ROOKERY ISLAND

Sea lion rookeries are fine (and one of the few) examples of ""herds of large animals that have existed in unchanged surroundings since the time of man,"" and here is a report from one of the two men who have ever observed a rookery of Steller (Great Northern) sea lions, animals with no known commercial value. Pups are charcoal grey (unlike the golden year-lings that most fishermen have seen) and they know their mothers by individual calls. In fact, the pups are so dependent that they perish if the mother dies, as they eat only the mother's milk for the first year. Mr. Daetz tends to boost sea lions at the expense of man: ""sea lions have no police or courts to settle quarrels. But neither did cavemen or the early pioneers in the days of the Old West whose way of life was colorful and violent, especially among the males."" This is the only work--adult or juvenile--to consider sea lions solely, so the material on physical traits and life patterns is unique but the far-fetched comparisons of human and sea lion behavior and the frequent attempts to malign man for destroying other species will be distracting.