100 BULLETIN OF THE 



In a few days after the birth of the young the female is ready for 

 intercourse with the male. She now becomes solicitous of liis atten- 

 tions, and extends herself on the rocks before him. Owing to the 

 position of the genital organs, however, coition on land seems to be not 

 the natural method, and only rarely, perhaps in three cases out of ten, 

 is the attempt to copulate under such circumstances effectual. In the 

 mean time the four and five year old males are in attendance along the 

 shore. When their jealous lord is off" his guard, or encased in driving 

 away a rival, the females slip into the water, when an attentive "bach- 

 elor" seal follows her to a distance from shore. Then, breast to breast, 

 they embrace each other, turning alternately for each other to breathe, 

 the act of copulation sometimes continuing from five to eight minutes.* 



"When the female again returns to the shore she is treated with in- 



Kraschennimkow, apparently quoting from Steller, thus quaintly describes their voice 

 as heard under different circumstances. " When this animal lies upon the shore and 

 diverts himself, hi> losing is like that of a cow ; when he fights he growls like a bear ; 

 when he has conquered his enemy he chirps like a cricket." — Hist, of Kamtsck., p. 228. 

 Mr. Dall observes that they have "a kind of piping whistle which they use when tired 

 or hot." — j. A. a. 



* Other accounts somewhat vary from this. Steller's remarks on this point areas 

 follows: " Concubitum exercent more hominum ita ut mas incubus foemella succuba 

 sit. prseeipue autem circa vesperam veneris exercitiis inhiant: horam antea tarn mas 

 quam foemella in mare se recipiunt, una placide natant, dein una reuertunter, fcemella 

 supina in dorso jacet, mas vero e mari superueuit, anterioribus pedibus innixus, maximo 

 feruore libidinem exercet, et sub hoe lusu fcemellamita premitet pondere su'oin arenam 

 demergit, ut nihil nisi caput cmineat, ipse vero pedibus anterioribus adeo in arenam 

 endit, ut tandem toto ventre fcemellam premat et contingat. Locum eligunt ipsum 

 litns arenosum, qua undis huncdum alluitur, adeo intentiet obliuiosisui ipsius sunt, ut 

 plusquam per quadrantem horau scortanti abstarem, antequam me obsernai'et, nee obse- 

 ruasset, nisi mum colapham impegissem, ex quo adeo iratus maximo fremiti! me laces- 

 siuit, ut aegre me surriperem, ille vero nihilominus me eminus vidente, quod cceperat, 

 absoluit opus per integrm quadrantem horse." 



Mi-. W. II. Dall. in August, 1S68, spent some time at St. George's Island, and in some 



valuable notes on the natural history of this island, which he has kindly placed at my 



disposal, 1 find tin' following remarks, which, it will be seen, are quite confirmatory of 



: "They [the females] sleep in the water, lying on their sides, with the 



two flippers [of the upper side] out of the water, and receive tin- male ill the same 



times nanain in copula for upwards of an hour." While these 



statements arc doubtless quite true, at least in numerous instances, the more favorable 



unit! for observation Captain Bryant has had, leave little reason to suppose he 



ition, been deceived in the matter. 



I have been thus lengthy in these comments from the fact that tlii- mode of coitus 

 ■ Ijccii no,- r among the lower mammalia. — j. a. \. 



