INABILITY TO SWIM. 109 



They are not amphibious when born, nor can they swim for several 

 weeks thereafter, and were they put into the water 

 would perish beyond a doubt, as has been well es- J- C. Redpatk, p. 148. 

 tablished by the drowning of pups caught by the 

 surf in stormy weather. 



A pup does not swim when first born, and is 

 generally two months old before it goes into the T. F. Ryan, p. 175. 

 water. 



The pups are not able to go with their mothers and drown, if 

 by mischance, they are thrown into the sea be- 

 fore they are three or four weeks old. They stay c. M. Scammon, #.475. 

 with the bulls on the breeding grounds until about 

 six or seven week old before learning to swim. 



From my observations I am convinced a pup must be six or eight 

 weeks old before it can swim, and that a female 

 generally teaches her own pup the use of his flippers, w. B. Taylor, p. 176. 

 Birth in the water would mean immediate death 



to the pup, both because of the fact last stated and from the further 

 fact that for a day or two after birth a pup is entirely helpless. In my 

 judgment, then, a seal pup for the first few weeks of its life is a land 

 quadruped and in no sense an amphibian. I believe that a seal is 

 naturally a land animal, as all copulation, birth, and nursing takes 

 place ou shore, and the only reason I think the seals seek the water is 

 because they are compelled so to do in order to obtain food. This is 

 verified from the fact that the seals remain on land as long as possible 

 until the need of food and severity of the weather compel them to take 

 to the sea. 



The head constitutes ihe greater part of this animal at this time 

 [birth], and they are clumsy and awkward in all 

 their movements, and if swept into the water by Dan'l. Webster, p. 180. 

 accident or otherwise would perish from inability 



to swim — a fact that I have often observed, and one which is well 

 known to all who have paid any attention to the subject. Practically 

 they remain in this helpless condition, though taking on fat rapidly, 

 until they are from 6 to 7 weeks old, when tliey commence to go into 

 the shallow water, and, after repeated trials, learn to swim; but even 

 then they spend most of their time on land until they leave the islands 

 late in November. During the first few weeks after their birth they 

 are not amphibious, and land is a necessity to their existence. 



A young seal does not take to the water naturally. He has to be 

 taught to swim. The hair-seal will pup anywhere 



and the pups will go right into the water, but the t. t. Williams, quoting 

 fur-seals are forced to go ashore to bring forth Capt. Oisen, p. 505. 

 their young and forced to leave their young on 

 land, while they go into the water to feed and bathe. 



