134 ALASKA. 



jealous supervision; but owing to the covetous and ambitious 

 nature of tlie bulls, wbicli occupy' the stations reaching wa^* 

 back from the water-line, the little cows have a rough-and-tum- 

 ble time of it when they begin to arrive in small numbers at 

 first ; for no sooner is the pretty animal fairly established on 

 the station of bull number one, who hjis installed her there, he 

 perhaps sees another one of her style down in the water from 

 which she has just come, and in obedience to his polygamous 

 feeling, he devotes himself anew to coaxing the later arrival in 

 the same winning manner so successful iu her case, when bull 

 number two, seeing bull number one off his guard, reaches out 

 with his long strong neck and picks the unhappy but passive 

 creature up by the scruff' of hers, just as a cat does a kitten, 

 and deposits her on his seraglio-ground; then bulls number 

 three, four, and so on, in the vicinity, seeing this high-handed 

 operation, all assail one another, and especially bull number 

 two, and have a tremendous fight, perhaps for half a minute or 

 so, and during this commotion the cow generally is moved or 

 moves farther back from the water, two or three stations more, 

 where, when all gets quiet, she usually remains in i^eace. Her 

 last lord and master, not having the exposure to such diverting 

 temptatioxi as had her first, he gives her such care that she not 

 only is unable to leave did she. wish, but no other bull can seize 

 upon her. This is only one instance of the many different trials 

 and tribulations which both parties on the rookery subject" 

 themselves to before the harems are filled. Far back, fifteen or 

 twenty stations deep from the water-line sometimes, but gen- 

 erally not more on an average than ten or fifteen, the cows 

 crowd in at the close of the season for arriving, July 10 to 14, 

 and then they are able to go about pretty much as they please, 

 for the bulls have become greatly enfeebled by this constant 

 fighting and excitement during the past two months, and are 

 quite content with even only one or two partners. 



The cows seem to haul in compact bodies from the water up 

 to the rear of the rookeries, never scattering about over the 

 ground ; and they will not lie quiet in any position outside of 

 the great mass of their kind. This is due to their intensely 

 gregarious nature, and for the sake of protection. They also 

 select land with special reference to the drainage, having a 

 great dislike to water-puddled ground. This is w ell shown on 

 Saint Paul. 



I have found it difficult to ascertain the averaiie nuuiber of 



