OBSERVATIONS ON THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOR ISLANDS, PRELIMINARY REPORT BY DAVID STARR JORDAN, President of Leland Stanford Jr. University, COMMISSIONER IN CHARGE OF FUR SEAL INVESTIGATIONS FOR 1896; AIDED BY THE FOLLOWING: LEONHARD STEJNEGER AND FREDERIC A. LUCAS, Of the U.S. National Museum. JEFFERSON F. MOSER, Lieutenant-Commander, U.S. N., In Command of the Hish Commission Steamer Albatross. CHARLES H. TOWNSEND, Of the U. S. Hish Commission. GEORGE A. CLARK, Secretary and Stenographer. 5 SORIA REE OS Ta JOSEPH MURRAY, 940 9)> Special Agent. 9 nah WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1896. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Document No, 1913. Office of Secretary. , CONTENTS. Hetwernol wansmibtal..---c2odes sje cce=- = I. The assignment of work ..-.-.-.---.--: Mire JORG aM ces aces sein aa afc nse Mr. Stejueger ...-... Aeemaget ceeaenye VET CASE. aicemt= saisycimrs isa = c= ae VI Cl Sipe ohare alasate ie) = cers sparse atehegere’= 3 IMS ROW NSON Ms op mioai2 = ania clare eisicacnie IWilres. dei otra hae as Wee Sone ae neceaos ES The wbINeranyjes oans/eaaeiaseciseoec=s III. The fur seal calendar ...-.-- SSS ees IV. The furigeal or sea bear.............-- Alaskamiherd)- wo s0 = 206 nine ieie oe XVI. Methods of killing of bachelor seals Methods can not be much CHAN SCO maken - naan — ee eee Care to avoid needless pain the only essential -.-...-....:---. Moon-eyed bachelors...-....-. Shortening of the drives ....-- Changes ininterestof humanity Severity of drives.........--.. A drive from the Reef......... Driveways on Medni.......... Palata driveway .........----. Effect of killing seals on their follO WS eenncen ee esos ence ee Stolidity of the fur seal ..-.-... Smell of blood not his own .... Chilling of seals......-.- After effects of the drive...-.. Alleged impairment of virility Not wise to prohibit culling of OPrivGs serine ae ete eres Herding of culled bachelors. -. inaynredibnleess ene. eee ae Castration: 2622.2 -cs.2-<-sace=-ssae 46 Poloyvingiie. acca e ees 46 Tolstoi Sands J--2=-so4-s06 46 RD AC geminata selec ae 46 arly, destin 4.22 - scene 46 Ost pulpsews=caten ssa encnns ae 47 Drowned ps ee nee ee 47 Other causes of death-.-..-.-.--- 47 Observations of Mr. Lucas-.--. 47 The starved pup from Zapadni- 48 The crushed pup: --*. -2.---5-- 48 Autopsies of trampled pups -- 48 PAlOVIN dee so-so neler 48 NO LStOL sas se sooo eee ee 48 KGtOVis. > seen ee oa eee 48 ING Mee eater aaee ccs 49 Vacani Ns on-set eee 49 Generalization ......-.-....-.- 49 Summary of autopsies August DLO MLAS: = So. o scm ine Same eet 49 Autopsies August 15 to Sep- (fetiel ete Pe SAS rmerinncsa oor. 49 Localities of pups examined -- 49 IB SUAVE DUDS: =o. Sense ne cs ar 50 Period of starvation...-...... 50 Habiisioi pups--ce--sessaeee se 50 Contents of pups’ stomachs.. - 50 Excrement of pups. -..--.----- 50 Pups not weaned until depar- fure from) island ---25--5-2=+> 50 Every orphan pup starves.... 50 Count of starved pups.----.-- 51 Foxes eat starved pups on St. GeOLte tte ean ene meee 52 Estimates for St. George. .---- 52 Statistics Of PUps=s---~eeese== 53 Starved pups on Medni.....-... 53 Autopsies on Medni Island..-.. 54 XTX. Daily record of rookery life..-.---.- 54 PAT CISUON - 50: eee eee eeeee 54 XX. The three fur seal herds do notinter- mingle; herds entirely separate. 61 Differences between herds. .-. 62 XOX; (Brand Ine ht: eee ee sae ee eee 62 Branded pups-.-->-2-ss2-- seem 62 XXII. Pelagic catch, 1896: American vessels .........---- 63 Canadian vessels.....-.------- 63 Proportion of sexes...-.-...--- 65 Japanese cateh..----.-......-- 65 Aleutian Islands catch....---- 65 XXIII. Results arising from the acts based upon the Paris tribunal......--. 65 Conditions of pelagic sealing. . 65 Sixty-mile zone. 56. -.2 eon ee 66 Open seasons: esscee eens oe 66 Steam vessels not permitted. . 66 Special license and flag-.-.-....-. 66 Statistical records.....-.-..-.. 66 Prohibition of firearms. -.--.--- 67 Skill in use of spear........--- 67 Use of open canoes. ........... 67 Revision of regulations....... 67 Patrol of Bering Sea..-....... 68 Closing of Bering Sea-........- 68 Hope of permanent adjustment 68 No settlement final if permit- ting pelagic sealing......... 68 Ultimate end in view.-.....--. 69 Need of clean hands on our part. 69 Theses otters: -. 5 ---—-. Ae 3c 69 Proposed slaughter of the seal BUNA ete eos fase oad seca ee 69 * LEP OR ERAN SMIT TAL: Hon. JOHN G. CARLISLE, Secretary of the Treasury. DeEar Srr: I have the honor to transmit to you the following preliminary report on investigations on the fur seal in Bering Sea, made in the summer of 1896, in pur- suance of an act of Congress, as follows: “ Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and is hereby, author- ized to expend, from. any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, a sum sufficient to provide for the employment of persons to conduct a scientific investiga- tion, during the fiscal years eighteen hundred and ninety-six and eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, of the present condition of the fur-seal herds on the Pribilof, Com- mander, and Kurile islands in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, said amount not to exceed for both said years the sum of five thousand dollars. “The Secretary is also authorized to employ a stenographer in connection with this investigation at a rate of compensation not exceeding one thousand five hundred dollars per annum, and to pay his compensation and expenses out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. “The President is authorized to detail, for the purposes of assisting in this inves- tigation, any officer or officers or employees of the United States Government, their actual expenses and the expenses of the person or persons employed under the pre- ceding paragraph to be paid by the Secretary of the Treasury out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. “The President may detail a vessel of the United States for the purpose of carry- ing out this investigation.” In accordance with the act above quoted, I was appointed to take charge of the investigation of the fur seals on June 18, 1896. Mr. Joseph Murray, of Fort Collins, Colo., formerly United States Treasury agent at St. Paul Island, was selected as assistant, and the following persons from the United States National Museum and the United States Fish Commission were detailed as associates: Lieut. Commander Jefferson F. Moser, commanding the United States Fish Commission steamer Alba- tross; Dr. Leonard Stejneger, curator of reptiles, United States National Museum; Mr. Frederic A. Lucas, curator of comparative anatomy, United States National Museum, and Mr. Charles H. Townsend, naturalist of the Albatross. In accordance with the provisions of the act above quoted, Mr. George Archibald Clark, president’s secretary at Leland Stanford Junior University, was appointed secretary and stenographer to the investigation, and by the faithfulness and accu- racy of his natural history observations, as well as by his stenographic skill, he has contributed very largely to the success of the work. I can not speak in too high terms of the zeal with which Messrs. Stejneger, Lucas, and Clark gave themselves to the tr ying work involved in this investigation. To their desire for absolute accuracy in all details, and to their energy in carrying out the work assigned to them, the success of the investigation may be chiefly attributed. As commander of the Albatross, Captain Moser was of the greatest service to the Commission, his deep interest in the work, his extensive hydrographic knowledge, and his excellent seamanship, being fac tors of great importance. The work assigned to Mr. Townsend was executed with his accustomed care and accuracy, and the prac- vical knowledge of Mr. Murray proved of great value. The continuous and efficient interest of Assistant Secretary Charles 8. Hamlin in these and all other matters per- taining to Alaska has been a large element in the success of our work. Series of similar investigations were carried on at the same time by Prof. D’Arcy W. Thompson, of the University of Dundee, and Mr. Gerald E. H. Barrett-Hamilton, of Dublin, commissioners for Great Britain, and by Mr. James M. Macoun and Mr. 5 6 . Andrew Halkett, of Ottawa, commissioners for Canada. These investigations were independent of those under my direction, but all results obtained by us were placed fully and freely at the disposal of the foreign commissioners, and like courtesies were extended to us by them in return. I have further to acknowledge indebtedness for favors or assistance of one sort or another received from the followi ing persons: Mr. Joseph B. Crowley, special, and Messrs. James Judge and Thomas E. Adams, assistant, Fala agents on the islands; Capt. C. L. Hooper, commanding the Bering Sea patrol fleet; Capt. W. H. Roberts and officers of the United States revenue cut- ter Rush; Capt. H. D. Smith and officers of the Perry; Capt. W.D. Roath and officers of the Corwin; Capt. Francis Tuttle and officers of the Bear, and Capt. J. A. Slamm and officers of the Grant; Messrs. Garrett, Parmenter, Dubois, and other officers of the A/batross, and Mr. N. B. Miller, assistant naturalist on board the same vessel; Mr. Joseph Stanley-Brown, superintendent, and Messrs. J. C. Redpath, Daniel Webster, E. J. Baldwin, Harry Chichester, and Captain Nice, employees of the North American Commercial Company on the Pribilof Islands and at Unalaska, and Drs. Otto Voss and L. A. Noyes, the company’s resident physicians on St. Paul and St. George; Capt. Albert C. Allen and officers of H. M.S. Satellite, and Capt. F. A. Garforth and officers of H. M.S. Pheasant; Col. Nicholas Grebnitzi, then governor of Komandorski; Major Waxell, governor of Medni Island, and Mr. Emil Kluge, agent of the Russian Fur Seal Skin Company on Bering Island. The general report of the observations of the summer will appear later, and will be of a monographie character, illustrated by charts and plates. The present pre- liminary report deals briefly with the practical questions involved in the investiga- tion, and particularly with answers to the questions asked in the letter of instructions from the Acting Secretary of the Treasury. The following is the full text of this letter: TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Washingion, D. C., June 13, 1896. Dr. Davin S. JORDAN, Palo Alto, Cal. Srr: Further instructing you as to the scientific investigation to be made by you of the present condition of the fur-seal herds on the Pribilof, Commander, and Kurile islands, I have the honor to state that Prof. D’Arcy W. Thompson and Mr. James M. Macoun have been designated by the British Government and Canadian government, respectively, to make an independent investigation relative to the same subject. Having found it impracticable to rely upon the ordinary means of reaching the fur-seal islands, they have been offered, and have accepted, transporta- tion and accommodations on board the steamer Albatross, and will be granted the same facilities as yourself and party for conducting their indepe ndent investiga- ‘tions. As regards the investigation on behalf of the United States Gov ernment, you are charged with the ar rangement of the details both of the field work and of the work to be performed by the gentlemen designated to assist you, reliance being placed upon your judgment to utilize to the best advantage the means supplied for accomplishing the objects of the expedition. You are authorized to direct the mem- bers of your party to act conjointly with you on all matters, or you. may assign them severally to the study of separate subjects, or to different localities, as you consider most expedient. The advisability is suggested for your consideration of sending one of your party upon the Albatross to the Kurile Islands and Robben Island, Should you need transportation by vessel during such absence of the Albatross, the commander of the Bering Sea patrol fleet, Captain Hooper, will be instructed to render you every facility. Your final report will be expected to relate more specifically to the group of seals which resort to the Pribilof Islands, but the Asiatic herd may be investigated to such extent as seems advisable in order to afford the opportunity for instituting comparisons from which important deductions may be reached. The principal object of this investigation is to determine by precise and detailed observations, first, the present condition of the American fur-seal herd; second, the nature and imminence of the causes, if any, which appear to threaten’ its extermi- nation; third, what, if any, benefits have been secured to the herd through the operation of the act of Congrcss and act of Parliament based upon the award by the Paris Tribunal of Arbitration; fourth, what, if any, additional protective measures on land or at sea, or changes in the present system of regulations as to the closed season, prohibited zone, prohibition of firearms, etc., are required to insure the preservation of the fur-seal herd. Your inquiries should furthermore be extended, in so far as the time and circum- stances permit, to embrace the consideration of all important questions relating to the natural history of the seals, both at sea and on the islands, with special refer- ence to their bearing upon the sealing industry. 7 7 Your attention is specially directed to the following questions, which should be treated in your report: 1. The effect of pelagic sealing in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea upon the fur-seal herd, due account being taken of the classes of seals killed. 2. What effect, if any, has the annual removal of bachelor seals, which has taken place on the Pribilof Islands, had upon the fur-seal herd? The solution of these two questions inyolves a study of the entire subject of the regulations of the two sexes and the proportion of the male seals required to be pre- served in order to maintain the stability of the herd. 3. Whether killing on land or sea has interfered with the regular habits and occupation of the islandg by the herd, or has operated to reduce the strength of the seal race as a whole by a natural selection. 4. The propriety of existing methods of driving seals from the hauling grounds to the killing grounds, culling, and other practices connected therewith. 5. The cause of the destruction of nursing pups upon the islands, During the seasons of 1894 and 1895 about 20,000 and 30,000 dead pups, respec- tively, were found upon the islands. You should specially consider the causes of their death, whether from starvation or other cause, preserving specimens when- ever practicable. 6. The extent, date, and cause of mortality on the islands of seals of all classes. 7. The breeding habits of the seals, with special reference to the age at which the females begin or cease to breed, and the frequency of the breeding, whether annually or at longer intervals. int 8. The condition of female seals taken at sea, as to nursing and pregnancy. 9. The distance which the several classes of seals go from the islands and the directions which they take in search of food or rest at different times during the season. 10. The actual decrease, if any, in the number of seals in each class on the Pribilof Islands which has occurred during the past year, and also since the year 1890, and since the year 1870. A careful census of the rookeries should be taken this season for comparison with the enumeration made in 1895 and previous years. 11. An examination of the question as to the character of the food of fur seals. 12. Whether the Pribilof Island herd of fur seals intermingle with the Asiatic herds of the Commander or Kurile islands. 13. Whether nursing seals nurse other than their own pups on the islands. These latter questions are merely suggestions to guide you in your examination and report. