(126 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES IN 1918. 
At present there is no perfectly adequate means of classifying the 
nonbreeding bulls, and the plan adopted must be continued in spite 
of any faults it may possess. 
CoMPARISON OF HAREM AND IDLE BULLS IN 1918 witTH 1917. 






Harem bulls. Idle bulls. Total. 
Rookery. 7ZaTR LIAS GAUL Dalal (WED GG 
1917. | 1918. | GIN Or | 3917, | 1918, | G2 OF | 4917, | 1918, | Gain or 
loss. loss. loss. 
Lee, ee Se 8 SS 
ST. PAUL ISLAND. 






Per cent. Per cent. Per cent 
KtOVISG. «22 ccnn ode acosnese 126 127 + 46.42 182 209 + 9.34 
Lukanin ys 2 £2 £25. 23220825. 100 100) sess aani< — 9.25 154 149 — 3.24 
Garbatceh: 222 ea eee 279 306 + 5.38 409 443 + 8.31 
Ardiguen. 3-2 5. 24 -So see ce 33 36 — 53.57 61 49 —19. 67 
Reof.ces. S55 3ess558te oe e2t 613 688 + 29.53 850 995 +17.05 
Sivutch i ss. snc ncce ass oaeae 184 230 + 25.00 256 320 +25. 00 
Otter Island22ss. 228 Ss. 2 Eee Oe BE ee A S| SS 1 RUS 8 5 2c 
TA P00nY  2eken asel sents sce 24 25 + 20.00 39 +10. 25 
NOlstOl sess eesoes cee ee re eee 671 625 + 73.33 851 937 +10. 10 
Suthetunegay- 2 -cae528.2525 5. Dats S3e al soca she] 1064 esses ele. tice 663] 322 Sates. see eee 
Zapadni =|. 420 494 — 43.56 762 687 — 9 
Little Zapadni. - -..- 259 343 +184. 28 329 542 +64. 74 
Zapadni 22 27 — 38.46 35 BD voce epee 
Boloyvindsa..scesctteres cooks 166 185 + .76 296 316 + 6.75 
Polovina Clifis= =... .--s2see- 87 93 + 90.32 118 152 +28. 81 
Lithle(Polovinansocecceese ee 35 52 — 54.90 86 75 —12.79 
MONjOVia = ce scece cet eee eae 127 145 + 13.25 210 239 +13. 80 
Vostochni=<-<sc.ssccesee cece 1,018 | 1,134 — 32.39 | 1,802 | 1,664 —7 
otaleee es sou cete enemas 4,166 | 4,610 — 4.10] 6,507 | 6,855| + 5.34 
. ———Saas _— ————— | 
ST. GEORGE ISLAND. 
Northsash. Ate eeeeteeneee 266 262 — 43.85 380 326 —14. 21 
StarayarArtil=-tet<222 tees 163 160 — 64.60 276 200 —27. 53 
ZAPAGNI....s2sc5ss sss eece eee 33 43 + 17.64 50 63 +26. 00 
South A sees set Steet ee 6 8 + 33.33 12 16 +33. 33 
Hast Reel scsscene ee eeee eee 81 99 — 16.66 135 144 + 6.66 
Hast Cliiss .csccecccetececcce 135 162 — 63.93 196 184 — 6.12 
Nota tooscasce eee see cee 6384 734 — 45.47 | 1,049 933 —11.05 

Total, both islands. ...| 4,850 | 5,344 | +10.18 
AGES OF BULLS. 
The age at which a male fur seal is full grown and the old-age 
limit are very important problems which are as yet only partially 
solved. It is known definitely that the breeding age is not reached 
in six years. And if the size at this age is any indication of the 
period of adolescence, full growth may not be reached until about 
the tenth year. This remains to be determined in the future from 
branded animals. 
The maximum age is not certainly known, but has been estimated 
at from 15 to 20 years. The number of breeding years, however, is 
known positively to be as many as five, but not certainly any more. 
Probably the period is shorter when a large number of bulls makes 
incessant fighting a necessity than when they are few and lead a 
comparatively quiet existence. 
The minimum breeding limit of five years has been assumed in 
1918 on account of new information which has been obtained.  Ac- 
cordingly, 20 per cent has been deducted for annual old-age loss to 
the classes of bulls. 
YEARLINGS. 
Permission was asked for and granted on August 7 for the killin 
of 10 yearling males in order to € able to add to the meager stoc 
of knowledge of this class. Owing to their rarity on the hauling 
grounds at that time of year, great difficulty was encountered in 
