ROOKERY MANAGEMENT. 387 



Of the idle bulls, probably one-third of those seen at first now have cows, largely, 

 but not wholly, virgins. Those with one cow are now as fierce as the regular bulls. 

 A much smaller nurnbei of bulls would suffice, and doubtless all females would be 

 served were there not nearly enough bulls to control the rookeries,. All virile bulls, 

 young and old, hang around the rookeries, the stronger the nearer, either above or 

 below or on the slide. As a rule the strongest are the nearest the center of life on 

 the rookeries. The energy wasted by the bulls in fighting would doubtless enable 

 them to serve many more cows were the number of bulls more limited. 



MAN AND THE SEALS. 



To the presence of man the seals are at all times and under all circumstances 

 utterly indifferent. To his movements, however, they are acutely sensitive. If you 

 sit still near any rookery, the seals will soon cease to notice you. The cow will bleat 

 with mild curiosity and the sleepy bull will keep one eye open, but until you move 

 again they have no fear. The disturbances man makes on the island no more affect 

 the habits and distribution of the fur seal than the shooting of hens in the garden 

 affects the habits and nature of poultry. The great bulk of the cows on the island 

 never know of the existence of man at all, never see him, hear nor smell him. It is 

 only the bachelors and outlying- cows that come in contact with him, and that not 

 often enough or severely enough to produce other than a passing impression. In a 

 few places (Gorbatch, Kitovi, and Lukaniu) this season men have been seen almost 

 daily by a limited number of seals, and the cows nearest the points of observation 

 start up in alarm until rounded up by the bulls, or sometimes they flee to the sea 

 when the intrusion is close. But the alarm soon passes away. The observers avoid 

 scaring the seals where possible. 



PERMANENCY IN AGENTS DESIRABLE. 



The Government should retain its competent agents during good behavior, as the 

 company does. Messrs. Redpath and Webster have been long in the service of the 

 two companies and have a thorough knowledge of every phase of the practice 

 relating to seals. The Government changes its agents every four years, making the 

 appointments a matter of political spoils. It takes an agent a year or two to learn 

 his business, and very few have either ability or training for acquiring knowledge of 

 the seal herd. The Government's interests are seldom as carefully managed as the 

 company's. When the Government agent has become somewhat experienced a 

 change puts a new and untried man in the place. 



A SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SEAL HERD. 



In addition to the agents as now appointed there should be a competent naturalist 

 and observer constantly in charge of the herd. He might belong to the staff' of 

 the United States National Museum or to the Bureau of Animal Industry. He 

 need spend but two months here. The Government could well afford to pay such 

 a man a good salary, for if the seal herd is properly protected such a man could save 

 thousands of dollars every year to the Government, besides being in a position to 

 give authoritative advice in case of international disputes. 