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, yours, CHARLES S. HAMLIN, Acting Secretary. The questions here indicated are answered briefly in the present report, which deals mainly with the practical matters involved in the preservation of the fur seal. I am, very respectfully, yours, DAVID STARR JORDAN. Pato ALTO, CaAL., November 7, 1896. J tc i! i Py he }PH Mes ite it athe Scr ve) Mie ty a J : i? ys ol vi oe | yO a4 TT ye Ohinke. eu eo (dale Hie Pe Ge, Poot oot patinee: Rite Tiee! Nok yh axle 14 : 4 fa ita) z | re RL 4, a n is Berek Cu | pee 4iheih. iy 7 ® ie es a 1 sy - Li @ vis OBSERVATIONS ON THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. I. ASSIGNMENT OF WORK. As the act of Congress above quoted contemplates a very extended investigation, the work has been divided among the members of the Commission as follows: 1. The general report; the diary of daily observations; detailed descriptions of the rookeries; hauling and killing grounds and drives; the starvation of pups, and the general movements of the seals on the islands—Dr. Jordan and Mr, Clark. 2. Anatomical studies; the causes of mortality among the seals; pelagic sealing from the natural history point of view; the historical sketch—Mr. Lueas. 3. The photographic work and maps; statisties of the pelagic catch; charts show- ing the distribution of the seals in Bering Sea—Mr. Townsend. 4. A study of the fur seal herds of the Commander, Kurile, and Robben islands; natural history and hydrography of Okhotsk Sea—Dr. Stejneger. 5. Hydrographic observations, and control of the dlbatross—Captain Moser. 6. The oversight of certain practical experiments, the most important of them being the branding of fur seals—Colonel Murray. II. ITINERARY. The United States Fish Commission steamer Albatross, with the American Commis- sion and Professor Thompson and Mr. Macoun, of the British Commission, left Seattle on the morning of June 24, arriving at St. George Island, Bering Sea, on the afternoon of July 8. July 9, 10, and 11 were spent in and about this island making general observations, photographing the rookeries, and counting the breeding seals. The time between July 12 and 18 was occupied in similar work on St. Panl Island. July 18 the Albatross steamed for Unalaska, leaving Mr. Townsend there and taking Dr. Stejneger to the Commander Islands. July 80 to August 9 were spent about these islands, August 22 to 26 about the Kuriles, and August 28 to September 2 about Robben Island, reaching Hakodate. Japan, September 10. On July 28 Mr. Lucas, Professor Thompson, and Colonel Murray visited St. George Island, the first two returning to St. Paul on August 5. Mr. Townsend returned from Unalaska August 8, and he and Mr. Lucas spent the time until the 12th at sea, on board the Rush, boarding vessels of the sealing fleet. August 8 to 14, inclusive, were occupied in counting trampled pups on St. Paul. A similar count was made by Mr. Lucas and Mr. Macoun August. 16 to 21 on St. George. On August 16 Professor Thompson and Dr. Jordan left St. Paul Island in H.M.S. Satellite for the Commander Islands, spending August 24 and 25 on the rookeries of these islands and returning to St. Paul on September 1, bringing with them Mr. Barrett-Hamilton, another member of the British Commission. Mr. Townsend left St. Paul on the company’s steamer Homer for San Francisco August 23. Colonel Murray returned from St. George September 1. and on the fol- lowing day made experiments in branding pups on Lukanin Rookery. Messrs. Lucas and Barrett-Hamilton spent September 2 to 5 at sea on the Rush, among the pelagic sealers. On September 8 Dr. Jordan, Professor Thompson, and Mr. Lucas sailed with the Rush for Sitka and thence to Seattle, Messrs. Clark, Barrett-Hamilton, and Colonel Murray remaining on St. Paul. On September 11 further experiments in branding were made. The starved and starving pups on St. Paul were counted September 28 to October 1. A similar count was made on St. George October 6. On October7 Messrs. Clark and Macoun returned to St. Paul, Mr. Barrett-Hamilton remained on St. George, and Colonel Murray went to Unalaska. On October 22 the remaining commissioners left the islands on the Bear and arrived in Port Townsend November 3. 9 10 III. THE FUR-SHAL CALENDAR. ased upon the records in the log, 1872-1896, and on observations made the present season.) Close season for pelagic sealing begins May 1 and ends July 31. Arrival of first bulls ranges between April 15 and May 6. Arrival of first bachelor, March 1 to May 14. Arrival of mass of bulls, May 15 to June 1. Arrival of first cows, June 5 to June 16 (one season May 17). Birth of first pup, June 10 to June 18 (one recorded May 21). ; First food drive, April 39 to June 4 (one recorded March 17; two in February). Rookeries at their height, July 6 to 16. Birth of majority of pups, June 10 to July 1. Greatest death rate of trampled pups, July 1 to 10. Pups begin to pod, June 20 to July 1. Arrival of first 2-year-old cow, July 27. Formation of harems of 2-year-olds,. July 30 to August 10. Last drive for skins takes place July 14 to August 4. Arrival of first yearling cow, August 1. Arrival of body of yearling females, August 10 to 15. Pelagic sealing begins August 1. Pups begin to swim July 27 to August 5. Bulls grow mild so that rookery can be entered, August 5 to 15. Last pup born, August 14. Best time to count pups, August 15 to 20. Last food drive, December 6 to February 8. Last copulation noticed, August 27. Pups begin to die from starvation through pelagic sealing, Angust 10 to 15. Bulls begin to leave, August 5 to September 1. Seal fur is stagy, August 15 to October 20. Idle bulls enter rookeries, August 5. Formation of false harems by half bulls, August 10 to 20. Pups swim long distances from rookery, August 26 to September 15. Pups begin to turn gray, September 1 to 8. Best time to brand pups, September 10 to 20. Adult bulls return from feeding grounds, September 15 to 20. Starved pups all dead, October 20. Pelagic sealing ends, September 15 to October 1. Weaning of pups, time of departure. Departure of cows, November 5 to 15. r Departure of pups, November 5 to 15. Departure of bulls, when winter drives them. Departure of half bulls, when winter drives them. Departure of bachelors, when winter drives them. IV. THE FUR SEAL, OR SEA BEAR. The ‘‘fur seal” or ‘‘sea bear,” known in science as Callorhinus wrsinus, is resident only on certain islands in Bering and Okhotsk seas, all of these islands having been unknown to aboriginal man, and none of them having been visited by man so far as known before the discovery of Bering and Medni islands by Vitus Bering in 1741, and that of St. George Island by Gerassim Pribilof in 1786. The species known as the ‘‘fur seal” forms three distinct herds, which do not inter- mingle with each other in any way, the individuals of each type being distinguishable from the others by several characters of importance. THE THREE HERDS, The most important of these is the American or Alaskan herd living on the two islands of the Pribilof group—St. Paul and St. George. Next to this comes the Russian herd of the Komandorski or Commander islands, Bering and Medni (Cop- per) islands. The third herd is that of Okhotsk Sea, resident on Robben Island, where a remnant still remains, aud formerly having rookeries also on three islands of the Kurile group—Musir, Raikoke, and Srednoi. The rookeries on these islands are now, however, virtually extinct. The American herd remains at its home on the Pribilof Islands during the sum- mer, the individuals going out at intervals to feed over a radius of about 200 miles. In November they are driven away by the approach of winter, going southward in the open sea, returning northward near the coast, the range of their movements extend- Bl ing along the coast of Alaska, British Columbia, and the United States as far south at least as San Francisco. They are not known to come on land anywhere but on the Pribilof Islands except, perhaps, in very rare cases where the animals have been wounded. In like manner the Commander Island herd moves southward in winter along the east coast of Japan, and the herd from Robben Island passes from Okhotsk Sea along the coast of the inland sea of Japan. THE MALE FUR SEAL. The male fur seal reaches full maturity at the age of about 7 years. At that time his weight is about 400 t@ 500 pounds, being considerably heavier when first in from the sea in the spring or fall than in the intervening period when he is fasting on land. The males vary considerably in color, the general shade being black or dark brown, with longer hairs or bristles of yellowish white. These are specially long and numerous on the thickened back of the neck, forming the so-called “wig.” The male is commonly known as the ‘‘bull,” in Russian as ‘‘sikatch,” in Alent ‘“‘atagh.” Earlier observers made use of theappropriate name of ‘‘ beachmaster,” which deserves to be retained. THE FEMALE FUR SEAL. The female fur seal is much smaller than the male, with soft, smooth fur of varying shades of brown, the younger females being usually, but not always, silvery white underneath the throat. The female bears her first offspring at the age of 3 years, but her full growth is not attained till two or three years later. The average weight of the grown female is about 80 pounds. The female is commonly known as the “cow,” in Russian as ‘‘matka” or mother. The name ‘‘clap-match” used by the early explorers is now obsolete. THE YOUNG FUR SEAL. The young fur seal, known as the “pup,” in Russian ‘‘kotik” or “kitten,” is born soon after the arrival of the cow. It is black in color, sometimes brownish on the belly and with a large whitish spot in the axil. Its weight at birth is about 10 pounds. THE HAREM, The animals are polygamous, each male capable of holding a place on the breed- ing grounds having from 1 to 100 females in his charge, the average number being about 30. But the number is subject to variation due not chiefly to the strength of the bull, but dependent upon the preference of the cow for a location and on the relation of the topography of the rookery. The animal makes its home on the rocky shores of the islands in large close-massed bands, forming what are called rookeries. The fur seal is extremely gregarious, individuals seldom venturing far from the main body while on land, though wandering about singly in the sea. THE YOUNG MALE FUR SEAL. The young male, known as the “ bachelor,” in Russian ‘‘holostiak,” is very similar to the female in color and appearance. The holostiak is not permitted to enter the rookeries in the breeding season. The old males are very strenuous in this regard and the bachelors are forced to form separate herds on what are known as the ‘hauling grounds.’”’ While the males and females on the islands are more or less definitely fixed to the spot selected by them in the breeding rookery, it is not so with the young males, and the movements of the bachelor herds are very irregular. For this reason the hauling grounds are much more extensive than the breeding grounds and their occupancy varies from day to day. From these hauling grounds, in the season when their fur is at its best, the young bachelors of about 3 years of age are driven and killed. These young males are known as ‘“killable” seals... Small 4-year-olds and large 2-year-olds, approximating the size of the 3-year-olds, are also regarded as killable. Mixed with the bachelors are found the so-called half bulls (polosikatch). These animals, from 4 to 6 years of age, have the size and appearance of grown bulls, but lack their strength and courage, and can not main- tain themselves on the rookeries. NAMES OF THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF FUR SEALS. The eccentricities of the nomenclature of the fur seal has been frequently noted. It seems, for example, incongruous that a “cow” should oceupy a place in a “harem” on a “rookery” and bear a ‘‘ pup,” and that the young so born, if a male, should be known for the first years of his life as a bachelor. But these names, as Mr. Elliott has observed, are justified because they are pat. When understood, they create no 12 confusion. The Russian names, “sikatch” (grown bull), ‘‘polosikatch” (half bull or wigged bachelor), ‘‘holostiak” (bachelor not wigged), ‘‘matka” (mother), and ‘kotik” (pup), are in common use among the Aleuts on the Pribilof Islands, as well as on the Commander Islands. These words form their plural in i, thus: sikatchi, holostiaki.* The Aleut names, ‘‘atagh” (bull), ‘‘ennatha” (cow), ‘‘lakutha” (th as in the) (pup), are now used mainly by children. THE FUR SEAL AND THE HAIR SEAL, The use of the term ‘‘seal” in connection with the animals under discussion is somewhat misleading. The original name of ‘‘sea bear,” given to it by its first dis- coverer, Steller, is in every way preferable, as the fur seal is not a ‘‘seal,” nor has it any close affinity with the suborder of Pinnipedia, to which the true or earless seals belong. Beyond the tact that both fur seal and hair seal are carnivorous mammals, feeding on fish and adapted for life in the water, the two types have little in common. In structure, appearance, habits, disposition, method of locomotion, they are entirely distinct and their evolution as pelagic animals has been along separate lines. THE REMIPEDIA. The fur seals, with their associates, the walrus and sea lions, constituting the sub- order Remipedia (Jordan & Lucas), are obviously related to the bears. The hair seals, whatever their origin, must have come along other lines from a ditferent parent stock, and their relation to Jand carnivora is more remote. Ths Remipedia, among other characters, have plantigrade feet, the anterior limbs modified as oars, and with rudimentary claws, if any. The posterior limbs bend forward at the knee, and the long, webbed toes extend beyond the claws. Only the anterior limbs are used inswimming. ‘he head and neck can be elevated as in the bear, and the external ear is moderately developed. The animal can run or lope along the ground as do ordinary mammals and with considerable rapidity. THE PINNIPEDIA. The various forms of true or hair seal, constituting the suborder Pinnipedia, have the feet not exactly plantigrade, short, with strong claws, only the posterior limbs being used in swimming, and these not being susceptible of bending forward at the knee. The animal therefore can not walk or lope at all, bat only wriggles while on land. Its neck is short and it can scarcely raise its head. There are no external ears. In the internal structure the differences are equally marked. In both species the thick blubber under the skin goes with the life in cold water. The resemblances associated with aquatic habitat are only analogies and have no value in scientific classification. Much misconception as to the nature and habits of the fur seal has arisen from its supposed resemblance to the animals called ‘‘seals” in the Atlantic; but so long as its fur has commercial value the ‘‘sea bear” will doubtless produce ‘seal skins,” and even though killed on land only it will be the object of a ‘‘seal fishery.” V. THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. The Pribilof group consists of two volcanic islands, both composed entirely of lava and cinders, and known as St. Paul and St. George. Besides these there are two smaller islands, known as Otter and Walrus islands, with the little islet of Sivutch or Sea Lion Rock. These islands are in Bering Sea about 200 miles to the northwest of Unalaska and about 45 miles apart, St. Paul lying to the northwest of St. George. ST. PAUL ISLAND. St. Paul, the more important island, is very irregular in form, the greatest length being from northeast to southwest, about 13 miles. Its greatest width is about 10 miles. The volcanic crater of Bogoslof, in the center of the island, rises to a height of about 600 feet. Numerous other volcanic dikes and craters of various heights occur on the island. ST. GEORGE ISLAND. St. George is about 11 miles long, east and west, by 7 northand south. It is more elevated than St. Paul, its central peak, Aluckeyak, being 930 feet high. Its shore outline is scarcely broken by bays or indentations, and most of its coast is formed by walls of basaltic rocks. * Not ‘“‘holluschickie.” 