DEAD PUPS AT NORTHEAST POINT. 403 



dead bulls. Mr. Macoun, having finished his photographing, entered upon the work 

 at this point. 



To the foot of Hutchiuson Hill there are 255 dead pups. There are 2 additional 

 dead bulls and 7 dead cows. 



Under Hutchiuson Hill is another sandy area like that on Tolstoi, and rivaling 

 it in deadly effect. In this tract there were 887 dead pups; 10 dead cows, and 1 dead 

 bull. 



Professor Thompson suggests as a result of examination that the pups with brown 

 bellies and brown shades upon the axilary parts are females, while those plain black 

 on the belly as well as above are males. This should be verified. 1 



A small living pup found with a patch 2 inches square torn from his back, the 

 wound full of pus; it is unable to use its hind flippers, but seems active in spite of the 

 injury. The pup was killed, as it could not be expected to recover. 



One fine pure white albino pup, large and strong, was found which was blind but 

 very active. It took hold of a notebook and shook it violently. The yellowish 

 substance which coats the lips and teeth of the pup appears as a yellow brown stain 

 on the book. As he is blind, and therefore worthless, his skin is taken for museum 

 purposes. 



The great patch northwest of Hutchiuson Hill begins beyond the sandy tract 

 with hard smooth ground containing many rocks which are, however, too small and 

 too far apart to be of use. The corner next the hauling ground on the eastern side 

 of Hutchinsou Hill is very bad ; some other places are moderately so. 



The bulls on Northeast Point are unusually ugly. The young bulls, with large 

 harems behind the rookery, are easily driven. Many old ones with one or two cows 

 on the rookery grounds can not be budged even now. 2 



The day is wonderfully clear, giving a beautiful prospect from Hutchinson Hill of 

 the ocean and the island. Walrus Island shows distinctly in the distance. 



The bad place directly under Hutchinsou Hill is composed of smooth hard ground 

 with no depressions. It can easily be mended by rolling in stones after the breeding 

 season. In the breeding season, it is no more possible to inspect the inside of a 

 rookery than the lair of a bear. Hence small rookeries which can be overlooked from 

 cliffs have been studied instead of large ones. One studying only small rookeries has 

 up idea of the difference of conditions on the large ones. 



One greatly emaciated pup, apparently dead, proves to be insensible, but still 

 alive. It is killed and its skin taken. A pup with an eye full of pus seems to be very 

 active. Some little pups show evidence of starving ;. the fat is disappearing from their 

 shoulders and rump; their ribs feel bare. Such pups do not grow. Their weight is 

 not half as great as that of well-fed pups. 



1 Later observations at the time of the examination of pups, to determine the relative proportions 

 of the sexes, showed this not to be the case. Doubtless the brown-bellied pups are those destined to 

 become the silvery throated animals. 



2 It became evident in 1897 that the idle bulls do not become fixed in their positions in and about 

 the rookeries much before the arrival of the cows about the middle of June, whereas the regular harem 

 masters take their places early in May. It is doubtless the earliest arrivals which leave first, and the 

 idle bulls which have fasted for a shorter period are still comparatively fresh. These are the ones 

 which stand their ground in August. 



