TABLE 42.— Live-pxip counts, St. Paul Island, 1959-62 



during October. The pups increase in weight 

 by approximately 3.5-4.0 kilograms from early 

 September to late October. 



RELATED STUDIES 



LIVE-PUP COUNTS 



Live-pup counts were made 5 August on 

 selected areas of Tolstoi and Kitovi 

 Rookeries." Counts made during 4 years are 

 compared in table 42. 



Correlation of counts with the population 

 trend cannot begin until 1963 when sufficient 

 tag returns will be available to estimate the 

 number of pups born in 1959 and 1960. 



SKINS FROM FEMALES 



In 1961, numbered stainless steel tags were 

 attached to 117 skins taken from known- age 

 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old females to preserve 

 their identify through the killing process. 

 During blubbering, the tags were removed 

 and the numbers permanently imprinted on 

 the flesh side of the skins with indelible 

 pencil. Age, reproductive condition, vibrissal 

 color, body weight, and length measurement 

 data were recorded for each of these females 



"See footnote 6, page 30. 



and subsequently related to the finished grade 

 and size of the corresponding skins. The 

 results showed that a substantial proportion 

 of the skins were of commercial quality 

 similar to that of male skins. 



This study to relate economic and biological 

 information was continued and expanded in 

 1962 to include skins from older females 

 because of their possible use in processing 

 requiring shearing. A sample of 188 skins was 

 selected from known- age females 2 through 

 15 years of age and barreled for experimental 

 use. 



DENTITION STUDIES 



Little information is available on the dental 

 characteristics of known-age pups. On 28 and 

 29 June 1962, 100 tags of the series 61-501 

 to 61-600 were attached to newborn pups on 

 Little Polovina Rookery. Subsequently, one or 

 two pups were collected atintervalsof about 10 

 days. Ten pups, ranging in age from 66 to 

 103 days, were collected. The aim of the study 

 is to provide specimen material for develop- 

 ment of information on (1) the mean date when 

 the last permanent tooth erupts, (2) the mean 

 date when the first molt ends, and (3) length 

 and weight of known- age pups. Weight data will 

 probably be highly variable, since pups are 

 known to vary from 3.3 to 7.1 kilograms at 

 birth. 



50 



