46 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



THE NOMENCLATURE OF THE FUR SEAL. 



The eccentricities of the nomenclature of the fur seals have frequently been 

 noted. Attention is here called to the matter merely to avoid confusion. It is, for 

 example, incongruous that a "cow" should occupy a place in a "harem" on a 

 " rookery " and bear a " pup," which, if a male, should be known for the first four 

 years of its life as a "bachelor" and afterwards as a "bull." Moreover, it is absurd 

 that this animal, which is in reality more like a bear, should be called a "seal," thus 

 confounding it with a distinctly different animal. But these names are all so closely 

 identified with the animals and their history that it is useless to attempt to change 

 them, and so we may expect the "sea bears" of the North Pacific to continue to 

 produce "seal skins," which, though originally and properly taken only on land, will 

 remain the product of a " fishery." 



The Russian names "sikatch" (grown bull), "polosikatch" (half bull), "holostiak" 

 (bachelor), "matka" (mother), and "kotik" (pup) are in common use among the 

 Aleuts on the Pribilof and Komandorski islands. These words form their plurals 

 in i, thus: sikatch i, holostiaki. The Aleut names "atagh" or "adakh" (bull),. 

 "ennatha" (cow), " lakutha" (pup) are now used mainly by the native children. 



THE CATEGORIES OF SEALS. 

 THE MALE. 



The male fur seal or bull reaches full maturity at the age of about 7 years. 

 He is probably sexually mature at an earlier age, but does not possess the strength 

 and courage necessary to win and hold a place on the breeding grounds. The weight 

 of the adult bull is about 350 to 450 pounds. A typical animal measures about 6 feet 

 in length, has a girth over the shoulders of about 4 feet, and measures nearly G 

 feet from tip to tip of the outstretched fore flippers. In color the adult males vary 

 considerably, the general shade being blackish or dark brown, with longer hairs 

 or bristles of yellowish white. These are especially long and numerous on the 

 thickened back of the neck, forming the so-called "wig." The bulls are excessively 

 fat on their landing in the spring, but grow gradually lean and thin during the season 

 on land, never tasting food or leaving their posts during the breeding season. Karly 

 observers made use of the appropriate name of " beachinaster " for the bull, a name 

 which deserves to be retained for its descriptive qualities. 



THE FEMALE. 



The female fur seal or cow is much smaller than the male. When fully grown she 

 measures about 4 feet in length, has a girth of 2i feet over the shoulders, and measures 

 4 feet from tip to tip of the outstretched fore-flippers. The cow has a soft, smooth 

 fur of varying shades of grey, the younger females being usually, though not 

 always, silvery white underneath the throat. The cow bears her first offspring at 

 the age of 3 years, but her full growth is not attained until a year or two later. 

 Her average weight is about 70 pounds. The name "clap-match," used by early 

 explorers to designate the female, is now obsolete. 



THE BACHELOR. 



The young male or bachelor is very similar to the female in color, size, and 

 appearance until the end of the third year. In this year his skin is at its best. In 