13 VEGETATION, The surface of the elevated parts of both islands are in summer covered with moss and grasses, in which are surprising numbers of showy wild flowers. A list of the species of these has been published by Dr. C. Hart Merriam. Conspicuous among them are the Iceland poppy, the monkshood, with species of lupine, betony, chrys- anthemum, senecio, saxifrage, harebell, and many others. The lower parts of the island are covered with a soil of damp black lava sand. Here flourishes a coarse, rank, useless grass—the rye grass (Llymus mollis). With the rye grass is the coarse Putchki, a species of Archangelica, used by the Aleuts as a spice. ‘The abandoned hauling grounds of the fur seal are rapidly invaded by two species of slender light- green grasses known as ‘‘seal grass.” ‘These contrast sharply with the coarse dark- green rye grass and a luxuriant species of wormwood, neither of which grow on land where seals have regularly hauled. About the rookeries themselves the move- ments of the seals virtually destroy all vegetation. CLIMATE, The Pribilof Islands are almost constantly enveloped in mist. Throughout June and July the weather is continuously cloudy, usually foggy, with almost half the time a dull, drizzling rain, usually accompanied by a southeast wind. Many stormy days occur, but the storms in summer are not violent, although approach to the islands in rough weather is dangerous on account of the dense fogs. In August there are more clear days, and in bright weather the islands are very picturesque. With the fairer weather the occasional storms become more violent, and by the middle of September all vessels which can get away find it well to leave Bering Sea. With the winter come many clear days, and between them are tempes- tuous storms. The floe ice gathers about the islands, filing the bights and inlets until April or May, and the snow piles high in the depressions between the hills. The snow banks about Zapadni, on St. Paul, remain till late in summer, serving as landmarks to seamen. VI. THE FUR SEAL ROOKERIES. BREEDING GROUNDS. Wherever there is a rocky beach of some breadth or a sloping rocky hill on the Pribilof Islands. the fur seals have formed their rookeries. The best type of rookery is a moderate slope covered with coarse rocks and descending to a beach of coarse shingle or rounded bowlders. On these rookeries the gregarious habit of the fur seals causes them to crowd as closely as may be, often to their own disadvantage, as on crowded areas many young pups are trampled under foot. HAULING GROUNDS. The hauling grounds of the bachelors are usually sandy beaches adjoining the rookeries, ascending on one side to the heights behind the latter. There are also here and there neutral strips in the long rookeries which have been abandoned to the bachelors, and along which they go back and forth to their hauling grounds or parade grounds above the rookeries. Sometimes, as on Tolstoi and Zapadni, the bachelors make runways across the rookeries, which are not recognized as neutral by the adult bulls. Along these strips, which may be said to be not officially recognized as haul- ing grounds, there is constant disputation between the beachmasters and the moving bachelors. The different rookeries have for the most part retained their picturesque Russian names. It seems to us very desirable that they should continue to do so. It would perhaps be as well if Russian* equivalents were substituted for the few English names which have come into use. * As to the spelling of the Russian names, there has been much disagreement, and the current orthography is often far from correct. In the present report, without attempting extreme purism, we have chosen the spelling which seems most nearly correct. It has been found convenient to name two new sections of breeding terri- tory not heretofore separately recognized. For assistance in this matter we are under special obligations to Mr. Alexis V. Babin, librarian of the University of Indiana, a native.ot Russia. 14 ST. PAUL. The following are the breeding rookeries on St. Paul, beginning with the largest one, on Northeast Point: 3 1. Vostochni (Eastern).—This lies as a long strip about a mile in length, mostly on beaches of coarse bowlders, and interrupted at intervals by landing places and haul- ing grounds of bachelors. Along the foot of Hutchinson Hill the rookery becomes wide and closely massed. Toward its eastern end at Northeast Point it thins out along the rocky beach, the tip of the point, this being the artificial boundary between Vostochni and Morjovi. The view of Vostochni from Hutchinson Hill is the most impressive on the island, a greater number of fur seals being visible there than from any other point in the world. 2. Morjovi (of the walrus).—This is the continuation of Vostochni, along the south- east side of Northeast Point. It consists of a dense, square mass of seals on rather level ground adjoining the Walrus Bight, a little bay formerly inhabited by the walrus. Along the coarse bowlder-strewn beaches for some distance the narrow ends of the rookery extend, the little spit known as Sea Lion Neck being included in it. Vostochni and Morjovi have usually been considered together as Northeast Point rookery, but our convenience is best met by separate names, as they have separate centers of massing. 3. Polovina (halfway).—This rookery lies along the sloping hills, cliffs, and pro- jecting reef of Polovina Point, midway between Northeast Point and the village, and on the eastern angle of the island. The main part of Polovina is compact and densely massed. To the northward for half a mile extends a belt of cliffs, with a narrow, rocky beach below. Thisis occupied by seals, and recorded in our census as Polovina cliffs. Still farther to the north along rocks and columns of basalt is the picturesque, isolated little rookery known as Little Polovina. 4, Lukanin (name of an early explorer and seal hunter).—At the northern base of the high peninsula at the south end of the island begins the long sweep of Lukanin Bay, with its curved sand beach. To the south of Lukanin Bay, on an irregular, rocky slope of moderate elevation, is Lukanin rookery. It is one of the smaller rookeries, but being near to the village and easy of observation by means of projecting cliffs behind it, it is one of the best known. 5. Nitovi (of the whale).—This rookery is the southward continuation of Lukanin, along bold rocks, basaltic columns, and slopes of cinders and lava. The division between Kitovi and Lukanin is an arbitrary one at Lukanin Point. For purposes of census observations this rookery is the best situated of all, and on no other large area is the rock formation so favorable for rookery purposes. This is shown by the small number of deaths of pups from the trampling of bulls. 6. The Reef (Rifovoye) is the name applied to the east side of the peninsula which forms the southern extremity of St. Paul. It is arocky beach with mostly very gentle slope, and interrupted by two ponds filled by the surf in winter and becoming inde- scribably foul in summer, as the bachelors wallow through them. This is one of the largest rookeries, and it is separated from its fellow (Gorbatch) on the west shore of the peninsula by the broad, flat ‘‘parade ground,” now overgrown by grass and flowers, but ten years ago worn smooth by the hosts of wandering bachelors. 7. Sivutch Rock (Sea Lion Rock) is a small, crescent-shaped, boldly rocky island covered with fur seals. On its southern extremity returning bachelors first land in spring. 8. Ardiguen (pile of stones).—On the southwest edge of the reef, to the west of the ultimate point, is a rocky slope and beach with high parapet-like rocks above it, to which it ascends at one point by arocky slide. The rocks, slide, and part of the parade ground are filled with fur seal families, The wall-like rocks on the parade ground make it possible to approach very close to these families while unseen by them. It is the best point for observation of family life on the island, and an almost daily record of this life has been kept by us. In view of the isolation of this small body of seals, and of our observations upon them, it has seemed desirable to give the rook- ery a distinct name. This we have taken from the Aleuts. The percentage of trampled pups was less on Ardiguen than elsewhere on the island. 9. Gorbatch.—This picturesque rookery lies along the west shore of the reef penin- sula. The shore is generally steep, formed of coarse basaltic columns below and of fine cinders above toward the south end. To the northward coarse rocks and high cliffs appear, which extend to the famous sand beach and hauling grounds known as Zolotoi (golden), from its yellowish lava sands. Behind the sand are drifting dunes, and along its eastern margin are Zolotoi bluffs, covered most of the time by waiting half bulls. The nearness of Zolotoi sands and bluffs to the village has brought its bachelor herds under constant inspection. 10. Spilki.—A small rookery near the landing place at the village, now abandoned by the seals. =- 1) 11. Lagoon.—A loug, narrow reef of coarse bowlders separating the shallow village bay or harbor from the salt lagoon. It is lined with fur seal families, but has no importance as a hauling ground. It is in plain sight and hearing of the village, to which fact its inhabitants show utter indifference. 12. Tolstoi (thick).—This rookery extends from the tip of Tolstoi Mys or headland for a long distance on the east side of English Bay. The northern portion of Tolstoi rookery encroaches on the broad sand flat of Middle Hill on the north side of Eng- lish Bay. The southern portion of Tolstoi lies along the base of considerable clifts, which at Tolstoi Head become precipitous, leaving no room for harems. Behind Tolstoi rises a steep, rocky slope, up the sides of which the rookery extends. The sand flat of Tolstoi is more densely covered by fur seals than any other part of the island. In the height of the breeding season this crowded area is the scene of con- stant brawls among the bulls, and the number of trampled pups found here is greater than on any other rookery. On the whole, Tolstoi is the most interesting of the rookeries. The view from above is very picturesque, and there is greater variety in the conditions of life offered by it. 13. Zapadni (westerly).— This rookery, the second in size on the islands, extends along the west side of English Bay, from the high and vertical Zapadni headland, as far as the beginning of the sands of Middle Hill. The main part of the rookery is a gentle rocky slope with irregular surface and ragged coast line, the seals in many places closely massed in shallow gullies (‘‘death traps” for pups). To the east, across a narrow sand flat, at the mouth of a little brook, the brow of a rocky hill is oceupied by Little Zapadni, an interesting rookery of small size. Then along the coarse bowlders of English Bay is a long strip with isolated patches of fur seals, here recorded as Zapadni Reef. The sandy shores of English Bay, below Middle Hill, often lined with bulls or bachelors, separate Zapadni Reef from Tolstoi sands. 14. Marunichen (personal name).—A small rookery on the north shore, long since abandoned. 15. Bobrovi.—On Otter Island, 6 miles to the south of St. Paul, the bachelors often haul out. This year a single breeding harem was found there. ST. GEORGE. The rookeries on St. George are much smaller than the larger ones of St. Paul and less varied in character, lying mostly along broken cliffs, basaltic columns, and bowlder-strewn slopes. These are the following, beginning with the southwest: 1. Zapadni.—On the southwest shore, at Zapadni Bay, on the rocky beach and the ascending rocky benches of a low hill. 2. Staraya Artil (old camp).—A very picturesque rookery, ascending the even slope of a long hill, close to the edge of a considerable cliff. 3. North (Severnoye).—A large rookery, along the north shore of the island, to the west of the village of St. George. 4, Little Last.—A very small rookery, just east of St. George village, on a bowlder- strewn slope. 5. Hast.—A larger rookery, scattered along the eastern part of the north shore of the island. VII. CENSUS OF THE ROOKERIES. A PHYSICAL IMPOSSIBILITY. In the general report the details of our attempt at a census of the seal rookeries will be given. It is sufficient to say that a complete and accurate census is a phys- ical impossibility. Any approach to it would have been impossible before the present depleted condition of the rookeries was reached. THE SOLE ACCURATE BASIS. The only accurate basis of computation is a count of pups. For many reasons this is very difficult to make, and on the larger rookeries it could only be successful at the risk of smothering and trampling many of them. Any count of pups is possible only during a short period, from about the 10th to the 20th of August. Before the former date the rookeries can not be entered for this purpose on account of the resistance of the bulls. After the latter date the pups have learned to swim well, a large percentage are in the water all the time,and many wander to great distances away from the rookery. COUNTING OF LIVE PUPS. The live pups have been counted on Kitovi, Lagoon, Zapadni, Reef, Tolstoi cliffs, Polovina cliffs, Ardiguen, parts of Vostochni and Morjovi, and on Little East rookery of St. George. COUNT OF COWS. The cows were counted at the height of the season on these and several other rookeries. COUNT OF HAREMS AND DEAD PUPS. The number of bulls in charge of harems, the trampled pups, and the starved pups have been counted on all the rookeries, Combining all these and other data we have the basis for an approximate census of the number of breeding seals for the present season on the two islands. The census in detail is given below. To the total number of breeding cows, if correct, the number of pups born would exactly correspond. The first two columns in the table represent the estimate based upon the count of cows and harems made in what is known as the height of the season. The count of live pups afterwards made on certain rookeries and parts of rookeries showed them to exceed the original number of cows counted upon these same rookeries by 75 per cent. The totals, therefore, for the various rookeries in the last column have been corrected to correspond with the actual facts. The figures here given represent under rather than over estimates, as the numbers missed in actual count are greater than the possible duplications. The same remark applies to the counts of the trampled and the starved pups. Summary of breeding seals (counts and estimates). | Sa Cows | Actual Rookery. Harems. | (count). tatals epee Bee Ee et ee eee = = _——— ST. PAUL. I CGIAR SAS Se Nt ras eRe ee Sets see Sa 182} 3,152 | 6, 049 Lik iht Shon soon cs oso ge ep OSA Soe aa ScD AU OSS oO CEE BAG Shee sete sese ee 147 2, 543 | 4, 450 THOUS ee are ee eee ele roe onde aa oe Seieeie acto Seen 120 | 1, 474 | 2, 484 Tolstoi (main) 389 | 6, 729 | 11,775 Tolstoi (clitts) 5 108 1,498 | 2, 664 WE EKG ego pace Jo 4s 4456 season nO eee Toda sb ge sow ons se eo se a? 583 10, 085 17, 648 Little Zapadni « 210 2, 400 | 4, 200 TADAANUR EBLE eee ho tase ee resins nto enemas mane a: See eee ieee ooeaee see 176} 2,256 | 3, 862 (Bhd NU) Ne oS Rie Sade eee DEAR ane Eas Oo oem Gs Sac On acoso seeso 302 5, 224 | 9, 142 JNU TORY), § Se cca em Odes Bolo SRO ORS ES SESS OO JGSIO Cp oe Sone SHSdeoeasansecd 27 550 652 WR GOliae posed wacee ran sic a see cnee ace koe preitecien nice ciel Sate we ectecseictoeiat 504 8, 719 | 15, 258 SIVUGCH ROCK ear ane etece e's ais elaine Miaeiee ere See alate tie cre nei eer ern eere eter nnteete 63 | 1,090 | 1, 907 Poloyana i (Ma) os ees Ss ras cee eos eae eae tine cae oss Se eee 138 2, 387 4,177 Polovina Gitta) ecw sc cecac ata cnes cee Sen oe ee eae ee Cea eeee Reese eee 86 J, 268 | 2,496 IPolovinTsd, (Wtble) Sse Verd Ae fairly fresh for a week, and the odor of the killing ground, with thousands of decay- ing carcasses upon it, is not usually