548 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



arises whether this is another case of rape, or whether both these cases were those of 

 cows attempting to leave before they were served. The young bull seen to catch the 

 departing cow and serve her is now alone. He is, however, in fighting mood and is 

 keeping the shore clear of water bulls for a space of a hundred yards or more. 



When a cow is trying to escape from a bull she often turns when one would think 

 escape was certain and faces the bull. She then keeps her head toward him all the 

 time. The purpose is evidently to avoid being caught by the back, which is the 

 favorite place for the bull to catch the escaping cow. 



The branded cow is gone to-day. She was here yesterday. It should be possible, 

 by keeping watch of her, to get some information about the time of absence. 



MB. LUCAS'S NOTES. 



Harem No. 25 has this morning 26 cows and 25 pups. Near rock 24 a cow comes 

 in from the sea and nurses her pup. The harems on the slide are working up. The 

 number of fresh cows coming in seems small; during all the morning only 2 are 

 seen. So far this season we miss the fringe of seals swimming in the water off the 

 rookery front. The only seals to be seen there this year are young bulls which hang 

 about teasing the cows. 



There is scarcely a bachelor on the Kitovi hauling ground, and the harems do not 

 appear to be as far back from the sea as they were last year, but they will doubtless 

 work back in the next week. Cows going out to sea have to run the gauntlet of 

 idle water bulls; some are chased half a mile out. 



In walking the pups move their hind legs alternately, as other quadrupeds do. 

 The older animals move both hind legs together, the fore legs being moved alternately. 



JULY 7. 





 The Amphitheater has 550 cows to-day and Lukanin rookery 1,371. 



A cow came in calling and passed through 3 harems to the farthest one in the 

 rear. She was not disturbed by any of the bulls except the one in whose harem she 

 stopped. He " talked " to her for a time but soon left her to her own devices. Two 

 other wet cows were seen to come in, find, and nurse their pups. 



One dead crushed pup lies on the beach of the little cove below the cliff of the 

 Amphitheater. One harem here has 82 cows in it. A pod of its pups are playing 

 in a little pool of water which is deep enough in the middle to cover the pups. They 

 keep out of the deep places and walk about in it. There is no attempt at swimming. 



One bull is seen to copulate at 2.45 and again at 3.25. 



All the cows in the harems now are of the very dark-brown color. It is very dry 

 to-day and has been almost continuously since June 12. The newly-arrived cows can 

 be distinguished by a sort of olive color. There are none of the light-colored cows 

 recognized as 3-year-olds last year. One only of this class has been seen on Ardiguen. 



Mr. Lucas went to St. George on the Rush to duplicate the counts of last year. 



JULY 8. 



I walked to Gorbatch and the Eeef this forenoon. The harems still keep close 

 to the beach, though occasionally small ones will be found extending up the slopes. 

 The harems fall far short of the foot of Old John's Eock, where they were last year. 

 There is, however, a harem of 2 cows within about a hundred feet of the rock, and 



