EARED-SEALS. 505 



flowing of its "wash covers or uncovers the rocky or sandy- 

 beaches. They first smell, and then touch the moist pool, and 

 flounder in the upper wash of the surf, which leaves them as 

 suddenly high and dry as it immersed them at first. After this 

 beginning they make slow and clumsy progress in learning the 

 knack of swimming. For a week or two, when overhead in depth, 

 they continue to flounder about in the most awkward manner, 

 thrashing the water as little dogs do, with their fore-feet, making 

 no attempt whatever to use the hinder ones. Look at that pup, 

 now, launched out for the first time beyond his depth ; see how 

 he struggles, his mouth wide open, and his eyes fairly popping. 

 He turns instantly to the beach ere he has fairly struck out from 

 the point whence he launched in, and, as the receding swell which 

 at first carried him off his feet and out, now returning leaves him 

 high and dry for a few minutes, he seems so weary that he weakly 

 crawls up, out beyond its swift returning wash, and coils himself 

 up immediately to take a recuperative nap. He sleeps a few 

 minutes, perhaps half an hour, then awakes as bright as a dollar, 

 apparently rested, and at his swimming lesson he goes again. 

 By repeated and persistent attempts, the young seal gradually 

 becomes familiar with the water, and acquainted with his own 

 power over the element which is to be his real home and his 

 whole support. Once boldly swimming, the pup fairly revels in 

 his new happiness." 



The male seals, from six years of age, which go by the expres- 

 sive name of "bachelors," are compelled to herd apart. They 

 number from one-third to one-half the whole aggregate of near 

 5,000,000 seals known to the Pribylov group, and are never 

 allowed by the " see-catchie," under the pain of frightful mutila- 

 tion or death, to put their flippers on or near the rookeries. The 

 ground they occupy is about ten times as large as that covered by 

 the breeding seals, for they wander about aimlessly, or as the 

 weather and caprice may dictate. Thus they frequently journey 

 inland distances varying from a half to a whole mfle, and as they 

 do not travel in desultory files over the winding, stragghng paths, 

 but sweep along in solid platoons, they obliterate every spear of 

 grass, and rub down nearly every hummock in their way. 



