AQUATIC COITION. 63 



"as to copulation in the water rest larsrely upon w.h. Dallas an 



1 . . authority. 



assumption," and after reciting his observations 

 as to seals seen playing in the water: " I have 

 never had an opportunity to assure myself that 

 the pairs of seals seen j^laying in the water were 

 of opposite sexes, or, if they were, that their play 

 was of a sexual nature, or, if it was, that the act 

 was complete or effective." 1 



In view of the facts stated and of the quantity insufficiency 



of the evidence 



of testimony on this point published with their advanced in the 

 Case, 2 the United States submit that there is no 

 proof, "ample" or otherwise, to support the as- 

 sertion that coition takes place in the water. (Sec. 

 246, p. 43.) 



The United States further claim that the posi- inconsistencies 



x of the Report. 



tion taken in the Report on the question of when 

 the female seals leave the rookeries after the birth 

 of their young (ante, p. 57) is entirely inconsistent 

 with the proposition maintained by the Commis- 

 sioners ' 'that the time of impregnation of the female 

 is not necessarily comprised within the period dur- 

 ing which she seeks the shore for the purpose of 

 giving birth to her young" (Sec. 297), and the 

 statement made in the Report that the breeding 

 females remain for several weeks on shore after 

 bearing their young (Sec. 30). As the period of 



' Post p. 359. 



* Appendix to Case of the United States, Vol, II, pp. 14, 42, 165, 

 etc, 



