RECORD OF J. M. MORTON. 269 



August 10. Not more than 15 or 20 seals are reported on Otter Island to-day. 



August 27. Lieutenant Rogers reports no seals on Otter Island. 



October 13. A great change has taken place in the appearance of the seal rookeries 

 within a few days past. The large seals are in the water and the small ones are hauled 

 out on the water's edge. 



October 24. A food drive was made to-day and 140 killed, all stagy. 1 



November 8. The natives began to drive pup seals for food. 



November 12. Driving of pups for winter food was completed, a total of 5,007 

 pups having been killed. 



December 25. Several thousand seals are reported hauled up on Sea Lion Rock. 



1878. 



January 4. Great numbers of seals are still in the water about the island and on 

 Sea Lion Bock. 



January 15. 2 The natives report large numbers of seals in the water about the 

 islands. 



RECORD KEPT BY J. M. MORTON. 



May 1. The first seal was seen in the water to-day. 



May 6. Two bull seals and two sea lions are reported at Northeast Point. 



May 7. Snow and ice still prevent the free lauding of seals. 



May 9. Two bulls are on Gorbatch rookery. 



May 11. Four bulls are reported on Gorbatch; 2 at Reef; 1 at Kitovi; 1 at 

 Lagoon; several at Zapadui. 



May 19. Seals are killed for food on Sea Lion Rock, 206 in all. 



May 26. At Reef Point from 200 to 300 bachelors are hauled out. 



May 29. The first seals arrive at Zoltoi to day. 



June 5. Observations on Gorbatch rookery show that the bulls are appearing 

 somewhat behind time. 



June 8. Driving for the quota was begun to-day from the Reef; 21 percent were 

 rejected as too small and about 5 per cent as too big five years and upward. 



June 10. Three cows were seen at Lukauin, the first for this season. 



June 18. The quota of 82,000 skins was completed to-day. 



RECORD KEPT BY J. H. MOULTON. 



August 31. The month has been unusually wet. The seal rookeries and grounds, 

 however, present about the same appearance this year as at the end of August last 

 year. 



October 18. A drove of 125 sea lions were killed for food. 



October 31. The small seals are leaving in schools everyday. No bachelor seals 

 sire to be seen on the hauling grounds of this end of the islands. 



November 1. Food drives of pups begun. 



1 Attention is directed here and elsewhere throughout this record to the waste involved in thus 

 killing seals while their skins were in a condition unsuitable for use. In the same connection should 

 be noted the waste of the pups as indicated by the record for November 12. 



2 No further record until May 1. 



