166 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



THE HTNCKY PUP. 



While the pup was merely hungry, it called frequently for its mother. It hung about the water's 

 edge as if awaiting her there. It would even follow a wet cow back for a distance from the water, 

 but, on being repulsed, it would return to its position. Ill one or two instances starving pups were 

 seen to attempt to nurse sleeping cows, but never \\ ith sin cess. 



While their strength remained the starving pups played about as usual with their healthy 

 companions; always, however, with an effort. They went into the water, and that they swam 

 farther at times than their strength warranted was evident from the fact that occasionally they 

 landed to die on the rocks at considerable distances from the rookeries to which they belonged. 

 Thus two pups came ashore in the little cove across the neck from Zoltoi and died there in 1896. 



THE BREAKING DOWN. 



After the first stage of sharp hunger was passed the little animals seemed to weaken physically. 

 They lay about on the rocks, sometimes sleeping, but always easily startled. When aroused, some 

 would run away, crying in terror; others would turn at bay and bite savagely at the boots of the 

 disturber, perhaps only to fall down helpless the next instant. In crossing the sand Hat of Tolstoi, 

 which was deserted by the living seals in September, a dozen or more of these gaunt little specters 

 would start up from among the dead and stumble away, crying piteously. 



One day, on the "death-trap" gully of Zapadni, a little sleeping starveling was aroused with 

 difficulty. When it caught sight of the intruder it fell in a fit of terror, then stumbled off in a 

 frantic manner, only to fall in convulsions, which ended in unconsciousness. This pup was about to 

 die. It was as thin as a shadow. 



THE DEATH OF THE STARVELING. 



When undisturbed, the starving pups in the last stages showed little evidence of pain. They 

 looked utterly miserable, but indifferent and stolid. Their healthy companions occasionally attempted 

 to play with them, but they either resented the interference or else ignored it. For the most part 

 they were left to themselves. Toward the end they slept most of the time. This sleep merged into 

 unconsciousness and torpor, from which they could not be awakened. Death finally came after a brief 

 period of convulsive shuddering and gasping, in which the animal bit the ground and voided quantities 

 of black, tarry fieces 



DIFFICULTY IN DISTINGUISHING EARLY DEAD PUPS. 



It was not possible at the time of the first count of dead pups in August to remove 

 the bodies from the rookeries, and it was believed then that when the time came for 

 counting the starved pups it would be possible to distinguish between the earlier and 

 later dead. As the season advanced, however, it became evident that it would not 

 be possible to make the distinction. Those dying in September could easily be 

 separated from those which died in July, but no distinction could be drawn between 

 those which died between the 1st of August and the 10th and those which died 

 between the latter date and the 20th of August. When the count of starved pups 

 \\ as made about October 1 it was necessary, therefore, to count every carcass to be 

 found at that date. From the total thus counted those dead before the middle of 

 August were deducted to determine the number of additions which had resulted from 

 starvation. 



Of the details of this count a full record will be found in the daily journal and 

 need not be repeated here. A total of 20,331 dead bodies were found on St. rani 

 Island and 897 on St. George. As against this total of 21,228 dead pups found in 

 October, 11,045 were found in August, which, being deducted, left 10,183 pups shown 

 by the actual count to have died of starvation. 



