410 THE FUR SEALS OP THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



Iii the large pods cm the cinder slope scarcely any dead pups were found. The 

 process of podding is evidently one of the most efficient means for their protection. 

 These slopes have practically no dead pups, which shows how much safer a steep 

 incline is than one less steep or almost flat, as at Tolstoi and Polovina. 



A number of pollock bones were found on the rookery; evidently either spewed 

 up or passed off as excrement by some seal. 



There were 5 dead cows and 1 dead bull on Gorbatch rookery. The total uumbei 

 of dead pups was 712. 



GENERAL NOTES. 



The yearling females are now found going about on the rookeries wherever they 

 please in the harems, playing with the pups, with half bulls, with the bachelors; they 

 seem to be privileged characters, are not molested, and behave very much like pups. 

 The pups are now largely shedding their hair. Many have large brown patches where 

 the black hair has fallen out, showing the brown under fur. 



From examining a number of pups with reference to sex it seems that the brown 

 belly is not, as suggested, peculiar to the female. Those with the brown bellies seem 

 simply to be older ones that have begun to replace their black coat with brown ones, 

 the brown showing first on the under parts. The next long hairs that come out are 

 grayish. At present the long hairs are black. 



There seem to be very few wet cows coming in. A number, not more than one- 

 fifth, old cows are on the rookeries. The existing harems are largely made up of 

 virgin 2-year olds. Virgin 2-year-olds which were served early are now scattered about 

 among the bachelors. 



While at the beginning of the season many harems of 40 or more cows were 

 counted, these early began to diminish and the smaller ones to increase; cows would 

 run away or be stolen. It is probable therefore that the number of cows impregnated 

 by one bull does not exceed on an average 25 cows, but no exact data is at hand as to 

 this. The largest harems to be seen at this time on the rookeries belong to the bulls 

 which were idle at the height of the season. These idle bulls and many half bulls 

 have invaded the rookeries and have taken places in the harems where the old bulls 

 once stood. There are a few old cows in their harems, as the pups with them show, 

 but the majority are virgins which have lately come upon the rookeries. 



DEAD PUPS. 



The autopsies of dead pups which have been made within the past few days 

 represent very well the relative value of the different causes of death for those pups 

 which die within the first ten days of August. It must be remembered, however, that 

 the vast majority, say from 95 to 98 per cent, of those now counted as dead perished 

 early in July. The greater part of them are rotten to-day. When they were fresh 

 enough for examination, it was impossible to get on the rookeries to reach them. 

 The first ones examined had to be drawn out from the harems by means of a long 

 pole with a fishhook attached to the end. 



A certain small percentage die in July of starvation either through straying off 

 or from losing connection with their mothers in some way. There have been found 

 from 5 to 20 dead cows on each rookery. The pups of these, if born, would naturally 

 starve. Pups are only now beginning to starve to death in noticeable numbers. 