noticeable to human beings a fourth of a mile away. Even at close range the smell is not putrid, but rather a tanyard-like smell of blubber and oil growing rancid. Under no circumstances is the strong putrid odor of southern latitudes to be detected. The rookeries have a strong musky smell of excrement and urine, much like the breath of the angry bulls, but, while strong, it is not very offensive.” That the odor of the killing ground has preduced no effect on the cows and bulls is clearly shown by the uninterrupted occupancy of Lagoon Rookery during all the time when the village killing ground, then the only killing ground on the island, was situated just across the narrow channel forming the entrance to the lagoon, in plain sight and only a f€w hundred feet away. To-day one of the favorite hauling grounds of the bulls in August and September, and a place frequented during the entireseason by bachelors, is on Zolotoi sands, within a few hundred feet of the pres- ent village killing ground. In the main the killing grounds are well away from the hauling grounds and rookeries, but there is no evidence to show that were they close it would have any effect on the actionsof the seals. Late in the fall the odor from the earlier dead pups becomes very offensive. This may annoy the cows and pups lying on or near them, and this may have something to do with the backward movement of these animals in September and October, but this is by no means cer- tain, and the seals withdraw not merely from the places where the dead bodies are thickest, but from other places as well. In fact, there is nothing whatever to show that the seals themselves notice or pay any attention to such odors or to any odors proceeding from objects at a distance from them. The great care often taken to approach a herd of fur seals from the leeward side is usually unnecessary. REDUCTION IN NUMBER’ OF BULLS. Some slight alterations in the conditions of life necessarily result from the inter- ference of man. Reduction of the number of bulls causes them to take their stands farther apart. This in some measure reduces their turbulence. Killing at sea has still more rapidly reduced the number of females, thereby causing a general thin- ning out of the harems. This enables the individual bull to ‘round up” more easily those cows he claims as his own, and with less interference from jealous rivals. NATURAL SELECTION. There is no evidence that the race of fur seals as a whole has been in any way affected by the arbitrary selection of males for killing. Only strong, vigorous males can maintain themselves on the rookerices in any case, and those allowed to live are not more or less vigorous than the others would have been. ‘The variations in these regards are not great, and effects, if any exist, would not appear for many genera- tions, perhaps not for centuries. Careful supervision might make an effective arti- ficial selection possible, and such experiments, whether leading to practical results or not, are worth trying. But it is certain that the character of the herd has not been affected by any act of man. It is to be remembered that a strong selective influence is exercised by the migrations in the sea. Only the vigorous members of the herd survive the experiences of the winter. No decrepit individuals have beeu known to come back in the spring. The rough sea of the North tells no tales, and we know very little of the severity of the sorting process which every year sends back to the islands only those fit to survive. With the fur seal, natural selection has to do mainly with the struggle against conditions of life. The competitive struggle of individual against individual is a very slight element. The snecess of the individual male depends rather on his loca- tion than on his strength or prowess. The choice of place by females determines in the main the size of the harem. From the ruthless natural destruction of all seals in which the geographical instinct or the instincts of feeding and reproduction are defective, results the extreme perfection of these few instinets which the animal possesses, INSTINCT AND INTELLIGENCE. The life processes of the fur seal are as perfect as clockwork; but its grade of intelligence is low. Its range of choice in action is very slight. It is a wonderful automaton, and the stress of migrations will always keep it so. By intellect or intelligence in this sense is meant the power to choose among dif- ferent possible courses of action. The external influences and internal impulses pro: duce certain impressions on the nervous system of the animal. By the automatic instinct the response which follows is directly related to the cause, and there is no choice among responses. So much influence; so much rebound. By the operations of instinct each individual in given conditions will act just as any other individual will. Intellect, however, implies individuality. One animal will choose to do this, 28 another that, adapting action to the special needs or circumstances. ) ce) BERING SEA CATCH. In Bering Sea pelagic sealing, June to September (June and July being now closed months), means in general the killing of fur seals while temporarily absent from the islands for the purpose of feeding. ALL COWS PREGNANT. As a rule all females, except yearlings, taken in Bering Sea after the first of August, the present end of the ‘‘close season,” are pregnant. In the very short interval between partufition and impregnation the bulls never allow the cows to leave the ‘‘harems.” A certain number of the adult cows (7 per cent in 1896) lose their pups early, the young being trampled on in the quarrels or clumsy move- ments of the bulls. The remaining adult females (93 per cent of the whole num- ber) have each a pup, which is leit on shore while the mother goes out to feed. This pup is wholly dependent on its mother’s milk for nourishment until its depar- ture with her in November from the islanas. The death of the mother therefore involves the death of the pup and of the unborn fetus. Yearling females are sex- ually immature. Most of them do not arrive before August 10, when the breed- ing season is virtually over, and their movements are as irregular as those of the young males. The 2-year-old virgin females come to the islands late in July for impregnation and remain there for the rest of the season, except for occasional food excursions. FEEDING HABITS. The adult males never leave their stands on the rookeries during the breeding season. Toward the middle of August they go ont to feed, returning at intervals to their place on the rookeries or to sleep on the sands for the remainder of their stay on the islands. The young females and bachelors probably come and go for food at regular intervals during the summer, but as feeding with them is not such an urgent necessity as with the cows they are doubtless less frequently found on the feeding grounds and being more timid are not so often taken by the hunters. ‘The pelagic catch in Bering Sea is therefore necessarily very largely made up of adult females. PROPORTION OF FEMALES KILLED. According to data collected in 1895 by Mr. A. B. Alexander, while on board the sealing schooner Dora Siewerd, out of 1,577 seals comprising the season’s catch of that vessel 62 per cent were females. For the most part the sex statistics regarding the pelagic catch are confused and untrustworthy, but from additional figures col- lected in 1895 by Mr. C. H. Townsend, the accuracy of which we have no reason to doubt, covering a wider range of conditions, the actual per cent of females is found to rise somewhatabove 70. This percentage isnot a permanent one, but will change from year to year. A deficiency in land killing raises the percentage of males, and vice versa. The proportion of adult females is in general highest toward the mid- dle of August, the older males going to sea in greater numbers, while more young males would be taken in July. The number of pups (16,019) known to have starved to death on the Pribilof Islands in 1896 through the death of the mothers is about 55 per cent of the number of skins (29,598) recorded as brought to ports by vessels engaged in pelagic sealing in Bering Sea. PELAGIC SEALING A SUICIDAL INDUSTRY. Pelagic sealing in Bering Sea in August is therefore in the highest degree destruc- tive to the herd. If considered as an industry, it is a suicidal one, as it can be profit- ably continued only under conditions which must bring it to a speedy end. Pelagic sealing is therefore not properly an industry at all, as it adds nothing to the wealth of the world. Since it began more than 600,000 fur seals have been taken in the North Pacific and in Bering Sea. This means the death of not less than 400,000 breeding females, the starvation of 300,000 pups, and the destruction of 400,000 pups still unborn. In this calculation account is taken only of those of which the skins have been brought to market. No record of the animals lost after being shot or speared is available, though the number is known to be very great. PELAGIC SEALING SOLE CAUSE OF DECLINE OF HERD. Pelagic sealing, in the judgment of the members of the present commission, has been the sole cause of the continued decline of the fur seal herds. It is at present the sole obstacle to their restoration and the sole limit to their indefinite increase. It is therefore evident that no settlement of the fur seal question as regards either the 30 American or the Russian islands can be permanent unless it shall provide for the cessa- tion of the indiscriminate killing of fur seals, both on the feeding grounds and on their migrations. There can be no “open season” for the killing of females if the herd is to be kept intact. PREGNANCY OF FEMALES AT SEA. As stated above, all females taken at sea on the migrations, except yearlings and 2-year-olds, are pregnant. Those taken at sea while on feeding excursions are, if 3 years or more of age, both nursing and pregnant. From this number must be excepted about 7 per cent whose pups have been crushed to death and who are preg- nant, but no longer nursing. All 2-year-old females are pregnant, but not in milk, THE VIRGIN YEARLINGS. The yearling females have undeveloped ovaries. They do not appear on the islands till the first week in August. They then roam freely over rookeries and hauling grounds as privileged characters. Many of them play with the pups, much as little girls play with dolls. In the fall, after the pups have taken on their gray coat, it is not easy to distinguish the yearling females from them. The yearling males are larger. Among the pups no such marked difference is noted, the females being but slightly smaller than the males. In numbers the nursing females are about equal to all other classes of seals taken together (pips excepted). XI. LOCATION OF FEEDING GROUNDS. It is known that female seals feed at great and various distances from the islands, and that they go in various directions to the southeast, south, southwest, and west- ward for this purpose. There is no way of determining accurately the period of absence or the distance traveled by any individual, because the individuals can rarely be marked or continuously observed. The length of absence ranges from a few days to a week or more, probably being longer as the pup grows older. The nursing females are known to go as far as 200 miles from the islands. NO SEALS IN THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT, According to Capt. Horatio D. Smith, of the revenue cutter Perry, very few seals feed in the cold waters to the north and northeast of the Pribilof Islands. Ona cruise of 900 miles in early September, 1896, neither seal nor sealing vessel was sighted in this region. Here the ocean floor is comparatively level, and the temper- ature of the water about 37°. Jn the southwest quadrant the usual temperature is about 46°. The suecess of the pelagic sealer depends on his knowledge of where to look for seals, and the maps prepared from sealing records furnish most of our infor- mation in this regard. A series of such maps will accompany the final report. MIGRATIONS. Mr. Lucas gives the following summary of our present knowledge of these matters: ; ‘From data collected by Mr. C. H. Townsend, it appears that in Bering Sea the seals are found between longitude 165° to 175° in a broad tract stretching north- westerly from the vicinity of Unimak Pass to latitude 68°. A few are found outside these limits, but the main body of the herd is found in the locality given between June and November, because this is their great feeding ground. During spring and winter the seals occur in a belt skirting the coast of North America for a distance of 100 to 500 miles from shore from the vicinity of the Farallones around to Unimak Pass. Scattering seals have been reported atas great distances from land as latitude 40°, longitude 148°, and from latitude 48°, longitude 165°, northeastwardly to the Shumagin Islands. The old bulls in winter frequent the Gulf of Alaska, while the females and young males range farther south. A1Jl these seals found at sea are prac- tically feeding seals, the lines of migration being determined by the food supply, and all female seals above 2 years old are breeding seals, eitherrecently impregnated and with young on shore as well, or with the fetus in a more or less advanced con- dition. It has been suggested that the route of migratory seals is influenced by the temperature of the water, but there are no data to adequately substantiate this, while there is every reason to believe that food is the main factor in thecase. The homing instinct is also to be considered in this connection.” a1 XII. FOOD OF THE FUR SEAL. SURFACE FISHES AND SQUID. The food of the fur seal consists mainly of surface-swimming fishes and of squid. As to the species of fish, the fur seal has probably little choice. It does not dive deeply and its food is naturally made of the shallow water or surface fishes on its feeding grounds. ' IN BERING SEA, In Bering Sea, in August and September, the Alaskan pollock (Pollachius chalco- granmus) seems to form by far the most important part of the seal’s diet. In the stomachs examined by Mr. Lucas this species far outnumbered all others, the squid coming next iu frequency. Salmon are eaten when found, aud occasionally species of smaller fishes not yet fully identified. Mr. Lueas observes: “Squid and young pollock are eaten in large quantities, the beaks of 155 squids having been found in one stomach and the bones of 41 young pollock in another. It must, however, be borne in mind that this does not mean that all these were eaten at one time, for a study of the stomach shows that food is eaten and the hard parts regurgitated continually but irregularly.’’ From data obtained by Dr. C. Hart Merriam it appears that a large portion of the food of the seals found in the North Pacitic between latitude 56°, longitude 59°, during April consists of a species of red rockfish (Sebastodes) and an almost equally large portion’ of squids (Gonatus amonus); some pollock (Pollachius chaleogrammus) and smaller fishes are also eaten. No codtish or halibut has been found by us in seals’ stomachs. These bottom fishes probably swim at depths too great tor them to be often taken by the fur seal. No species of shark or dogfish ever has been found in the seal’s stomach so far as known to Mr. Lucas, to Dr. Mer riam, or to myself. SPEWINGS ON THE ROOKERIES, About the Commander Islands the spewings of the fur seals consist largely of the beaks of squid. On the rookeries of the Pribilof Islands spewings containing squid beaks and eyes, also the flesh and bones of pollock, were found. ‘This is almost the only evidence we have on land of the feeding of the seals. It is likely that the animals do not come on land with food in their stomachs except in very rare instances. The only evidence we have of these exceptional cases is in the presence of the spewings. FEEDING OF BACHELORS, During the killing season the stomachs of the bachelors are found to be empty. It has been supposed on this account that they fasted during the summer. This is probably not the case. At a tood killing on October 15, on “St. Paul, 59 seals were killed. They were driven from Zolotoi sands, to which they had returned the day before after an absence of three weeks. They gave every indication of having fed largely, but the stomachs of the entire lot were empty. During September and October four cows were killed for investigation of the development of the fetus. The animals were chosen with reference to throwing light also on the food question. Their stomachs were wholly devoid of food. A “large adult bull recently in from feeding and so fat that he could scarcely walk was killed in October and found with- out food in his stomach. SEALS REMAIN IN WATER WHILE FOOD DIGESTS, From these facts it seems clear that the fur seals remain in the water until the food in their stomachs is digested. Investigation of the supposed feeding of pups shows that they are doubtless also in the water for the same purpose. This explains the presence of the mass of seals which were constantly seen through the entire season Swimming about in an aimless fashion before the rockeries. It also explains why cows are never seen to come directly in from the sea, but always apparently from the fringe of idle seals offshore. They delay to finish digesting their food. It also obviates the necessity for supposing that the bachelors fast during the sum- mer. In the case of the adult bulls the fasting is necessary, but no good reason can be assigned for the alleged fasting of the bachelors. Their continuous plumpness indicates that they do not fast. 32 MR, ALEXANDER’S OBSERVATIONS. Concerning the food found in the stomachs of seals on the feeding grounds of Bering Sea, Mr. A. B. Alexander observes: “The material which has been found in the stomachs of seals taken in different parts of Bering Sea indicates that only a small percentage is composed of fish which inhabit deep water. It is only reasonable to suppose, however, that when seals are in shallow water they feed on both bottom fish and on those near the surface. A not uncommon component of their food is the red rockfish, which oceurs in both deep and shallow water, and possibly also near the surface at times, which would account for its being found in the stomachs of seals captured where the water is 100 fathoms or more deep. ‘‘ Surface fishes, and especially squid, seem to be the natural food of the seal. In the stomachs that have been examined a variety of material was found, such as pieces of Alaskan pollock, salmon, and other fishes, but it has also been observed that in localities where squid are plentiful very little other food may be looked for. I am informed by hunters that on the coast of Japan and off the Commander Islands squid occur in great abundance, and that it is not an uncommon sight to see a half dozen or more seals together feeding on the tentacles of an octopus floating on the surface. Sealers find squid plentiful off the island of Kadiak, and in that locality they have often been found in large quantities in the stomachs of seals.” Outside of Bering Sea the food changes somewhat. The pollock grows rare to the southward, while salmon, herring, and rocktish become abundant. Doubtless these and other available fishes are eaten in numbers. We have no reason to suppose that the seal prefers the flesh of any one species to another. AMOUNT OF FOOD CONSUMED. Calculations as to the amount of food consumed by the fur seals have little value. Nor is it likely that lack of food is an important element in checking their increase. It may be noted in this connection that the pollock, which makes the chief food of the fur seal, has never been sought as a food fish. In Bering Sea more valuable fishes, as the cod, halibut, and Atka-fish, are very abundant, rendering the utilization by man of the pollock unnecessary. In no case is it likely that the great cod and salmon fisheries of Alaska will be affected in any way for good or ill by the fur seal. Its destruction of salmon amounts to but little. It neither eats sharks nor is it eaten by them. The dogfish is not recorded from Bering Sea. XIII. FOOD OF THE PUPS. SEALS NURSE THEIR OWN PUPS ONLY. The nursing fur seal never knowingly feeds any pup other than her own. She knows her own pup as surely as the mare knows her own foal. As the pup grows older he learns to know his mother’s voice unerringly. While the mother shows little affection for her pup and generally treats it with indifference after she has recognized it and given it an opportunity to nurse, there is no difficulty in determin- ing when mother and pup meet and recognize each other. And if this matter were in doubt, no one would be able to mistake the savage way in which the female fur seal treats a pup which is not herown. The starving pups were closely observed with a view of determining whether any of them succeeded in nursing other cows. Occasionally a pup would be seen to try to nurse some sleeping cow, but the cow always awoke instantly and savagely repulsed the starveling. Such a pup dare not approach a cow that was awake. There can be no doubt whatever that if a pup loses its mother before it is weaned in November it can not find another cow to give it nourishment and must starve. : The following is a typical record of attempts of starving pups to secure milk: ‘Reef, September 1: I see a little starving pup below me. He is moving about calling out and nosing about the breasts of sleeping cows. He has tried three and been driven off with a growl and snap from the waking cow. He wanders some dis- tance. Comesup toa sleeping cow whose pup is either nursing or asleep with his nose atthe nipple. The starveling takes hold and evidently nurses for some seconds. But the cow, as before, wakes and snaps at him with unwonted vigor. Her own pup has been asleep. Evidently she had been misled by the fact of his having recently been sucking. The starveling gives up and lies down.” (G. A. C.) WEANING OF PUPS NOT BEFORE NOVEMBER, A number of pups were killed in the fall of 1896 to determine if possible whether they feed on anything but milk. In no case before October 22 was any food other than milk found. The following extracts are taken from Mr. Clark’s field record: STOMACHS EXAMINED (PUPS). “ August 29.—Pup killed on Lukanin; stomach contained only milk. “¢ September 11.—Male pup accidentally smothered on Kitovi; stomach empty. “¢ September 22.—Two male pups taken on rocks at the warehouse; both stomachs contained milk only. «September 26.—Two large well-nourished pups, one male and one female, found freshly dead from drowning on Lukanin beach; stomach of female, empty; male full of milk only. “September 28.—Pup with deformed nose killed at Zapadni; stomach contained milk only. “ September 30.—Large black pup accidentally killed by falling over a cliff; stom- ach contained milk only. “« October 1.—Large gray female pup killed on Gorbatch; stomach contained milk and two small crustaceans. “October 5.—Starving gray pup in dying condition on the Reef killed; stomach contained a few crustaceans and several shreds of seaweed. * October 6.—Two pups killed on Tolstoi; milk only found in their stomachs. ‘€ October 11.—Two large gray male pups killed on Gorbatch; stomachs empty. “ October 13.—Two pups, male and female, killed on Lukanin; stomach of male empty; of female contained milk only. ‘“Two large gray pups killed on Kitovi; stomach of one full of milk; of the other empty, except for one small tunicate. “October 14.—Three pups killed on Kitovi. (1) A starving pup, stomach contain- ing one soft-shelled crab; (2) a very small pup, stomach full of milk; (3) a large gray pup, stomach empty. ** October 20.—Gray pup shot in water off Zolotoi playing with seaweed; stomach full of milk; excrement like that seen on beach in rectum and intestines. “All stomachs examined contained pebbles.” XIV. LAND KILLING OF BACHELOR FUR SEALS. LAND KILLING USEFUL TO HERD. Land killing has been for many years limited to the removal of a definite number of young males, chiefly 3-year-olds, with occasional ‘‘long 2-year-olds” and ‘‘short 4-year-olds.” Owing to the polygamous habits otf the fur seal a very small percent- age of males suffices for the needs of propagation. An excess of males is positively and extremely injurious to the herd, because of their excessive fighting and the consequent destruction of pups and cows. Hence this removal of male life tends distinctly to favor the increase of the herd. OVERKILLING AS AFFECTING THE HERD. As it has been claimed that killing of males has been a cause of the decrease of the herd, it is necessary to treat this matter in some detail. The term ‘ overkill- ing” in this connection is susceptible of two meanings, both of which should be clearly understood. While a small percentage of males is sufficient for reproduction, a certain number is absolutely essential. If reduced too low or cut off entirely the effect must be disastrous. Such a condition, however, could not be easily brought about and might be not even possible. For example, if the young male life of 4 years and under on the Pribilof Islands were to-day entirely wiped out, the herd would not be injured by such loss within about five years, for the supply of males of 5 yearsand upward on the island would not be exhausted within that time. Breeding would go on as usual on the rookeries and the usual increase would take place. Although it would not be possible under these conditions to secure killable seals on the island, still the life and increase of the herd would be in no way affected, Fur- thermore, such action to be dangerous must be kept up year after year. 7423 3 34 LITTLE DANGER OF OVERKILLING. Overkilling of males in such a way as to injure the herd has never occurred on the Pribilof Islands, certainly not in American times. Under present conditions it could hardly be brought abeut. A certain number of vigorous and otherwise unin- jured males are every year rejected on the killiny grounds and allowed to escape to the sea because of some defect in the skin, as a scar from a bite. In addition to this there are on St. Panl two rookeries of considerable size (Sivutch Rock and Lagoon), besides several minor hauling grounds, from which bachelors are never driv en, and which in themselves are probably capable of supplying from year to year the neces- sary augment of bulls. lt has, however, been suggested that such overkilling has occurred, and as an attempt has been mace to connect it with the beginning of the decline of the herd by supposing that at some time there were not enough bulls to serve the cows, and that the usual number of pups was not born, it may therefore be worth while to consider the facts in the case. The decline of the fur seal herd began to be noticeable from 1886 to i890, markedly so in the last-named year. If due in any sense to a scarcity of bulls, such scarcity must have occurred three years previous, as a falling off in the birth of pups could only be noticed at the time when they would naturally return as 3-year-olds to the breeding and killing grounds. Thereis nothing in the history of these years to war- rant the supposition that there was a scarcity of bulls. There is in fact no evidence whatever that any normal adult female on the island ever failed of impregnation. But we are not forced to rely on negative evidence. There is positive proof that such a scarcity of bulls as to cause failure in impregnation could not have existed. In 1876 and 1877, instead of the full quota of 100,000 skins, for commercial reasons, only 89,000 and 75,000, respectively, were taken, the market being overstocked. In 1875 and 1878 the full quota of 100,000 skins was taken. ‘There is no reason for sup- posing that the full quota could not have been taken in the intervening years. As a result of this reduction in the killings for 1876 and 1877, 35,000 young bulls must have been saved on the Pribilof Islands, and these in 1885-86 must have been 10 years of age and still in their prime when the decline of the herd was well under way. OVERKILLING AS AFFECTING THE FUTURE QUOTA. Overkilling in the sense of premature killing has occurred beyond a doubt. This affects the quota of future years, but does not injure the herd itself. There is every reason to believe that in 1887 to 188) the fixed quota of 100,000 skins had become too great for the depleted herd, the pups of three years before having been largely starved to death under the action of pelagic sealing. For this reason the supply of 3-year-old seals fell short and the deficiency was made up by drawing on the 2-year- olds. This in turn increased the difficulty in getting the quota for the succeeding year, and the cut went deeper until it reached even the larger yearlings. The effect of this action shows itself clearly in the drop from 100,000 skins in 1889 to 21,000 in 1890. In the preceding year almost all 2-year-olds and many of the yearlings had been taken, This sudden drop does not represent a correspondingly sudden reduction in the size of the herd. It might occur even if the herd were increasing. Asamatter of fact, at the time, the herd had been slowly but steadily declining under pelagic sealing. The fixed quota of 100,000 had been kept up by lowering the size of skins. Instead of reducing the quota as the herd declined, the original number was main- tained until the killing came to an abrupt stop. But it can not be too strongly emphasized that the breeding herd need not be affected if the wandering bachelors on the hauling grounds had been wholly extirpated. Had such close killing as this been continued indefinitely it would possibly have been disastrous in time, although this is far from certain. It was, however, fol- lowed in 1892-93 by an almost complete cessation of killing of males pending the modus vivendi. The result of this action is shown in the present overstocked con- dition of the islands as to bulls, a condition doubtless more injurious to the herd than a moderate deficiency in male life would be. No doubt the difficulty of getting the quota in the later eighties was slightly intensified by the wasteful practice then permitted of killing each fall 3 ,000 to 5,000 male pups for food. If, as there is some reason to suppose, in the early years of this practice absolute care was not taken to select only males, then the killing of pups may have had an insignificant share in addition to pelagic sealing in reducing the herd. But suche ffect, vif ever felt, could have been only temporary, as after the first year or two there is no doubt that the killing was restricted to male pups only. OVERKILLING OF MALES NOT A CAUSE OF DECLINE OF HERD. Overkilling of males, therefore, does not enter as a factor in the diminution of the sealherd. Overkilling as affecting the quota occurred only in the later eighties, and the conditions were at the time of a special nature. Such killing would not naturally oO be practiced by lessees of the islands, as it is suicidal in its effect and would injure the business of taking seal skins on land long before it could in any way affect the life of the herd, In all these regards the interest of the lessees of the islands must be iden- tical with those of the herd itself, and therefore with those of the Government of the United States. That the percentage of bulls really necessary for the needs of the herd is a small one is well illustrated by the experiments on the Commander Islands. CONDITIONS ON BERING ISLAND, On Bering Island for some years past no ‘‘ killable” bachelors have been spared, and the proportionate anmber of bulls is now very far below what it has been under the closest killing on St. Paul. On Poludennoye (South) rookery, Bering Island, for example, there were in 1895 five bulls, in 1896 three bulls, to between 500 and 1,000 females. Yet this number, assisted perhaps by immature males, has been shown to be entirely adequate for the impregnation of all females. According to Mr. Barrett-Hamilton, of the British Fur Seal Commission, tio all appearance every cow on this rookery had a pup in 1896. The same observation