stellek's account of the pur seat.. 205 



to go away with the pups, he would weep in the same way as the female, and just as 

 copiously, so as to flood his whole breast, even to his feet, with tears. The same 

 thing occurs when he suffers grievous wounds or some severe injury which he can not 

 avenge. I have seen captive seals weep in a similar way. 



A second reason why the sea bears in early spring go east to these desert islands 

 is doubtless this. By rest, sleep, and a three months' fast, they must rid themselves 

 of their burdensome fat, in the same way as land bears do in winter. For during the 

 months of June, July, and August, they do nothing except sleep upon land, or lie at 

 ease in one spot like a rock, and look at each other, roar, kiss, and stretch, taking 

 neither food nor drink. One in particular I noticed lying in the same spot for a 

 whole month. Although at different times I dissected the old males, yet I found 

 nothing at all in their stomachs except froth and gastric juice, and no faeces in the 

 bowels. Furthermore, I noted that meanwhile the layers of fat wasted away more 

 and more, the size of the body becoming diminished and the skin becoming so loose 

 that it hung like a sack and swayed with each motion of the body. The younger ones 

 that are not so fat begin to cohabit about the first of July; they are active and run 

 here and there, living on land and in the sea by turns. This fact convinced me still 

 further that in accordance with his nature I should call this animal a bear. 



They cohabit after the manner of the human kind, the female below and the male 

 above, and especially near evening time do they desire to indulge their passion. An 

 hour before, male and female cast themselves into the sea and swim around quietly 

 together. Then they come back together, and the female lies flat on her back while 

 the male comes up out of the sea upon her. He seizes her in his arms and indulges his 

 passion with the greatest heat. During the coition he presses the female down and 

 buries her in the sand by his weight so that only her head sticks out, and he himself 

 digs into the sand with his front feet, so that he presses down and touches the female 

 with his whole belly. For this they choose a sandy spot upon the very shore, where 

 the waves come even to the place. So absorbed are they and so forgetful of them- 

 selves that I could stand near them for more than a quarter of an hour without being 

 observed. And I should not have beeii seen even then had I not struck the nrale a 

 blow, whereupon with a great uproar he attacked me so wrathfully that I got away 

 with diflftculty. But nevertheless when I gained an eminence from which I could look 

 down he went on for another quarter of an hour with what he had begun. 



These animals have three different kinds of speech. To pass away the time while 

 they lie upon the land they cry out, and their voice is not at all different from the 

 lowing of cows when deprived of their calves. In battle they roar and growl like a 

 beai;, and if they get the victory they utter a very sharp and often repeated note like 

 our common crickets. But when wounded and overcome by their enemies they groan 

 terribly or hiss like a cat or sea otter. 



When they come out of the sea they shake their bodies and wipe off" their breasts 

 Avith their back flippers, and smooth their fur. The male places the tip of his lips to 

 those of the female as if to kiss her. When the sun shines clear in the sky they lie 

 down and raise their back flippers in the air and move them in the same way as a dog 

 wags his tail. They lie sometimes on their back and sometimes on their belly like a 

 dogj sometimes curled up in a ball, sometimes stretched out on one side with their 

 front flippers resting on the side. But although they sleep soundly, and though a 

 man may approach ' softly, nevertheless they are speedily aware of his presence and 

 get up, whether informed by hearing or the sense of smell I know not. 



