ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1930 



103 



season, it is felt that the number of surplus bulls on hand is not more 

 than required. The harem bulls which have been on duty from the 

 beginning of the season should not be considered as available for this 

 purpose. At best it is not desirable to depend on the harem bulls as 

 being virile at this late date. 



The surplus bulls, without a doubt, cause considerable trouble in 

 drives, especially during the first half of the season, but they must be 

 considered as a necessary evil. If the surplus bulls are on hand, the 

 older harem bulls will retire at the proper time; if the surplus bulls 

 are not on hand, the harem bulls will continue to attempt to take care 

 of virgins and late-arriving females long after they have become 

 exhausted through the long vigils of harem life. They are then not in 

 condition to move about as actively as the surplus bulls which are still 

 in good physical condition. 



During the breeding period, the cows all go on the rookeries to 

 have their pups, but the virgins are just as Ukely to haul out and be 

 bred on a hauling ground as on a rookery. Therefore it is necessary 

 for the bulls taking care of the virgins to continually move around over 

 a large area while the harem bull maintains vigil over a very small area. 



Number of harem and idle bulls, approximate ratio of idle bulls to harem bxills, and 



average harem, 1930 



Rookery 



St. 



Paul Island: 



Kitovi 



Lukanin. 



Gorbatch 



Ardiguen -._ 



Reef 



Siviitch (estimated)--. 

 Lagoon (actual count) . 



Tolstoi 



Zapadni 



Little Zapadni -. 



Zapadni Reef 



Polovina 



Polovina Cliffs 



Little Polovina 



Morjovi 



Vostochni 



Total. 



St. George Island: 



North 



Staraya Artil__ 



Zapadni 



South 



East Reef 



East Cliffs 



Total 



Total (both islands) . 



Date 



July 19 



...do 



July 16 



...do 



...do-... 



July 15 

 July 19 

 July 20 



...do 



...do—.. 

 July 17 



...do 



...do 



July 18 

 ...do 



July 21 

 ...do.. . 

 July 24 

 July 21 

 ...do .... 

 ...do 



Harem 

 bulls 



302 

 109 

 617 



77 

 1,127 

 390 

 2 

 729 

 581 

 359 



29 

 418 

 204 



96 



226 



1,557 



6,823 



478 

 354 

 144 

 86 

 134 

 293 



1,489 



8,312 



Idle 

 bulls 



56 

 33 



147 

 17 



264 



85 



1 



153 



131 

 78 

 7 

 93 

 61 

 27 

 59 



343 



1,555 



104 

 87 

 48 

 18 

 31 

 56 



344 



1,899 



Total 



358 



142 



764 



94 



1,391 

 475 

 3 

 882 

 712 

 437 

 36 

 511 

 265 

 123 

 285 



1,900 



8,378 



582 

 441 

 192 

 104 

 165 

 349 



1,833 



10,211 



Approxi- 

 mate 

 ratio of 

 idle bulls 

 to harem 

 bulls 



1:5 

 1:3 

 1:4 

 1:5 

 1:4 

 1:5 

 1:2 

 1:5 

 1:4 

 1:5 

 1:4 

 1:4 

 1:3 

 1:4 

 1:4 

 1:5 



1:5 

 1:4 

 1:3 

 1:5 

 1:4 

 1:5 



Average 

 harem 



36.37 

 48.72 

 45.20 

 34.26 

 49.71 

 43.95 

 56.50 

 45.24 

 54.55 

 45.00 

 19.34 

 27.25 

 30.57 

 23.65 

 18.06 

 29.19 



39.70 



46.24 

 47.04 

 16.32 

 6.41 

 37.80 

 49.35 



41.09 



39.95 



AVERAGE HABEM 



The estimated average harem for St. Paul Island (39.70) shows a 

 decrease of 2.12; for St. George Island (41.09) a decrease of 6.55; and 

 for the two islands (39.95) a decrease of 2.83, as compared with the 

 averages for the preceding year. This very satisfactory decrease for 



