SAOT) DUNES AND SALT MARSHES 



of summer, particularly in September and 

 October. How much of the actions of the 

 seals is play and how much courtship it is 

 difficult to say. It is not uncommon to find 

 seals chasing one another and throwing them- 

 selves completely out of water in the exu- 

 berancy of their sport or courtship, falling 

 back with a splash into their favorite element. 

 Sometimes they project themselves diago- 

 nally upwards from the water, which they 

 clear with all but the tail, and again they 

 bound with great leaps over the surface, 

 throwing themselves their full length with 

 each leap. I have seen one swim before a 

 breaker over a submerged bar, leaping for- 

 ward five times as the wave repeatedly broke. 

 Occasionally the play seems to go on just 

 below the surface, which is broken from 

 time to time by a perplexing display of 

 flippers. 



Oftentimes in September and October two 

 seals will suddenly rise up from the water 

 as far as their shoulders face to face, and 

 occasionally they appear to bump noses or 

 kiss. Then in a trice they disappear amid 

 a turmoil of waters, and as they go 

 down they usually throw up their tails and 



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