Translation 2783

133
The body length of adult males is up to 250 dm; that of
females 'Ls 160 cm, and - that of new-born pups is 65 cm. The body
weight of adult males is over,500•kg, that of females is 140 kg, -
and that of new-born pups is 9 kg.
The southern sea lion is found aloi the Pacific and Atlantic
coasts of South America (see rig, 29).
On tne Atlantic coast Inere
are colonies of sea lions on the islands of Caronila,. Castillo, ij_o
Grande do Sul, Torres, Lobos, and Las Pipas (on the coast of Uruguay).
It'is also -known that several hundred sea liens live on Torres Island,
which lieu between the islands of Santa Catalina and Rio Grande do
Sul, but farther nortn the animals range only to Sit% _caul() and Rio
de Janeiro.
About 66 sea lion rookeries nave been recorded along,the
coast of Argentina, with a total number of the animals exceeding .
100,000. A lare number of sea lions also live on tue ralkland'
Islands. Sea lions have been recorded in . the Strait of riagellan, on
the coasts of .Tierra del Fuego, and along the Pacific coast in the
Atacama distrIct,,near Cape Concepcion (Talcahuano), on . tne coasts
of Chile and »eru (Chincha islànds), and north as far as Payta.
lions do. not make long migrations Within their range;• only journeys
to their feeding-grounds have been observed.
'i3efore the breeding period sexually-mature sea lions occupy
the most suitable places on the coast and form shore rookeries.
Sea'
Within each such rookery several harems may be established, surrounded
by sexually-immature animais and bachelor males.
of a male and up to ton females.
aoh harem consists
The pups are born soon after the harems are formed; according
to ihe region in which the animals live, ti.e births take place from
the end of December to Lite middle of january, i.e. in summer. A .
female usuall.y produces a single pup. .
While tne females are in the water the pups collect in groups
and form "baby rookeries", where they play and sleep.
At first the
pups stay well away from the water,. but as tney Grow older they become
bolder and soon, with the aid of the females, learn to swim. The
lactation perioa is much prolonGed, and Lite pups make' Lae transition
to an ind(n.endent mode oflife at toe aGo of five or uix months
inc fenales may mate with the males only a few days after
birLh, viLhoutdiscontinuin
.lhe males become
sexually nature ab the age of si:. years, and at toat ago taoir mane