.
Owing 10 the fact that they are pro
tccted 10y law, they have become so nu-
merous around the CiiT house, the
| Heads and i'll San Francisco bay that
their wholesale destruction Of valuable
food fish is bitterly complained Of by
the fishermen of San Francisco
OF all pinnipcds this species is the
most noisy. In approaching an island
or point occupied by a numerous herd. ="
says Captain Scammon. "onc first hears
their long. plaiutivc howlingS, as if in
distress, but when near them the sounds
become more varied and deafcuins.
The old males roar so loudly as to
drown the noise of the heaviest surf
among the rccks and cayernS. and the
younger of both sexes croa! huarSely or
send forth sounds like the bleatins of
sheep or the barking of dogs. In fact.
their tumultuous utteranccs are beyond
description
In the water the body of this creature
appears to be u shiny dark brown, but
when the skin is mounted and dried i'll
q museum collection the hair is found
to be thin, coarse, very stiff and of IL
dirty brownish yellow color. st.
Nicholas.