MAKUNICHEN ROOKERY. 465 



SEPTEMBER 6. 



Dr. Jordau, Mr. Lucas, Mr. Barrett-Hamilton, and Mr. Clark visit Gorbatch in 

 the afternoon. 



GORBATCH. 



The usual number of hair seals are out on the rocks at the point. 



Mr. Lucas counts 4 additional starved pups, making in all 15 to the present time. 

 These have died within a week. 



A wet cow is seen to recognize a pup which looks as if he were half starved. He 

 is very eager, but his mother is slow to give him a chance to nurse. The little fellow 

 seems almost ready to eat her up. He fights off the other pups in the way and keeps 

 shaking his head and calling to his mother. Two other pups, plainly starving, are 

 following the cow. These she drives off. This cow has probably been an unusually 

 long time away. At last she climbs to a flat rock near the head of the cliff, pushes a 

 pod of sleeping pups off from it, and, after much delay, she nurses her own. 



There are many starving pups in the " slide." The old bull in A's position still 

 holds his ground. 



LUKANIN. 



After returning home Mr. Lucas and Mr. Clark went over to Lukanin rookery to 

 see the branded pups. Sixty-six of the 124 are counted from the top of the cliff 

 without disturbing the seals. A close count was not attempted. 



One branded pup is seen out in the water swimming among the others. He is 

 apparently enjoying himself quite as well as his fellows. Three are seen to land from 

 a swim within a few minutes. Two are seen to swim out. One is nursing. His mother 

 lies on a rock and the pup stands on his hind flippers, showing the branded back to 

 good advantage. The pups seen are, in general, doing just what the other pups are 

 doing. None seem to feel any bad effects, though the inspection is not close. 



On the west side of the hauling ground on Lukauin Hill there is a bright, fresh 

 green strip of grass which fringes the entire west side and rear end of the hauling 

 ground. Beyond it is a much wider strip of the yellow seal grass which marks the 

 shrinkage area of the rookeries. The green strip on the west side is 15 feet wide; 

 the yellowish strip beyond is G5 feet. Distributed through the abandoned area are 

 bowlders similar to those on the hauling grounds. The seals once occupied the entire 

 width of this strip of 80 feet, and the fresh young grass probably marks the area 

 abandoned this present year, showing that the hauling grounds shrink away toward 

 the rookery. This is but natural, as the bachelors try to get as close as possible and 

 are kept away by the bulls. They always keep as close to the harems as possible, 

 and therefore any shrinkage must be visible on the outer side, or away from the 

 rookery. 



INTERVIEW WITH ARTIMONOF. 



In the afternoon Dr. Jordan had an interview with Kerik Artimouof, at which 

 Apollon, the native chief, acted as interpreter, with a view to obtaining information 

 regarding the old rookery said to have once existed on the North Shore. 



Artimouof said in substance : 



" I am the oldest man 011 the island, and was chief for eighteen years during the 

 time when Dr. Mclntyre was superintendent of the company. Marunichen was a small 



