CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 1 



Methods, equipment, and itinerary 1 



Research in 1964 2 



Distribution of seals by date and locality 2 



Washington, Oregon, and California 2 



Bering Sea 2 



Relative abundance of seals, and size of groups 6 



Distribution by age and sex 6 



Pairing at sea 6 



Tag recoveries 6 



Size and reproductive condition 6 



Size 6 



Reproductive condition 6 



Pregnancy rate 9 



Uterine horn of pregnancy and fetal sex ratio 9 



Anomalies 9 



Food 12 



Individual food items 17 



Relation of food of fur seals to comnnercial fisheries 19 



Summary 19 



Literature cited 20 



Appendix A 22 



Tables 22 



Figures 57 



Appendix B 43 



Behavior notes 43 



Appendix C 44 



Injured, sick, and diseased fur seals collected at sea 44 



Appendix D 45 



Skinning fur seals aboard research vessel, 1964 45 



FIGURES 



1. Number of seals observed (upper figure in each square) and collected (lower) 

 from lat. 35° N. to 43° N. in 1964. The sides of each square measure 10 nauti- 

 cal miles 3 



2. Number of seals observed (upper figure in each square) and collected (lower) 

 from lat. 43° N. to 48°30' N. in 1964. The sides of each square measure 10 

 nautical miles 4 



3. Eastern Bering Sea. The operational area of the U.S. research vessel is shaded. 

 Numbers that identify sectors (1-6) are encircled; zone numbers (1-10) are 

 shown along the south boundary of sector 6. The three numbers in each zone 

 represent, from left to right, number of boat days, seals seen, and seals col- 

 lected, 4 July to 8 September 1964. Unfavorable weather prevented observations 



in zone 7, sector 2 5 



4. Percentage of stomach content volume and percentage of occurrence of princi- 

 pal food species in fur seals stomachs in 1964 by area 13 



TABLES 



1. Age and sex by month and area of fur seals collected by the United States in 

 1964 7 



2. Monthly records of age and sex of fur seals off California 9 



3. Tag recoveries from fur seals collected by the United States in 1964 10 



4. Pregnancy rate of seals collected by the UnitedStates in eastern Pacific, 1958- 



64 11 



5. Stomach contents of fur seals collected off California, 1964 14 



6. Stomach contents of fur seals collected off Oregon, 1964 14 



7. Stomach contents of fur seals collected off Washington, 1964 15 



8. Stomach contents of fur seals collected in the Bering Sea, 1964 16 



