52 ORAL ARGUMENT OF SIR CHARLES RUSSELL, Q. C. M. P. 



I am remiiided by my learued friend that there are some instances, 

 (but I think so very few as to make the exception to the rule), of some 

 damaged skins being taken at sea. 



The President. — That woukl confirm the observation of Senator 

 Morgan. 



Sir Charles Russell. — I shouhl have thought, with great defer- 

 ence, it was the other way, — that if it be the fact that it is only a very 

 rare exception to find a "stagey" skin on a seal taken at sea, it would 

 seem to me to point in the opposite direction. 



The President. — That shows that they nuist go on land, as you say, 

 to shed their hair when they are in a " stagey" period. 



Lord Hannen. — What is meant by a "stagey" condition*? Is it 

 merely shedding their hair, or is it not something like an ailment of the 

 skin? 



Senator Morgan. — Thinness is the cause of their shedding their 

 hair. 



Sir Charles Russell. — I really do not speak with confidence about 

 it, but I have understood it is very much like the case of another ani- 

 mal which I understand much better than the seal, — the horse, — it is 

 like the shedding of the coat, only in a more aggravated character; 

 namely, the disappearance of the older hair and the older fur, and the 

 formation of a younger undergrowth. 



The President. — With all hairy animals, that is the case. 



Sir Charles Russell. — But of a more aggravated and strongly 

 marked character. 



The President. — But can that go on in the water? It seems no, 

 according to this. 



Sir Charles Russell. — With great deference, not so. I tried to 

 explain this the other day — it is surrounded in mystery. It is one of 

 the many points in connexion with the seals that we do not know a great 

 deal about. I endeavoured to explain it the other day by saying this: 

 in accordance with what we know of most animals, some process like 

 stageyness or shifting of the coat occurs with all these animals that are 

 fur-bearing. 



The President. — That is general observation. 



Sir Charles Russell. — That is so; but my suggestion was (and 

 probably it will be found to be the correct one) that in the case of seals 

 which do not go on land, that the change of process is more gradual, 

 so as to be less observable — that it takes place in the water more grad- 

 ually so as not to be so observable. When I say "gradual", it is with 

 great deiereiice to what Senator Morgan said — that there is not any 

 evidence to warrant the conclusion — I mean to satisfy one's mind to a 

 fair conclusion that it is a necessary condition of the existence of the 

 animal, that they all go on land; and, exempli gratia, when I say it is 

 conclusively proved by the evidence which I have referred to more than 

 once of Mr. Bryant who states that when the female pup leaves the 

 island as a pup, it never returns to the island again, until it comes to 

 deliver its tirst young. 



Mr. Phelps. — Who says that? 



Sir Charles Russell. — Mr. Bryant. I will read the passage. 



Senator Morgan. — The question would be, how would you come to 

 find that out? 



Sir Chaeles Russell. — How is anything found out? 



The President. — I think we must come to the conclusion that there 

 is a great deal that is doubtful as yet as to these animals. 



