56 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



overtakeu and captured by her first partner and severely chastised, 

 the bull taking- her up in his mouth and shaking her very much as a 

 cat would a mouse. The female utters no cry, uor does she make any 

 attempt to get away during the castigation, accepting her punishment 

 with good grace and deserting again at the very first opportunity. 



The female always endeavors to select a permanent position in the 

 rookeries before giving birth to her young, which generally takes place 

 from two to six days after their arrival. 



THE PUPS. 



The pup when born will weigh from 6 to 8 pounds, is of a very dark 

 brown (almost black) in color, and is covered with short hair and a 

 little fur. After the first day it is able to sit up and nurse very much 

 like a young dog. Its mother seems to be very much attached to it; is 

 able to distinguish its cry from the thousands around her, and readily 

 responds to its relief if it becomes lodged between the rocks and unable 

 to extricate itself. 



When the pups are about six weeks old they receive their first lessons 

 in swimming. They are forced into the water by their mothers and 

 sometimes by the bulls. I have seen on one occasion a female carry her 

 pup in her mouth and drop it in the water a few yards from land and 

 leave it to make its way ashore unaided. Notwithstanding the seal 

 belongs to the order of amphibia, the pup never instinctively seeks the 

 water, and appears very much frightened on its first immersion, and 

 paddles to the shore as awkwardly as the young of the canine or feline 

 species. After a while they become expert swimmers and seek the 

 water of their own accord, and seem to enjoy the sport very much, 

 remaining in it the greater portion of the time. They return to laud 

 only when requiring food and rest. Before they become good swim- 

 mers and are able to battle with the waves a great many are killed by 

 the surf dashing them against the rocks. In the years 1872 and 1873 

 about 4 or 5 per cent of the young pups were killed in this manner. 

 When they leave the island in the fall they are exceedingly fat, and will 

 weigh from 20 to 25 pounds. Previous to their departure about 2,000 

 of the male class are annually taken by the natives for food. These 

 pelts have no commercial value. 



THE PERIOD OF COPULATION 



takes place a few days after the birth of the pup, and continues at inter- 

 vals for a week for each female until the wants of the entiie harem are 

 complied with by the bull. The fertilization of the female as a general 

 rule is effected by the bull in charge of each particular harem, and not 

 by young males, as previously reported. The young males (bachelors) 

 will invariably pursue the female after she leaves tbe harem and enters 

 the water, but she always refuses him. 



The position and structure of the genital organs are similar to that of 

 horned cattle, and the manner of coition is not unlike that of the 

 canine species. When pregnancy takes place the bull discontinues to 

 a certain extent his surveillance and allows her to go unmolested where- 

 ever she desires. Ui)on one occasion I saw a copulation take place in 

 the water when the surf was breaking; the water, however, was not 

 deep enough, except when the surf broke, to cover both of their bodies. 

 A copulation may take place in the water, but it is, in my oi)inion, 

 unnatural and very rarely done. The time consumed in a copulation 



