ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL, INDUSTRIES, 1922. 93 



General comparison of recent censuses of the seal herd, etc. — Continued. 



Classes. 



1918 



1919 



1920 



1921 



Harem bulls 



Breeding cows.. 

 Surplus bulls.... 



Idle bulls , 



6-.vear-old males 

 5-year-oId males 

 4-year-old males 

 3-year-old males 

 2-year-old males 

 Yearling: males. 

 2-year-old cows. , 

 Yearling cows. . 

 Pups 



Total 



4,850 



128,024 



8,977 



2,706 



15,397 



14, 813 



16,631 



19, 507 



26, 815 



38,013 



26,917 



38, 018 



128, 024 



6,344 

 142,915 

 17,110 



2,444 

 13, 755 

 11,941 



7,114 



9,117 

 30, 159 

 41,595 

 30,415 

 41,608 

 142, 915 



5, 158 



157, 172 



9,619 



2,239 



8,991 



5, 282 



5,747 



13, 596 



33, 081 



46,414 



33, 287 



46,447 



157, 172 



4,066 



167, 527 



6,115 



1,161 



4, 153 



5,007 



5, 667 



10, 749 



39,111 



51,074 



39, 480 



51,081 



167,527 



3,909 



176, 655 



3,301 



747 



3,991 



4, 729 



6, 7S0 



14, 068 



41, N93 



50, 249 



43, 419 



54, 447 



176,655 



468, 692 



496, 432 



524,235 



552, 718 



581,443 



3,562 



185,914 



2,346 



508 



3,771 



6,080 



11, 807 



7,459 



40,920 



52, 988 



46, 280 



57,413 



185, 914 



604, 962 



CHARTING OF HAREM AREAS. 



In connection with the census the harem areas were platted on the 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey charts of the rookeries. This was done 

 at the time the harem counts were made, which was at the height 

 of the breeding season. A comparison of the extent of these areas 

 with that of tlie corresponding areas platted in 1916 shows no great 

 change in size. It is not the total number of seals on the breeding 

 grounds that determines the area occupied but the positions taken 

 up by the harem bulls at the beginning of the breeding season. 

 The number of harem bulls 1922 was practically the same as in 1916, 

 and it is entirely consistent that the breeding areas should be about 

 the same in the two years regardless of the fact that the number 

 of breeding cows increased from 116,977 in 1916 to 185,914 in 1922. 

 The increased number of cows simply increased the number of 

 breeding animals i^er unit of breeding area. 



PHOTOGRAPHS OF SEAL ROOKERIES. 



The stations used in taking photographs in 1917 were reoccupied 

 and a comparable set of views was obtained. Unfavorable landing 

 conditions made necessary the omission of Sea Lion Rock (Sivutch 

 rookery) from the series in 1922. Although satisfactory views as 

 a whole were obtained, the maximum results were not possible be- 

 cause of rain and fog just at the time when the photographs had to 

 be taken if the views were to be comj^arable with previous ones. 



To serve as an index to the location and direction from which 

 these photographs were taken these data were platted on photo- 

 graphic reductions of the rookery charts. No chart is available for 

 South Rookery on St. George, as it has originated since the series 

 of charts was made. 



It is expected that from the counting towers already erected for 

 the census work and from additional ones to be erected a compre- 

 hensive series of panoramic views of the herd may be secured, which 

 will better serve the purpose of photographic records of these rook- 

 eries. 



SPECIMEN SEALS. 



In 1922 from among seals found dead 16 were selected and i^re- 

 served as specimens, including 2 bulls, 2 five-year-old males, 2 three- 



