general, very fat, and measured from ten to twelve feet in length; the females were more slender, and from six to eight feet long.  The weight of the largest male amounts to 1200 or 1500 lb., for one of a middle size weighed 550 lb. after the skin, entrails, and blubber were taken off.  The head of the male has really some resemblance to a lion’s head, and the colour is likewise very nearly the same, being only a darker hue of tawny.  The long shaggy hair on the neck and throat of the male, beginning at the back of the head, bears a strong resemblance to a mane; and is hard and coarse to the touch; all the rest of the body is covered with short hairs, which lie very close to the skin, and form a smooth glossy coat.  The lioness is perfectly smooth all 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 that now given, and is referred to by Mr G.F.  Pernetty, Bougainville, and others also speak of them as met with in their voyages.—­E.]