166 SEAL LIFE ON THE PKIBILOF ISLANDS. 



lacking only a few days, has come to an end. As the pups (the young 

 seals; can not be born in the water, the female's instinct causes her to 

 seek the land, upon which her young is brought forth, sometimes in a 

 few hours, but usually in a day or two, after landing. 



AGE OF SEALS. 



The bulls on the rookeries are at least 6 years of age, that being about 

 the time when they attain their growth, the age of puberty being 

 probably about 5 years. The remainder of the male seals, being those 

 younger and less powerful, called " bachelors," 1 will refer to later. The 

 cows probably reach their growth between 4 and 5 years, but give birth 

 to their first pup when 3, so that cows 2 years old are found upon the 

 breeding grounds; they are the nubiles. 



ORGANIZATION OF THE ROOKERIES. 



As the cows haul up on the shores they are met by the bulls, who 

 coax and urge them toward their own position on the rookeries. Dur- 

 ing this process the most bitter tights occurred between the bulls for 

 possession of the cows in 1872-1874; those nearest the water being the 

 most advantageously located, obtained the greatest number for their 

 harems, sometimes having as many as 40 or 50 cows in their possession, 

 while those farther inland could obtain sometimes only 2 or 3: it was 

 very difficult to fix the average number of cows to a harem in 1872- 

 1874, but I estimated it at about 15 or 20. 



PELAGIC COITION IMPOSSIBLE. 



lu the act of coition on the breeding rookeries I have noticed the fact 

 that no effective coition took place until the cow was brought up to or 

 laid against an inequality of the rookery or fragment of the rock; that, 

 in spite of the bulk of the male being so great and resting upon the 

 female as she lies upon her belly, the orgasms are so rapid and violent 

 that she is shoved forward unless some obstruction holds her in place. 

 This fact is, 1 believe, sufficient to satisfy anyone who carefully consid- 

 ers the matter that it is a physical impossibility for these seals to copu- 

 late in the water. In my opinion there is no conceivable position in 

 which effectual coition can take place in the water. I also observed 

 that the period of connection in the early part of the season lasted from 

 eight to fourteen minutes, and in the latter part, when the bull was not 

 as vigorous, from four to six minutes. 



THK PIPS. 



Immediately after birth the seal pup begins to move about and to 

 nurse, which it often does to gorging itself. It weighs but 3 or 4 pounds 

 when born and is only about 12 inches long. The female after bringing 

 forth her young goes frequently to and from the water, to feed and 

 bathe. On returning from the sea she will recognize the cry of her 

 young though ten thousand pups are bleating at once, and will imme- 

 diately go to it. The pups themselves do not recognize their own 

 mothers a fact I ascertained by careful observation. The mother, 

 however, will not permit any pup but her own to suckle, and will fight 

 off any which attempt it. 



YOUNG SEALS LEARNING TO SWIM. 



The pup when born can not swim. If he is thrown a rod or two into 

 the water, his head, which is heavy, will immediately sink, and his pos- 

 terior parts rise to the surface. Suffocation is only a matter of a few 