has been confirmed by Mr. Emil Kluge, and by Dr. Stejneger and Captain Moser, who visited the rookery at about the same time. In his report on the Russian Fur Seal Islands (p. 64) in 1895, Dr. Stejneger observes: “On that rookery (Poludennoye) the disproportion between the two sexes was excessive in 1895. According to reliable information, the number of bulls on the whole rookery did not exceed five. Judging from what I saw of this rookery during two visits, I should place the number of breeding females at about 600, possibly only 500. It would be a comparatively easy matter to observe this year (1895) whether the number of pups born be very markedly small in proportion to the number of females hauling out.” On the larger Severnoye (North) rookery of Bering Island the conditions are much the same, although the numbers neither of bulls nor of cows can be counted. The number of bulls is, however, so small that the bachelors wander at will over the rookeries. In the drives made from time to time, bulls, cows, pups, and bachelors are brought up together. In the harsher régime of the Russian islands, the extreme kill- ing of bulls as well as other experiments apparently hazardous have been tried, in this case without apparent harm so long as the breeding rookeries are undisturbed. On Medni island, all bachelors that can be secured are killed each year. There are, however, two or three hauling grounds (Sikatchinskaya, etc.) which are virtually inaccessible, and in these are reared what is considered a superfluity of bulls. Although on none of the rookeries of the Pribilof Islands are bulls as few as on Medni, yet on the latter island 172 superfluous bulls were this year killed for leather. The proportion of adult bulls to impregnated cows on the Pribilof Islands is now about 1 to 22 (idle bulls and virgin 2-year-olds being included). The average num- ber of adult cows in the harems in July is 30. WRANGLING BULLS. The evil effects of the overstock of males have never hitherto been fully under- stood or estimated. The chief cause of death on the rookeries among females and young pups is found in the wrangling of the bulls and in the struggles of the reserve or idle bulls to steal cows from the harems. More than 10,000 pups were trampled to death on the Pribilof Islands in 1896, and about 130 cows were killed by the rough seizure of the bulls in their struggles for possession. As the fur seal herd has year by year grown less crowded, this mortality has probably never reached so low a percentage before. In the original or wild state of the herd, when the number of adult bulls was nearly equal to that of the cows, this destruction must have been enormous, perhaps approaching 200,000 each year. It was undoubtedly the chief check on the indefinite increase of the herd. The death of these thousands must have been adequate to compensate for the natural increase. The removal of superfluous bulls may also have the effect of relatively increasing the food supply. WAITING BULLS. Around each rookery, behind, before, and on each side, and on the rocks awash on the sea front, there are now, throughout the month of July, several outpost lines of idle bulls, active and pugnacious, which prevent any invasion of the harems by the bachelors, although constantly attempting such invasion themselves. ‘This con- dition continues until the drives of bachelors are finished, the last week of July, ‘and prevents any possibility of female fur seals being drawn into the drives, or of the driven bachelors escaping to work confusion in the rookeries. Later in the season most of these reserve bulls succeed in forming harems from virgin 2-year-olds and belated adult females. 36 INSTITUTION OF HAULING GROUNDS. The bachelor fur seals have a wholesome and well-grounded fear of these bulls, keeping away from them and from the rookeries. This leads to the institution of the separate hauling grounds on which the bachelors wander, play, or sleep at will. The sea in front of the rookerics is also a play space for them. Only fear of the bulls keeps them away from the harems. When the old bulls leave the rookeries in August to feed the bachelors scatter themselves over the breeding grounds. The oldest of them, the half bulls (5 and 6 years old), usually enter first, endeavoring to play the part of the older bulls, which they do with great apparent satisfaction. On the return of the latter in September, these are again driven off. On Bering Island, as already stated, the number of adult bulls is very small. There are now no separate hauling grounds. The bachelors lie about the harems even in June and July, and when they are sought for killing, the whole herd, males, females, and pups must be driven off together. For this reason the drives on Bering Island are not made at the time of the height of the breeding season. Such a condition has never existed on the Pribilof Islands. During the killing season the bachelors are perforce obliged to stay away from the rookeries, and the harems are not disturbed when the young males are driven to the killing grounds. Beyond the mixing up of the herd, which is inconvenient to the fur seal killers and dangerous to the pups, no evil effect of the reduction of males has been reported from Bering Island. So long as the bachelors herd separately in July and are not found diffused through the rookeries, it may be safely assumed that there are adult bulls enough. Fortunately, also, as has been shown, any error in this respect will make itself felt first in the quota, and is capable of immediate rectification. Fur- thermore, the Government has it in its power to fully regulate this matter. Since 1890 the quota of males to be killed has never been a fixed one, and the Govy- ernment agents take care that a sufficient number of young males are each year allowed to escape to replenish the stock. At present about 5,000 adult bulls are in service in the harems. This number is evidently far more than enough. Doubtless ten years is a low estimate of the period of service of a bull.. The saving of 500 to 1,000 young males each year would probably be fully sufficient to keep the stock replenished. XV. NEED OF SCIENTIFIC SUPERVISION OF THE BREEDING HERDS. The continuous investigation of these matters should be undertaken. The herd should be treated as a breeding herd of cattle or horses would be. It should be under the immediate control each summer of a competent naturalist, who should devote his energies to the study of the needs of the herd, its preservation, increase, and possible improvement. IMPROVEMENT AND EXTENSION OF THE ROOKERIES. In this connection, I may call attention to the great need of improvements in the rookeries themselves. For a slight cost the death traps described in detail below could be repaired and obliterated, and the lives of thousands of pups each year could be saved. The rookery grounds themselves could be extended both on St. Paul and St. George by blasting off the cliffs and strewing the flats with bowlders. The whole front of Tolstoi and Zapadni headlands, for example, by the use of dynamite, could be made available for breeding grounds, and similar extensions could be made on North and East rookeries of St. George. Such extension, of course, could not be necessary except in case of the complete protection of the herds at sea; but with the spread of common decency in interna- tional affairs this condition should be brought about. It is vastly more important that the fur seal herd should be saved and enlarged than that any individual nation should have the profits of their slaughter. There is no sacredness to be attached to the natural state or conditions of a wild animal, Animals, like men in a state of nature, are pushed to the utmost by hard conditions. There is probably no wild animal whose conditions of life could not be artificially improved by human interference if it were thought worth the while. XVI. METHODS OF KILLING OF BACHELOR SEALS. In the drives on the Pribilof Islands the bachelor seals only are included. These are brought in droves from the hauling grounds to the killing grounds located at convenient distances from the rookeries, preferably near a pond of water. The | drives are usually made in the night, the seals arriving at the killing grounds early 37 in the morning. ‘This is to prevent, so far as may be, overheating. After the seals have rested for a time the killing is begun. The larger droves are separated into small ‘ pods” of 20 to 30, which in succession are driven up within reach of men armed with stout clubs. These ‘‘cull” out the ‘“killable”’ seals (3-year-olds, large 2-year-olds and small 4-year-olds) by striking them on the head, allowing the non- killable seals (yearlings, small 2-year-olds, and all ‘‘ wigged” seals) to escape and go back to the sea. The blow of the club renders the animal instantly unconscious, if it does not kill it outright. It is then bléd by sticking a knife to the heart and it is immediately afterwards skinned. METHODS CAN NOT BE MUCH CHANGED. The methods of driving, killing, and skinning the seals are the results of many years of experience, and we do not see that they can be much improved. Whether brutal or not depends on the care taken in the details, which should be subject to constant supervision in the interests of humane treatment. Certain accidents hap- pen, but they are of minor importance and do not affect the seal herd. The gregari- ous habit of the fur seal and his unwillingness to be left behind or even in the out- skirts of the drove lead occasionally to overcrowding on the drives and killing grounds, and a few seals are smothered. Occasionally, also, on warm mornings, & sea] becomes overcome * by heat or exhaustion and is unable to keep up with the drive. Such animals are at once killed and skinned, their pelts being recorded as ‘froad skins.” If left behind, most of these would recover and get back to the sea. Deaths from such causes are rare, only five ‘‘ road skins” having been known to occur on the drives of this year, out of a total of 30,000 seals killed, besides the larger num- ber driven up but rejected. It occasionally happens, also, that the wrong seal is clubbed by mistake. Such accidents seldom oceur, however, as it is to the interests of the lessees as well as of the Government that only seals of the proper grade of skin are killed. MOON-EYED BACHELORS. The presence of seals suffering from blindness due to injury to the sclerotica— “‘moon-eyed” bachelors, as they are called—has been referred to as evidence of injuries received on the killing grounds. Occasionally an accidental blow with the club striking the eye will throw out the crystalline lens. This does not produce opaque sclerotica, however, but leaves an empty eye socket. Among the seals on the island this year not only were bachelors with such eyes found, but also cows and a consider- able numberof pups. These pups will in time, if they survive, return as “ moon-eyed”’ bachelors or cows, and it is but reasonable to suppose that the adults with such defec- tive eyes were originally blind pups. There is no evidence that tle «drives have any- thing to do with the matter. It is stated by Dr. Shute, an oculist consulted by us, that irritation produced by sand striking the eyeball or lodging under the lid is the probable cause of this disease, as well as of the sore eyelids often seen on pups. CARE TO AVOID NEEDLESS PAIN THE ONLY ESSENTIAL. The present methods of handling the seals, while they seem crude, are still effect- ive and well adapted to the animals with which they have to deal. Any improve- ments that might be suggested are of minor importance. These may all be summed up in an injunction that scrupulous care be exercised in carrying out properly the various details of the operations as now conducted. Such care is now usually exer- cised and need never be wanting. Killing, of course, must be killing everywhere, but there are probably few shambles in the world where less needless pain is inflicted than on the fur seal killing grounds of the Pribilof Islands. SHORTENING OF THE DRIVES. Of late years the drives have been greatly shortened and now range in length from one-eighth of a mile to about a mile. This has reduced the strain on the animals, lessening the possibilities of smothering or death by exhaustion. None of the drives now made are long or trying. They bear no comparison in this regard to those on Medni (Copper) Island. For example, the longest drive on St. Paul, that *From the deficiency of sweat glands and the presence of the thick blanket of blubber, the fur seals are readily overheated by exercise. They cool themselves by fanning with their hind flippers, on which the skin is thin, by breathing with open mouth, and especially by plunging into the water when this is possible. Internally overheating shows itself mainly by aslight congestion of the lungs, which, exceptin extreme cases, s00n passes away. 38 from the Reef, is less than a mile in length, its greatest elevation 75 feet. The longest drive on Medni (from Palata) is some 24 miles, its greatest elevation 1,220 feet. In Russian times, however, drives were made regularly from Northeast Point (Vos- tochni) to the village, a distance of 12 miles.* This may have resulted in pain and injury to individuals, but no harm to the herd could have come from it. CHANGES IN INTEREST OF HUMANITY. It can not be too strongly emphasized that all improvements in methods of killing and all changes tending to shorten or make easier the drive serve the sole purpose of avoiding pain and suffering. They do not affect the interests of the breeding herd. In general no practice connected with driving, culling, or killing has been at any time a factor in the diminution of the fur-seal herd. The severe drives of the Commander Islands, incomparably more harsh than were ever known on the Pribi- lofs, have not had the slightest appreciable influence in the reduction of the fur seal herd there. The treatment of the bachelors, whatever it might be, would atfect the breeding rookeries no more than the treatment of horses on the London omnibus lines affects the royal stables.t SEVERITY OF DRIVES. As the severity of the drives on St. Paul bas been a subject of considerable exag- geration in certain quarters and as a number of impossible results have been attributed to it, it will be well to consider the procedure somewhat in detail. A DRIVE FROM THE REEF. The following account of the Reef drive of St. Paul is copied from the field notes of Dr. Jordan and Mr. Clark: “The drive from Gorbatech and Reef rookeries this morning (July 15) was wit- nessed by Dr. Jordan, Professor Thompson, Dr. stejneger, Mr. Lucas, and Mr. Clark. Captain Moser and Lieutenant Garrett, of the Albatross, were also present. Mr. Crowley, Treasury agent, conducted the movements of the visitors. Fifteen Aleuts made up the driving party. “We left the village at 2 o’clock in the morning. It was then light enough to make one’s way without difficulty. After a few minutes’ walk we reached Zolotoi sands, a beach about ene-fourth of a mile from the village, at the angle of which the bachelors from Gorbatch rookery haul out to reach the rocky slope above. The drivers ran in quickly between the seals and the sea and soon had the animals rounded up ina iarge pod. From a similar hauling ground on the shore just across the neck of the peninsula another pod was in like manner rounded up. The two pods combined were lett in charge of three men to be driven across the sands to the village killing ground a few hundred yards beyond. “We then proceeded to the extreme point of the Reef peninsula. The hauling ground of Reef rookery lies in the rear of the breeding ground and has four well- marked runways connecting if with the sea, on which no harems are located. A line of idle bulls keeps clear a considerable space between the hauling ground and the rookery. From the head of the various runways and in the intervening space pods of sleeping bachelors were rounded up, the Aleuts passing between the idle bulls and the bachelors and turning the latter up the