Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-12-22
LEAFlNa eRoM HIGH CLIFFS.
California Sea Lions Are Small. buf Ar
Chnnlpion Climbers and Jumpers.


California Sea Lions Are Small, but Are
Champion Climbers and Jumpers.
Closely resembling Steller's sea lion
IS tho California sea lion, the slira fell
low in tho 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 ont. "Hokc, Hoke, Hoke r until
ell the little boys outside the tent are
fsiriy Wild to get in.
III form an.i habits this animal SC
closely resembl IS the smaller specimens
of Steller sea lion that ON the Faral-
lore islands, where 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 tho 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
ment. Indeed, if reports arc true, we
may Faithfully call this creature the
champion climber and jumper Of all
the pinnipeds in the world.
Captain Scammon states that on San
ia Barbara island the old male sea lions
arc in the habit of climbing to tho tops
of the bold rocky cliffs that abound en-
its coast and lying there for days at &
time-to enjoy the scenery perhaps.
What is stranger still, these wonderful
creatures, when attacked OF thoroughly
alarmed, will take flying leaps from the
tops CT those same cliffs into the sea.
Captain Scammon relates how he and
his crew once cornered herd of about
90 old male sea lions who "were collect
ed on tho brink of a PERCEPTIONS cliff, al
height OF at least 60 feet above the
rocks which shelved from the beach be-
low. Our men were sure, in their own
minds, that by surprising the animals
we could drive them over the cliff.
This was easily accomplished, but
to our chagrin, when we arrived at tho
point below where We expected to find
the huge beasts disabled or killed, the
last animal Of the whole rookery was
seen plunging into the sea.
The California sea lion is found only
ON the coast of California and tho pen
insula of Lower California, and its
two centcrs of greatest abundance are
tho Farallone islands, near San Fran
cisco, and Santa Barbara island. In for
sner years immense numbers were killed
FOR their oil, but that has ceased to be 4
paying industry.
Owing TO the fact that they are pro
tected by law, they have become SO nu-
merous around the Cliff house, The
Heads and in San Francisco bay that
their wholesale destruction of valuable
food fish is bitterly complained of by
tho fishermen of San Francisco.
OF all pinnipeds this species is tho
most noisy I'm approaching an island
or point occupied by numerous herd, :"
says Captain Scammon, lone first hears
their long, plaintive howlings, as if in
distress, but when near them the sounds
become more varied and deafening.
THE old males roar SO loudly as to
drown the noise CT the heaviest surf
among the rocks and caverns, and the
younger of both sexes croak hoarsely CT
send forth sounds like the bleatins Of
sheep or the barking of dogs In fact,
their tumultuous utterances are beyond
description ;"
In the water the body of this creature
appears to be a shiny dark brown, bet
when TIE skin is mounted and dried in
a museum collection the hair is found
to be thin. coarse, very stiff and OF a
dirty brownish yellow coior.-St.
Nicholas.