344 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PKIBILOF ISLANDS. 



back, and in the meantime lias been taken in charge by a beacb master.. A pup with 

 sore eyelids, probably caused by the intrusion of sand, was also seen. 



The harem system is now largely broken up. Pictures of the rookeries taken 

 July 25 and after show nothing of the real extent of the rookeries in the breeding 

 season, as the wandering of pups scatters the cows, and an increasing number of them 

 are in the water, while many new ones have come to form harems around the idle bull. 

 The cows can probably remain away longer now, as the pups become older. 



This evening the guard reports 4 dead cows on shore of the breeding ground at 

 Zapadni. 



THE KILLING AT TOLSTOI. 



Mr. Lucas witnessed a portion of the killing from Tolstoi rookery. In nis 

 estimation it would hardly be practicable to drive up smaller pods to the clubbers. 

 Single seals are more courageous and fight worse than when in groups podded 

 together. Large droves of seals are readily intimidated; uothiug can be done with a 

 single seal of any age when brought to bay. 



One seal among the killed has the fat of orange color. Natives ascribe this to 

 having fed on salmon. It may be due to having fed on Crustacea. Dr. Voss, the 

 island physician, thinks the coloration is due to biliary trouble or jaundice. Nothing 

 was found in the animal's stomach. 



Mr. Lucas examined a number of other stomachs at Tolstoi, but found nothing- 

 save thick mucus, in one case nearly a pint. Professor Thompson also opened a 

 number with the same result. And yet excrement is to be seen scattered over the 

 hauling grounds, appears on the drives, arid is found in the large intestines of the seals 

 killed. 



THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE BULLS. 



Old bulls are hauling out on Middle Hill and thereabouts. Some of them look 

 pretty thin. They go back from the water and sleep in the sands and among the 

 rocks. Tolstoi Sands seems to be a cemetery for old bulls, as many bones are to be 

 found strewn about. 



The guard has just brought down from Northeast Point the skins of 2 cows dead 

 from buckshot wounds, noted on the 25th, on Morjovi near Sea Lion Neck. The 2 

 skins have been preserved as evidence of shooting in Bering Sea before August 1. 

 These 2 skins, together with the wounded cow 011 Polovina, seen on July 23 with 

 apparently 2 shot holes in her back, show pretty conclusively the presence of pelagic 

 sealers even at this date. The wounded cow at Polovina was just out of the water. 

 The two cows 1 at Northeast Point were found on the beach on the morning of July 24. 



ARDIGUEN. 



Harem B has 5 cows and many pups. Harem C has hauled back on the grass out 

 of the muddy place where he belongs. There are 53 cows with him, evidently part of 



1 It may be noted that the schooner Aurora, seized later by the Rush for having shot skins on 

 board, with unsealed guns and ammunition, was in Bering Sea at this time. She was released by the 

 courts, it not being proved that the shot holes in the skins had been made by the crew of the vessel 

 in question. 



