RECORD FOR 1880. 275 



RECORD KEPT BY H. G. OTIS. 



June 1. The regular sealing season began to-day, with a drive from the Reef, 216 

 seals being killed. 



June 10. Reports show the rookeries at Northeast Point in favorable condition. 

 The first seal pup of the season was seen on the Reef. Bulls numerous on the 

 rookeries; killable seals scarce. 



June 16. Some difficulty is being encountered in obtaining killable seals in 

 satisfactory numbers; 25 or 30 per cent of each drive has to be released, being either 

 too large or too small. 



June 23. A visible improvement in the quality and number of killable seals is 

 noticeable, a larger proportion of medium-sized 3-year-olds having appeared on the 

 hauling grounds. The date of their appearance corresponds with last year. 



June 24. Large increase of cows is noticeable on the Reef. 1 



July 2. A visit to Kitovi, Tolstoi, and Lukaniu showed a marked increase in the 

 number of cows and pups, especially at Tolstoi, where they lay like sardines packed 

 in a box. 



July 3. The agent visited Otter Island, as directed, to keep lookout for vessels. 

 A number of seals hauled out on the shore; no females or pups. 



July 15. Frequent visits to the Reef and other rookeries find them filled to the 

 utmost limit of their apparent expansion of former years, the rookeries being packed 

 closely with cows, bulls, and pups. Several freshly born pups seen. The rutting 

 season appears to be at its height. 



July 17. A drive from Zoltoi yielded 534 skins, making up the island's full quota 

 of 80,000 for the season; of this number 75.000 have been taken since the 1st day of 

 June, an average of 2,167 skins per day for the thirty-five days actually consumed in 

 the work. a 



August 11. On recent visits to Reef, Zoltoi, Lukaniu, and Tolstoi countless 

 multitudes of seals of all classes have been found hauling out and spreading over 

 ground not occupied earlier in the season. The shores along the front of all the 

 rookeries are black with seal pups which are just learning to swim. The cows now 

 go freely in and out of the water, released as they are from their more urgent family 

 duties. Their masters pay little attention to their movements compared with the 

 jealous watchfulness shown them during the breeding and rutting periods. 



August 15. About 1,000 seals reported hauled out on Otter Island. 



August 21. The appearance of Tolstoi and Reef rookeries at this time show 

 them to be occupied by a larger number of seals, apparently, than at any previous 

 period of the season. On the Reef the entire space from shore to shore is thickly 

 covered with seals of all classes and ages. At Tolstoi all the ground held during 

 the height of the season, together with the slope to the top of the bluff, is similarly 

 though more densely covered. The pups, waxing strong, have hauled out far backward 

 from the shore. 



1 It can not be determined from this and the following entries what is meant by the increase, 

 whether it is over some date in the same season or over the preceding season. It is evident, however, 

 that we can not infer a diminution as yet in the seal herd. 



2 It must be noted here that this result of the season's sealing is wholly incompatible with 

 Captain Byant's claim of a scarcity of bulls in 1875-76. 



