44 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PKIBILOF ISLANDS. 



as many of the pelagic islands of the Antarctic regions.* Perhaps the most northern 

 extent of this genus is the herd which formerly existed in considerable numbers on 

 Guadalnpe Island, and other inlands in its vicinity, where a remnant probably still 

 breed hidden in the caves and recesses of their shores. 



THE FUR SEALS OF THE NORTH PACIFIC. 



The fur seals of the North Pacific belong to the second group, the genus cll<> 

 rhinuK. It is resident upon certain barren and rocky islands in Bering Sea and the 

 Sea of Okhotsk, unknown to aboriginal man, and, so far as we are aware, never 

 visited by man before the discovery of the Komamlorski Islands by Vitus Bering in 

 1741 and the Pribilot' Islands by (lei-assim Pribilof in 17S<;. In addition to the 

 Komamlorski and Pribilof islands, seals of the genus CaUorh'nnix also occupy certain 

 islands of the Kuril group, and also the rocky islet known as Robben Keef, oil' the 

 coast of Saghalin. 



STELLER'S ACCOUNT. 



Our first knowledge of the fur seals of the North comes from the account of Georg 

 Wilhelm Steller (1709-1745), a German naturalist, who accompanied Bering on the 

 voyage which resulted in the discovery of the Komamlorski Islands. During the 

 winter which the survivors of the ill fated St. Peter spent on Bering Island, Stellor 

 visited the south, or Poludinnoye rookery of this island and wrote an account t of the 

 fur seals or "sea bears" as he called them. 



On Steller's description of the "sea bear"(?7rws marinus) of Bering Island, 

 Linnanis based his description of Phoca -ursina, or the bear-like seal. From the 

 Liiina>an name the fur seal of the North Pacific came to be called Callorhinus ursinns. 

 the type of the species being the Komandorski herd. 



THE THREE HERDS. 



The fur seals of the North Pacific comprise three distinct herds, which do not 

 intermingle in any way, having distinct breeding grounds, feeding grounds, and 

 routes of migration. 



THE PRIBILOF HERD. 



The most important of the three herds is that which resorts to the Pribilof Islands. 

 These breed upon the islands of St. Paul and St. George during the summer, and in 

 winter pass down through the channels of the Aleutian Islands into the Pacific Ocean, 

 in their migrations reaching as far south as the coast of southern California and 

 returning along the west coast of North America. 



THE KOMANDORSKI HERD. 



The next herd in importance is that resorting to the Komandorski Islands. These 

 breed upon the islands of Bering and Medni, passing in winter down along the eastern 

 coast of .Japan and returning by the same route. 



' A full account of the southern far seals will bo found in I 'art III of this report. 

 t A translation of Steller's account will be found in Part III of this report. 



