558 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



The branded cow is gone from Lukaniu this morning. She was present nursing 

 her pup on the evening of the 13th. 



GORBATCH AND REEF. 



A count of harems on Gorbatch rookery shows a total of 308. The count of 

 harems for last year was 302. The present count is manifestly more complete than 

 that of last season, because it is possible to reach observation points commanding 

 parts of the rookery, which could not be reached last year when this rookery was 

 counted on the 16th. This fact in itself is the surest indication of decrease in the 

 rookery. Therefore, though more harems are shown in 1897, it means simply that in 

 1896 a portion of the rookery had to be estimated or imperfectly counted, and the 

 result fell below the actual facts. 



It was impossible last year, for example, to reach Old John's Rock or the hill to 

 the north of it, nor could the crest of the slope be reached at any point up to where 

 the cinder slope begins because of the presence of idle bulls. A large harem lay at 

 the foot of Old John's Rock and several harems were on the hill. To-day the harems 

 are far from either place, and the line of idle bulls is some distance below the crest of 

 the slope. 



At the western extremity of Gorbatch rookery a bull has a harem of 150 cows 

 lying on a flat triangular shelf of rock which breaks off in sheer cliffs on two sides. 

 The bull is able to control the great body of seals because of the particularly 

 advantageous position he holds, having to guard only one side of the triangle. 



The count of harems on the Reef is completed this morning. There are 49 harems 

 in the section lying between the western end and the first bachelor runway. There 

 are 51 bulls on the flat in the two large wedge shaped bunches of seals about the 

 ponds. This gives a total of 454 harems for Reef rookery. 



There has been a tremendous falling off in the large patches on the Reef. They 

 fall much farther short of the crosses and are much thinner throughout. For these 

 two masses last year 100 harems were estimated where there are only 51 to day. 



The harem between Ardiguen and Reef Point is still there with four cows. There 

 is a marked persistency in the way the seals continue to haul out in these places. At 

 the beginning of Gorbatch there was last year a harem with a single cow on the 

 Zoltoi side of the point. There is a single harem there this year with 2 cows. 



ST. GEORGE ISLAND. 



In the afternoon I went on board the Rush and was landed in the evening on St. 

 George Island. 



I visited Little East rookery in the evening in company with Mr. Duffield, who also 

 visited St. George for the purpose of planning the work of the survey for this island. 

 A count of cows on this rookery by harems gave the following results: 



Total cows 487 



Total harems 48 



Average harem 10. 1 