bank to the flat parade ground back of the hauling ground. Here the pods were all united in one large group and the drive started on its way. It was 3 o’clock when we reached the point and by 3.30 the drive was in motion. “‘After passing over a short space of ground scattered at wide intervals with irregular bowlders and having a gentle slope, the drive came into the level grassy plain of the parade ground. Here the herd, which numbered about 1,500 bachelors, Was separated into two parts for greater ease and safety in driving. While one pod was allowed to rest the other was driven slowly forward in the direction of the vil- lage. Three men were now assigned to each pod and the rest of the drivers allowed to return to the village to make ready for the killing. We followed the first herd. ‘‘Over the green turf of the parade ground the drive moved along quietly and * The log of the island shows that in January, 1888, a drive of 500 seals was made from Northeast Point for food. Instructions were given to bring the drive in care- fully and kill all seals becoming exhausted on the way. No record is made of any deaths. It is stated that the drive reached the village in good condition in two sections, the time being, respectively, 82 and 100 hours on the road. tIt will surely not be contended that the killing of a large number of males injures the virility of those not harmed. ov without difficulty. The drivers took their. positions one on each flank to repress any lateral movements and the third brought up the rear. There was no noise or confusion. In general the seais were allowed to take their own time and go at their own pace. ‘Those in the advance acted as leaders and the rest of the flock folowed naturally after them. At the beginniag the seals showed some reluctance in leaving their hauling grounds and made ‘ineffectual attempts to break away. But after the drive got under way they moved forward apparently as a mattcr of course. When the leaders showed an inclination to take a wrong course the men on the flank sim- ply stood up and raised a hand, which was sufficient to turn them back into the w ay. For the most part the men kept out of sight of the seals. ‘*The seals on the drive do not ke epupa continuous motion. They take ten or a dozen steps and then git down like dogs to rest and pant, resuming their way when they tind that their companions have gone on. The leaders set the e example, and as they are rested by the time the rear members of the herd have come to a standstill, they move on and are ready to stop by the time the rear guard have started. The result is that some part of the herd is moving all the time and the progression is continuous. “There is a tendency on the part of the young seals to go faster than the older ones, of which a large number were included. By a gradual sifting process the old fellows fell to the rear and on several occasions pods of from a dozen to twenty were cut off and allowed to return to the sea. ‘All the seals and especially the larger ones showed signs of fatigue. They appeared to be hot and excited, and a cloud of steam rose constantly from the mov- ing animals. This steam had a strong musky smell. When the herd stopped, indi- vidual seals would often sprawl out on the ground, raising their hind flippers and waving them fan-like evidently in an effort to cool off. After resting a moment the seals were ready to move onapparently refreshed. Continuous exertion is evidently hard on them, but tlrey quickly recover from exhaustion. As soon as the flock comes to restafter afew moments’ breathing they begin to bite one another and push in an unconcerned fashion until they are reminded by the absence of their companions that they must keep moving. “The seals were not urged forward, but were allowed to take their own time. When the herd was brought to rest for a few minutes, the rear man started them on by clapping his hands or by rattling a stick on a rock, Our presence evidently urged the seals and made the drive really harder than it wouid ordinarily have been, The Aleuts seem to have a way of hi: indling the seals that they understand. “A short distance brought us to the end of the grassy plain and into an area of ground filled with embedded bowlders. These were for the most part flat and worn smooth. It looked like hard ground for the seals, but in reality they seem to get over it better than the flat ground. On the flat there was constant crowding, while here the rocks kept the seals apart. Besides the animals are more familiar with the rocky ground, their breeding rookeries with few exceptions being on the rocky beaches. “After passing over a slight ridge where the passageway became narrowed by projecting cliffs and where there was a good deal of crowding and scrambling, the drive left the bowlder-strewn path and passed into a valley overgrown with tall Elymus grass and lying between rows of sand dunes also grass-grown. ‘The seals seem to be refreshed by the moisture of the grass, which was wet with dew and rain. “This grassy plain led into the top of the bowlder-set slope above Zolotoi sands, from which the earlier seals were driven. The seals passed down this slope without difficulty and came into the level sand flat. Here the iirst really hard work of the drive began. The seals seemed to find their greatest difficulty in walking on the yielding ‘sand, Their flippers take hold of the rocks like rubber, but slip back in the sand. No rocks prevented the animals from crowding. They stepped on each other’s flippers, became much excited, and seemed generally worried. “But in a few minutes the sands were passed and the herd emerged into the grass- grown killing ground. As soon as the seals came to a standstill, they seemed to forget their troubles immediately. ‘They began biting, snarling, and blowing at one another as though nothing had happened. i hey were at once turned into the little lake beside the killing ground to cool off and were then herded up on the bank to rest before their turn came to be killed. “Tt was five minutes after five when the first herd reached the killing ground. The second arrived three-quarters of an hour afterwards, having taken more time on the way. ‘‘Killing was already begun when we reached the ground. The Zolotoi seals, which had come in about 3 o’clock, having rested in the meantime, were killed first. “The larger pods of seals were in turn separated into smaller ones containing from 20 to 50 each. These were driven up one after another and the killable ones culled ont by clubbing them on the head; those too small or too large to kill were allowed to escape and were driven into the w ater. Some of these, released on the 40 eastern side of the peninsula early in the killing, had already made the circuit of the Reef and were again hauled out on Zolotoi in time to be included in the second herd driven in. “The blow with the club on the head renders the seal instantly unconscious, and before the animal recovers it is bled by being stuck to the heart. The skin is at once taken off and thrown upon the grass to cool, the carcasses being allowed to rot on the field. The killing is under the immediate direction of the agent of the com- pany and the native chief and in the presence of the Treasury agent. By a judicious division of the labor the various processes connected with the killing and skinning of the seals go on at once, and in a few minutes after the last seal is clubbed the skinning is completed, “The total number driven this morning was 1,908, of which number 1,059 were rejected and 849 killed. Of the rejected seals 521 were too small and 538 too large to furnish skins of the requisite grade. “Trom what has been said of the carcass-strewn roadways of the drives and the terrible effects of over-exertion on the seals, we were prepared to see greater evi- dence of exhaustion and to see the animals drop by the wayside to be killed and skinned there. Nota seal died by the way, and in half an hour the herd had appar- ently entirely recovered from the effects of the drive. “The morning, however, was favorable for driving, the fog continuing and shutting out the sun. It is when the sun shines or the morning proves close and warm that the seals suifer. The sun seldom appears during June and July (the averave for these months being less than a full day of sunshine in ten years), when the driving is done, and little difficulty is experienced.” This Reef drive on St. Paul is the longest and severest drive now made on the island. All the other drives are short, and with the exception of the drives trom Tolstoi and English Bay, where the drives pass over short stretches of sand, the courses over which the seals are driven are level or slightly rolling and always grass-grown. On St. George the drive from Staraya Artil is between 2 and 3 miles in length, with no diffienlt places, and small ponds at intervals, through which the seals are driven and allowed to cool off. A DRIVE ON MEDNI ISLAND. In order to appreciate the comparative ease of the drives on the Pribilof Islands» it is only necessary to contrast them with those on the Commander Islands. The fol- lowing description of a drive from the rookery called Zipadni, on Medni (Copper) Island, is quoted from Dr, Stejneger’s report for 1895 on the fur seals of the Com- mander Islands: ; ““The weather was just right for ducks and fur seals, and, consequently, we started out this morning at 6 a.m.in a drizzling rain. There was no help for it. The drive could not be postponed, and as I was going to photograph, rain or no rain, the cameras were taken along; the weather might possibly be better on the other side of the island, but it was not. ‘As indicated yesterday, all the rookeries had to be scraped in order to make even a small drive, and since I could only be in one place at a time, I selected to go with the party taking the drive at Zapadni. Here altogether about 250 animals were finally gathered together and the driving started in ihree divisions. ‘This could easily be done, for there were certainly enough people to attend to each division, there being no less than 30 full-grown men and about half a dozen boys. What a difference from former days, when two men or boys were all that could be spared for divisions of about 200 seals each! Most of the animals were killable bachelors, a few females and undersized bachelors having been separated. out as the drive went on before the steep ascent was reached. Thus far I have only with certainty dis- covered one female driven across the mountain. “The road was very wet and slippery, both from the long grass and the smooth clay, which here forms the chief material covering the underlying rock, and the ascent was, therefore, a very laborious one. The middle part of it is very steep, and in one place steps have been cut in the ground so as to facilitate the climbing. The altitude of the pass forming the highest point on this drive is about 760 feet. “The seals soon commenced to give out, and the men resorted to al] sorts of goad- ing them on, short of killing, in order to get as many of the seals as possible alive to the killing ground at the village, since they wanted the meat badly. Only when a seal could absolutely go no farther, after having been urged on by being poked and beaten with sticks, only then it was killed and skinned; but not even then in all cases, for, if it was a small and therefore partieularly tender animal, it was grabbed by the hind legs and dragged along until some steep declivity was reached, down which it was then flung. Yet a good many had to be killed along the road. Little girls and still smaller boys arrived now with big skin bags on their backs to carry 4] home the skins and choice parts of the meat. The last division, as well as about 100 seals from Palata rookery, reached the level ground behind Glinka village at 10 a. m., and were given a rest there. “At Llo’clock the final drive in four divisions was begun toward the killing ground near the beach (not 300 yards) west of the village. Down the steep embankment (fully 60 feet high) the numerous drives have worn a deep channel-like rut in the slippery clay, and down this chute the animals came rushing as if it were a toboggan slide. They slid down in bunches together and became piled up at the bottom in Dig heaps. As they were now driven over the sand of the beach a few undersized seals and a solitary matka or two were sorted out and allowed to escape into the water, but the final culling was done on the killing ground. Altogether 47 undersized animals were thus deiven over the mountain and finally permitted to go back into the sea. ““These young animals let loose on the sandy beach afforded great sport for the younger generation of future seal killers—if seals there be left when they grow up. Four little tots, 5 or 6 years old, with sticks in their hands, tried to drive into the water two young seals too tired to advance farther and asking nothing but to be allowed to lie down and rest. The seals resented the attack, and the four little fel- lows hit them over the head and snout with their sticks, as they had seen their parents do with the big ones, and finally succeeded in driving them into the sea.” DRIVEWAYS ON MEDNI, The following are Dr. Jordan’s field notes of the driveways on Zapadni and Palata, made on August 25, 1896. “Zapadni driveway: The drive from Zapadni goes up from the stony beach between two towers of rocks, climbing the gorge of a little brook which cuts into the bowlders and clay of the hillside, an excessively hard, rough little gully, very difficult for a man to climb, there being small cascades and wet clay in ‘its course. The way is marked by road ‘skeletons. “After an ascent over ground of this sort for 300 « or 400 feet, more or less, the drive goes up through steep grassy slopes, some of them of soft clay, somewhat cut into rough steps by men’s boots. The general character of the eround is unrelieved, although: more or less broken by cross gullies and ridges. The final ridge is 760 feet above the sea. “On the Glinka side is a lone slope, at first quite steep, everywhere grassy and rather easy, but marked with road skeletons, as it is very long. The rye grass erows longer below, and a little stream has deep depressions, whic +h serve as death tr: aps, as the skeletons show when the seals fall in piles one over another. Above Glinka is a steep slide of yellow clay, from which the village is said to have received its name. ‘This slide must be a hard place for the seals. The seals (few in number) that are released because too young or too old are allowed to go down to the sea, whence they go back to the west side again. “Palata driveway : The drive from Palata is now rarely made, as the seals have grown so few. They are killed all along the beach, and the myriads of flies about the decaying carcasses must be the source of great annoyance to breeding seals. “The drive ascends from the parade ground on the top of the landslide. This was formerly occupied by bachelors. But there are no separate droves of bachelors now. They are scattered in little clumps about and between the rookeries. “The drive then for about 190 feet ascends a grassy cliff so steep that steps have been dug in it to facilitate climbing. Then follows some 700 feet of irregular but very steep slope, in which the easiest depressions are sought, though the hill is every where about as steep as a man can climb, and one who goes up it aust cling to the grass. Above this slope the drive reaches the back of the knife like ridge that separates Paiata from Zapalata. This widens out into an easy level plateau for about 20 rods, marked with road skeletons. The elevation is 850 feet by Dr. Stejneger’s map. “Then follows a steep climb up gravel and clay, with scanty grass and heather, worn into steps, the driveway bounded on the southwest bya slantin g precipice that lies above Sabatecha Dira. A steep shoulder of heather and small plants i is followed by a final climb into the clouds to the summit of the pass, 1,220 feet above the sea. “From the summit an abrupt descent leads