172 
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 
washed off by the rising tide. He would remain just as long as he 
was able, and as the tide rose and each wave snatched at him, he would 
jerk both extremities of his body as far from the water as possible, 
looking like some queer, animated toy. 
I was lucky enough, one day, to surprise five or six yearlings in a 
large, isolated tide pool that was a veritable gem of a sea garden. 
Here I kept them for ten or fifteen minutes while I watched their 
graceful movements. They swam at relatively great speed near the 
bottom of the pool, rolling their large eyes at me and dodging when 
I waved my arms. I was surprised to find that they did not use the 
fore flippers when swimming but kept these closely pressed to the sides, 
while the hind ones, placed ‘‘palm to palm,” were moved rhythmically 
from side to side after the manner of a fish’s tail, and furnished the 
sole means of propulsion. When a quick turn was desired, however, 
a fore flipper was extended and literally pushed against the water, as 
a running child might push with his hand against a wall to make a 
quick dodge. When pressed for air they arose to the surface for an 
instant, and then submerged with the celerity of a grebe. One dashed 
from the pool and made for the sea, but became wedged between two 
rocks, where I promptly laid hold of his rear flippers and, with con- 
siderable difficulty, hauled him forth. But he did not play fair, for 
he ejected a vile, excrementitious brew upon me, whereupon I incon- 
tinently released him and departed elsewhere. 
These animals are much more wary than their larger cousins, and, 
at least when on the alert, they have a curious mode of submerging. 
While I was watching the individuals in the pool the remainder of 
the animals were a short distance off shore in a great state of excite- 
ment. Each one at times rose high out of the water, “stood” straight 
up, stared a moment, and then, by violently slapping one flipper on 
the surface, and probably raising the other through the water at the 
same time, submerged sideways as quick as a flash. 
The above observations on the harbor seals were made on, or prior 
to, June 22; and at that date no young pups were in evidence. 
Pasadena^ California. 
