NUMBER OF PUPS AT A BIRTH. 143 



HAREM LIFE. 

 Pace 113 of The Case. 



The period of gestation is between eleven and Report of the American 

 twelve months. ' Commissioners, p. 326 of 



My observation has been that the female seal, e La8e - 

 prompted by the maternal instinct, lands, chooses j Stanley Brown, p. 15. 

 by preference the rocky shore, and is permitted a 



certain amount of freedom in going her way untli just the place most to 

 her liking is found, but when once parturition is completed she then, be- 

 ing of necessity tied to the spot, becomes subject to the control of the 

 male, which control is exercised with rigor. Should the point of access 

 to a rookery be through a break in the cliff that offers only a steep in- 

 cline the chances are the bulls located near will be favored by large 

 harems. 



The frequency with which I saw females select a flat stone, over the 

 edge of which the posterior portion of the body could hang previ- 

 ous to delivery, suggests an explanation of why the rocky margins are 

 preferred to the sandy shores. It is not possible to determine how soon 

 after the arrival of the mother the pup is born, for she may have been 

 in the water adjacent to the island several days before finding it neces- 

 sary to come ashore. But the accouchement follows quickly upon the 

 landing. Very soon thereafter the females receive the males, and there 

 is no doubt that the master of the harem has knowledge of the fe- 

 male's condition as regards pregnancy, for, while some of his consorts, 

 the latest arrivals, are jealously guarded, others are permitted greater 

 freedom. 



Within a few days after the birth of the pup the "clap match" is 

 served by the " wig." After being served the „ 

 " wig" lets her go into the water to feed, as she has ( J^Zrctic) ''' P ' 

 to do in order that she may nurse her pup. 



The cow after bringing forth her young remains on the rookery until 

 again fertilized by the bull, which is, I believe, 



within two weeks. The period of gestation is be- Sam'l Falconer, p. 165. 

 tween eleven and twelve months. 



NUMBER OF PUPS AT A BIRTH. 



Page 113 of The Case. 



The female seal gives birth to but one pup every Eerrick Artomanoff, p. 

 year, and she has her first pup when she is 3 years 10 °- 

 old. 



The female gives birth to but a single pup. The J> Stanley Brown, p. 15. 

 labor is of short duration, and seems not to pro- 

 duce great pain. 



On returning the third year the young male goes again upon the 

 hauling grounds and the female to the rookeries, 

 where she brings forth one pup. From this time Chas. Bryant, p. 6. 

 until she is between 12 and 1(3 years of age she 

 continues to bear one pup annually. 



