SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE. 255 



"essentially pelagic," which "for some portion of the year, however, 

 naturally resorts to certain littoral breeding places, where the young are 

 brought forth and suckled on land" (Sec. 2G1). Why it is and how it 

 happens that an "essentially pelagic"' animal should naturally resort to 

 land for the most important function of its life docs not appear, and yet 

 the exceptional singularity of the circumstance might have made ex- 

 planation reasonable. It is enough for the present purpose to give, in 

 a word, the explanation of this practice of resorting to land. It may 

 be found in the universally conceded fact, that when the young happen to 

 be bom at sea they perish. Ability to swim does not come spontaneously 

 or naturally to this "essentially pelagic" animal. It is part of its edu- 

 cation, and is not always acquired without difficulty. The race would 

 be at once extinguished, by failure of living offspring, if it were confined 

 to its own element. 



Passing this anomaly for the present and again seeking information 

 from the British Commissioners' Eeport, we learn that the breeding 

 males begin to arrive on the Pribilof Islands at varying dates in May 

 and remain continuously on shore for about three months, after which they 

 are freed I from all duties on the breeding rooheries. * * * The breed- 

 ing females arrive for the most part nearly a month later, bearing their 

 young immediately on landing and remaining ashore, jealously guarded 

 by the males for several weelcs (Eeport of British Commissioners, Sec. 30). 



It is plain that the impregnation of the female takes place during 

 these months or weeks. The "jealous" care of the breeding males, 

 their sojourn on the land " until they are freed from all antics on the 

 shore," their patient waiting for the females;- all these facts show 

 that there is a regular season of coition, which extends as they admit 

 from May until July or August (see Eeport of British Commissioners, 

 Sec. 306), and that the act takes place on the land. 



If this assertion needs further demonstration, it may be readily 

 turn i shed. 



Assuming, as we must, and as the British Commissioners themselves 

 declare, that it is natural for the seal to resort to land for the purpose 

 of bringing forth and suckling its young, it being, moreover, uncon- 

 tradicted that there is but one breeding jdace for this herd of seals, 

 viz., the Pribilof Islands, it is indisputable that the period of coition 

 and impregnation must so correspond with the period of return to the 

 islands as to enable the mother to time the period of delivery with that 

 of reaching laud. Nature is a wise and careful monitor in her dealings 