down a distance of 500 feet by a zig- zag trail as steep as a horse could pass over, strewn with gravel and covered with low flowers, to the bed of aswift little brook. This stream ‘flows down into a ¢ grassy basin, the slope becoming less and less, the rye grass and putchki growing taller. At the junction of this stream flowing into the little brook to the west this drive merges into the one from Zapadni. “The drive from Palata is not in any place so difficult as the gully just above Zapadni, but it is half higher and twice as Jong—a trip one could not take on horse- back, nor would it be easy to lead a horse over “it. Comparing it with conditions on 42 St. Paul, the Palata Pass is as steep as the cone of Bogoslof, twice as high, and is without water. Compared with the severest drive on St. Paul, it would stand as the ascent of Mount Blanc to a walk in the park. It is a very fatiguing trip for a man. It took me, walking rapidly, thirty-eight minutes (deducting stops) from Palata to the grassy level 860 feet; thence twenty-eight minutes to the top, 1,220; fifteen minutes down the upper slope, and fifteen more to Glinka.” And yet, notwithstanding the severity of the drives of the Commander Islands, no harm has resulted to the breeding herds of these islands from this cause. EFFECT OF KILLING SEALS ON THEIR FELLOWS. Among the evils of the process of killing the seals which have been dwelt upon is the abject fear and terror supposed to be inspired in the seal by the killing of his companions, the seals even ‘‘shedding tears.” As to this we,may notice that the males shed tears profusely when roaring or groaning in their ordinary affairs of life, these tears forming wet strips across the fur of their cheeks. From field notes of Mr. Lucas we take the following: “There is no doubt that the seals are frightened when driven up to the clubbers, but they have just as much fear of the boy who is guarding one side of a group of 1,000 seals as they have of the men who are about to knock them or their compan- ions on the head. ‘Their fear is instinctive and irrational, and is not due to any reasoning process or any dread of what is to come. It is largely caused by the dis- comfort of being crowded together. So little true fear do these beasts possess that the seals in a pod before the killers will snap at each other just the same as if they were being crowded by their neighbors in the hauling grounds. So far from being crazed with fright, when turned loose they are as liable as not to stop within 50 yards of the killing and there rest and scratch for half an hour. “The stolid behavior of the seals on the killing grounds has long been remarked, and pitiful tales of their mad fright, being crazed by the sight of their slaughtered companions, and frantic efforts to escape are utter rubbish. The behavior of the first seal turned loose determines the behavior of the rest of the herd. If he hurries, the others hurry, and each one eggs on the other; if he stops to rest, all subsequently rejected stop to rest. ‘‘Nor does the sight or smell of blood affect the animal more than a pebble or a piece of driftwood would. ‘(A bull was seen sniffing at a pool of blood without exhibiting either anger or alarm. Evidently so long as the blood was not his own it did not matter.” CHILLING OF SEALS. ‘‘Tt has also often been urged that great loss of life ensues from the sudden chill- ing of overheated seals turned loose from their long drive and the excitement of the killing. But, intentionally or unintentionally, it is not stated that these seals have been absolutely quiet for half an hour to an hour, and that their “long drive” is in reality only 100 to 200 yards from the drove of waiting seals to the killing gang. Moreover, few of them return directly to the sea, for it is against the principles of a fur seal to do anything directly, the majority resting from half an hour to an hour before plunging into the water, which is not icy cold, but, like the air, has a temper- ature of 45° to 48° F.” AFTER EFFECTS OF THE DRIVE, There is no evidence of any particular evil after effects of driving. The examina- tion of many bodies on the killing grounds shows no trace of injury other than in a few cases a very slight congestion of the lungsarising from overheating. But three dead bachelors have been found on St. Paul this summer. This and other consider- ations show that the injuries resulting from drives, unless immediately fatal, are unimportant. A bull which can maintain himself on the rookeries is strong, virile, and capable of meeting any demands made upon him. ALLEGED IMPAIRMENT OF VIRILITY. There is not the slightest foundation for the supposition that driving impairs the virility of the bulls. This theory may have been based on the supposition that owing to the exposed position of the testes in the male animal they were liable to injury when he was in motion. The violent voluntary movements of the bulls on the breeding grounds would be sufficient answer to this supposition, But it is found as a matter of fact that the testes are under the control of the animal and are 43 withdrawn into the body cavity when he is in motion, thus being entirely protected from injury. Furthermore, for the first three years, or during the period when the bachelors are most liable to driving, the testes are retained in the abdomen, and only come down into the scrotum in the fourth year. NOT WISE TO PROHIBIT CULLING OF DRIVES. It would therefore not be necessary or wise to require the lessees to kill every fur seal they drive up. The skins of the ‘‘ wigged” seals or half bulls are almost worth- less as fur. To kill yearlings and short 2-year-olds would be extremely wasteful, as the value of the skim the following year would be much greater. If, however, the males were killed as closely as they should be, it would not be necessary to drive and redrive the half bulls and bulls as they have been driven this summer. The breeding grounds are now overstocked with bulls. When the need of a new supply of male life for the breeding grounds is felt, there should be reserved each year of the killable males a sufficient number to replenish the stock, all others being killed, The quota should not be a fixed one, but should represent all killable seals obtain- able after the proper reserve for breeding purposes has been made, HERDING OF CULLED BACHELORS. , It would be possible to herd the culled male seals in the Salt Lagoon and other bodies of water, if deemed advisable, to prevent redriving. These ponds could be fenced, and in them, as we have shown by experiment, large bodies of seals could be retained for two or three weeks or during the killing peviod. This would have, as matters now are, the more important advantage of saving them trom the pelagic sealer. The females could not be thus herded without great danger to their pups, as without food the milk glands would become dry. If the driving were closed on July 20, much of the present culling would be avoided, as the great body of the yearlings arrive after that date. INJURED BULLS. There are to be found in the summer a certain small number of bulls, mostly young ones, Which are away from the herd and which are apparently suffering. These have been described as ‘impotent bulls,” “outcasts from the rookeries,” ‘‘ broken and spiritless victims of the drives,” ete. Dissection of these shows that in all cases they have been injured in fights with other bulls or by pelagic sealing. A number of them have been shot for museum purposes. Among those examined, broken ribs, injured pelvis, hernia, broken flippers, dislocated shoulders, and gunshot wounds have been found to be the cause of their withdrawal from activity. Some of these were ambitious young bulls which ventured beyond their class. Most of them ulti- mately recover and return to their fellows. CASTRATION. There is only one record of an adult bull which was actually impotent. This one had been castrated by some accident. He had no ‘‘ wig,” but retained the full, soft fur of the 3-year-old. Judging from its effect on this animal, it was thought that castration might be practiced to a limited extent, at least, thus securing a larger and heavier grade of skin by allowing the animal to live until 4 or 5 years of age. Experiment, however, showed the matter to be difficult, and on a large scale perhaps impracticable. A pup taken from Lukanin rookery was castrated, the operation being performed by Dr. Otto Voss, the resident physician of the North American Commercial Company. It was skillfully and successfully done, and the pup, branded across the head to mark him, was returned in good condition to the rookery. Sub- sequent seareh failed to find him, dead or alive. It will be interesting to know whether he ever appears on the killing grounds. The practical difficulty in the way of castration lies in the fact that the testes are under control of the animal and can be drawn up far into the inguinal canal. Experiment on a dead pup showed the organs apparently in a convenient location, but in the living pup it was necessary to cut very deeply and for each organ sepa- rately, thus making the operation long and tedious. An additional difficulty lies in the fact that the incisions must be made in an exposed place, where the wounds come in contact with the ground when the animal moves about. But doubtless the cold- ness of the atmosphere, the scarcity of microbes and flies, and the frequent plunges into salt water all favor the rapid healing of any wound on the fur seals. : +f XVII. MORTALITY OF ADULT FUR SEALS ON THE ISLANDS. The following is arecord of the adult seals found dead on theislands August 5 to 14: Rookery. | Cows. Bulls. | Bachelors. = —— | — ST. PAUL. RGOVA ones on ba eciicc gop e= cao nce canis siateinlnie oe ace\nleinin miatein wainin wiallwiwin vim o\0\—| = 5] minnie winnie mt mini esata fake aac eta PU RANIN Sao. = fan sie aso = hare ee Sdn alm ite le we nl ala nom I'm ale TA GOON «. 2-202 = oer ne enn ee enn enna se eens ana esenenns| "Dalat cto cs oe aaa cate ee a = Sint ce ee oa meta alee te renee oni alah Fapadyl we n= neon seeps © oem aia saia= ome ee letale pt ein siete a aoe oi a Little Zapadni ZAPAONT BOGE «cscs cep nates Sed ele atnte ees Mim elena iprn oe nla Sele im ioiw miei Gorbatch ...---..-----+-- 2-0-2222 een eee nn nee enn enna ee Ot 2) 2) SE Oe See eo ARRAS EE Gon Re Od GaSe se cok a SRO Sem Oe see aeas DT iy tbl BESO ab Se aan On SRC GOA > Rete e ee CMOM nee Spee sD ocSaEa sa, + AU (rofelsh st Qeiner anes A) ieetaes 5 Coed SER Te A no nee ere ceerd os uonasyio Ig beoece as, St Chocc soc Son aD Oe e RR yOeOO eae 119 22 WO OC) ite Ree de Sense Soe Bem OOE EM oop codeste Helene Dob Eepe nen oerae 3, 313 329 NGA OVAL eae CoD SSeS oC OR OPC OREO CIEUS PEDOR ES CBr Dab at pase ee mmr pL en OUI NC SE Oa tao 950 | 109 PTs beats soi ea Pt 2) lt A RD a NS OE em Sage LAL eer t os | 20, 331 1, 527 52 After waiting four days for an opportunity to get on board the vessel, the Com- missioners were transferred to St. George Island by the revenue cutter Bear. On October 6 the count of St. George was made. Owing to the uncertainty of the landing, Mr. Barrett-Hamilton, assisted by Treasury agent, Mr. James Judge, made the count on East and Little East rookeries, while Mr. Clark and Mr. Macoun counted Zapadni, Staraya Artil, and North rookeries. The same methods were employed as at St. Paul. The following is the result in detail of the count on St. George, the result of the count made in August being reproduced for purposes of comparison: St. George Island. — October 6, 1896. ae August, ookery. 1896. Total dead Starvin . g& | Dead pups. pups. _ pups. ja Stes | North | 259 15 7 135 194 3 199 527 4 112 15 4 31 16 | 1 736 897 | 19 FOXES ON ST. GEORGE. The result of the count on St. George was asurprise and adisappointment. It was found that the blue foxes, which are very numerous and bold, had eaten all the dead pups. Only two whole carcasses were found on the island. It was necessary, there- fore, to make the count from skulls, spinal columns, or skins. Very few of the pups belonging to the first count remained and the remains of the lately eaten starved pups were found scattered everywhere and chictly away from the ground occupied by the seals. East and Little East rookeries seemed to have suffered the greatest loss, and there the work of the foxes was most thorough, probably because these rookeries, which are not large, are the only ones on the eastern side of the island. A less number of pups were found in October on North, East, and Little East rookeries than were found in August. This does nut mean that no pups starved on these rookeries, though it is possible that these rookeries suffered less from pelagic sealing from their position, facing the northeast. The explanation for the decrease on East, Little East, and North rookeries, and the only slight increase on Zapadni and Staraya Artil, is that the foxes had reduced to loose bones all the pups originally counted and nearly all of the starved pups as well. About 25 foxes were counted in and about the rookeries. There was no practical difference between the condition of the carcasses on Zapadni and Staraya Artil and those on the other rookeries, ESTIMATES FOR ST. GEORGE. The figures for St. George as they stand are not available for use or comparison. It is necessary, however, to form some estimate for this island. No fairer basis seems available than that of St. Paul. There it was found that the starved pups were 11.19 per cent of the total pups born. Applying this percentage to St. George we have 2,259, including the 19 starving ones, as the proportionate number of starved pups for this island, or a total of 16,019 for the two islands. This is 55 per cent of the reported number of skins obtained by pelagic sealers during the present season in Bering Sea. In addition to these nursing females the pelagic catch of course includes a certain percentage of those cows which lost their pups early in the season, and also a certain percentage of 2-year-old cows without pups but impregnated. Not only will the rookeries next year and on succeeding years suffer from the loss of the mothers of these pups, but through the death of the females, one-half of the total number of starved pups, the evil effects of pelagic sealing will repeat them- selves in 1899, when these pups should return to bear for the first time. The num- ber of starved pups for 1895 and the preceding year must have been even greater. Thus pelagic sealing eats away the herd, compound interest being taken with every female lost. The pelagic catch of the present season has been light, 29,398 fur seals having been taken in Bering Sea by 67 vessels, as against 43,697 in 1895 by 57 vessels, \ 53 PUP STATISTICS—SUMMARY. Dead. Rookery. panel |= | Wtarved., Starving. | August. | October. ST. PAUL ISLAND. | | erred ASS A ab) 0 Me 7 NR ia 8 6, 049 109 | 609 500 42 RUCAMIN 3555) 's os a ideas wars Sekt 5 aA US Ne hae Biss 4, 450 205 579 374 27 POOR: = 2 52 Satcinaio we eicins os ohne Hee ee eas eee ee 2, 484 78 | 316 238 51 SEE ON = a-tee cota eos tec ce eee oe ee } 14,489 | 1, 895 | 2, 449 554 191 eV OTS aseome eee aateaaee qeeececdessecabelobooee } 17,648 | 3, 095 4,395 1, 300 154 IPE AUP OAT tes eaten a = a eens a ene eee eter | 4, 200 | 134 693 559 64. PRU ATIMIGRE OL. «int aaa cats baa eee ee ara e come | 3, 862 104 327 223 | 18 Gamhatens seco scmsss cick aoe dice Neto ine ai, ral iT evi “i wnat ‘A 4.6 ‘ ha ih i ie hi §- SHANGHAI Js. ¥ Ww oO a a oa to Wan, / ‘ BER NG i et i; Se a PAIRIS AWARD PARIS | * 3BONIN IS I : = Ti : MARIANA LUZON us % fe LADRONE 1S ane PHILIPPINE ° . ) Pi Re is a ae Se Ne Cee is | iam | aie lr. an 120° 130° 140 50° 160" 170" 180" ug lee: Se i ey 1AHOWAN2 4 Ae sqaure OF + Ratan | ; Kea eae ; seen oh /‘syon v sao me SEONIGIS S CaVHINC Od SNOMLVDMSHANT 1Vas Moa 0: apuvHo NI AANOISs HG Agpewoarug (ae paofuns, | fo uopiasg aN Ria PDair “NV@uOP UAVLS GIAVG © SNOLLVAdHSdO ory . satan | SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES 3 90488 OOeb2001 1 nhkell SH361.U4 1896x Observations on the fur seals of the Pri