SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE 257 



Tlie remaining — and, at the time in question, most important — class 

 is that of the breeding- females. These, sometime after the birth of the 

 young arid the subsequent copulation with the male, begin to leave the 

 rookery ground and seek the water. This they are able to do because 

 of the lessened interest of the beach masters in them, and more partic- 

 ularly after many of the beach-masters themselves begin to leave 

 their stands. (Sec. 300.) 



In section 309 Bryant is quoted thus : 



Bryant, after describing the relaxation in watchfulness of the male 

 after impregnation has been accomplished, says of the female: " From 

 that time she lies either sleeping near her young or spends her time 

 either floating or playing in the water near the shore, returning occa- 

 sionally to suckle her pup." 



This opinion is especially important, as the same person is relied 

 upon in another place as authority to show that the habit of coition on 

 land has been somewhat modified since 1874. It certainly seems 

 strange that if coition on land was the rule and the exceptions rare 

 prior to 1874 "coition on land seems not to be the natural methodP (Sec. 

 296.) There is evidently an error, either in the transcription or in the 

 original statement. Mr. Bryant adds that "only rarely — perhaps in 

 three cases out of ten — is the attempt to copulate under such circum- 

 stances effectual." This is in direct contradiction to the conceded and 

 established fact that the breeding females are fertilized on land. It is 

 difficult to suppose that Nature did not teach these animals from the 

 earliest date the most "natural" way of satisfying their instinct and 

 perpetuating their species. Perhaps the British Commissioners would 

 not have been driven to the extremity of quoting such statements were 

 it not for the necessity of supporting their theory, viz, the mischievous 

 diminution of the males by slaughter on the islands. 



Taking these statements altogether, they clearly prove the habits of 

 the breeding animal to be as we have contended, subject possibly 

 to alleged exceptions which, even if firmly established, would not im- 

 pair the substance of the contention. It might, perhaps, be safe to 

 rest this branch of the case at this point and to submit to this learned 

 Tribunal that the inconsistencies and self-repugnances of the Report are 

 such as to deprive it of all value as a guide upon this branch, at least, 

 of the discussion. We shall, however, even at the risk of importuuity, 

 pursue the subject still further. 



The statement in the Case of the United States as to the habits of 

 the seals in the act of reproduction is as follows (p. 110): 

 14749 _17 



