328 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PKIBILOF ISLANDS. 



ME. LUCAS'S NOTES. 



THE KILLING AT POLOVINA. 



At the drive 585 seals were killed and skinned; 344 were rejected because too 

 small and 313 because too large. The percentage of small ones was greater than in 

 the Reef drive, of the total drive of 1,242 only 47.14 per cent being killed. 



The drive was a very short and easy one, over smooth, grassy, 'rolling country, 

 but the seals seemed very excitable and much exhausted. The excitable condition 

 seemed also characteristic of the seals on the rookery. One could scarcely approach 

 them without causing great commotion. 



On the killing ground the rejected seals could scarcely be driven away. After 

 leaving, they loitered along, lying down and fanning themselves. Some of them went 

 round the pond ; the majority went in and stayed some time. Coming out, they rested, 

 going to the rise above beach and again resting before going into the water. They 

 seemed much afraid of being separated; if one moved off, others would rush after. 

 One seemed to urge on the other, and they move more rapidly in bands than when 

 single or in twos and threes. Going down the beach to the sea they strung out in a 

 long line, the leader being usually a small seal whose light weight enabled him to 

 move faster. The larger seals sat down from time to time, but did not like to be left 

 behind. As soon as they entered the water they lay down in it. In a few moments 

 they swam off in a long curve toward their hauling grounds, some going out a mile 

 or so before turning. 



One yearling gets away with a fractured skull and will die; one fell near the 

 killers and was clubbed; a third was found dead later on. The injured ones are 

 small seals that have been struck by accident. It is impossible to avoid accidents of 

 this sort, notwithstanding the care the clubbers exercise, for the seals crowd together 

 in a compact mass. However, the proportion of such accidents is small, and the 

 vitality of the animals is extraordinary. 



At the killing twenty stomachs were examined and found to be empty, except 

 for some mucus and bile. Two contained a little fresh blood. 



NOTES OF DR. JORDAN AND MR. CLARK. 

 POLOVINA. 



At the point where the sand beach joins with the rocks 8 dead pups were counted 

 near together in the first three harems. The bulls seemed very savage, and from the 

 appearance of the pups one might easily suppose that they had been trampled in 

 the sand. 



The greatest number of dead pups seen on the rookeries have been on these 

 sandy beaches. On the rocks the examples are not numerous. Perhaps the pups are 

 smothered in dust as well as crushed, and the smothering does not happen on the rocks. 

 IsTine more dead pups and 1 dead cow were noted on the flat slope above. Some of 

 these might have been crushed by the idle bulls, which were numerous. 



While looking for dead pups a big bull is seen to lunge and fall with his breast 

 on a pup. It wriggles off. A smaller one would have been crushed flat. Some of 

 the dead are at a distance back of the harems, and may have wandered there and 

 died of starvation. One pup was found with his head crushed and covered with 

 pus, almost dead. It was killed. The pup's head might have been bitten by a bull. 

 A fresh placenta was seen, showing that pups are still being born. 



