LOCOMOTION ON LAND, 125 



At about 5 weeks old the pups begin to run about and congregate in 

 bunches or "pods;" and atO to 8 weeks old they 

 go into the shallow water and gradually learn to j. c. Eedpath,p. 148. 

 swim. 



LOCOMOTION ON LAND. 



Page 105 of The Case. 



It moves in a gait more like going on " all fours," while the adult 

 seal moves by drawing up the hind quarters as a 



whole and then throwing itself forward its own J.Stanley Brown, p. 16. 

 length. 



A black Dup walks on all fours, raising his body more from the ground 

 than an older seal, and appears to be more of a 



land animal than his elders. All seals can move ?* org i Comer > P- 598 

 very rapidly on land when forced to do so, and ( Antarchc >- 

 seem to have remarkable powers of land locomotion when the forma- 

 tion of their flippers and body are taken into consideration. 



During this period, also, a pup moves very Samuel Falconer, p. 164. 

 much like a young kitten, using its hind flippers 

 as feet. 



Another point that shows a pup is a land animal during the first 

 weeks of its existence is, that it uses its hind 

 flippers as feet, running on them in much the same j. h. Moulton, p. 72. 

 manner as other land animals, while a seal that 



lias learned to swim drags his hind flippers, using his front flippers to 

 pull himself along. 



LEARNING TO SWIM. 



Page 106 of The Case. 



When about 4 weeks old the pups get together in groups or pods and 

 approach nearer and nearer to the shore; after a 

 week or so they are down near the surf, but run chas. Bryant, p. 5. 

 back terrified whenever a wave comes in. They 



then begin to get acquainted with the sea, and little by little overcome 

 their terror and learn to use their flippers. I have seen a female some- 

 times pick her pup up by the back of the neck and carry it out into the 

 water and let go of the little animal, catching it before it drowned and 

 holding it above the waves; this she would repeat time and again until 

 the little fellow got over his terror and began to use his flippers. By 

 the 1st of September nearly all the pups have learned to swim, anil 

 until the time of their departure from the islands spend their time both 

 on land and in the water, but by far the greater portion of this period 

 is spent on land. 



The pups are born in June and July, and they learn to swim in Sep- 

 tember. They can not swim when they are 

 born Karp But erin, p. 104. 



When 6 or 8 weeks of age the older seals, generally the mothers, force 

 the young seals into the water and teach them 

 to Swim. Samuel Falconer, p. 164. 



