ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1923 



137 



Three were seen in 1923. These are at least 21 years old and have 

 borne 19 pups. During the harem count no dead cows were seen. 

 Earlier in the season a dead cow was found on Zapadni rookery on 

 St. Paul Island. 



From the complete census of 1916 and that of 1922 it is noted that 

 the aA^erage annual increase of bearing cows has been 8 per cent. It 

 is interesting to note that the average between the maximum and 

 minimum predictions of Osgood, Preble, and Parker, made in 1914, 

 was an annual increase of 8 per cent for the cows. (Bureau Fisheries 

 Document No. 820, p. 81.) 



HAREM AND IDLE BULLS 



In 1923 the harem and idle bulls were counted on all rookeries with 

 the exception of Sivutch rookery on Sea Lion Kock. The pres- 

 ence of bulls 7 and 8 years of age in charge of harems was plainly 

 evident this year, and the greater number of the idle bulls were under 

 9 years of age. In one case the harem bull was very little larger 

 than one of his cows. He was probably only 6 years old but was 

 seen to attempt copulation. Although young bulls secured harems, 

 there were found on the hauling grounds older bulls of over 9 j^ears 

 of age. Many were covered with wounds or otherwise injured, but 

 a few appeared in good physical condition. There were seen 8 adult 

 bulls with either the foreflippers or the hind flippers paralyzed. 



On St. Paul Island 3,051 harem bulls were counted and on St. 

 George Island 361, a total of 3,412, which is a decrease of 150 from 

 1922. The idle bulls on St. Paul Island were 303 in number and on 

 St. George Island 9, a total of 312, which is a decrease of 196 from 

 1922. The percentage of idle to harem bulls decreased from 14.26 

 in 1922 to 9.14 in 1923 for both islands. Only two dead bulls were 

 seen during the harem count. Three of the animals branded as pups 

 in 1912 were observed in charge of harems. 



Harem and idle bulls and percentage of idle bulls to harem bulls compared to 

 average harem, Pribilof Islands, 1923 



Rookery 



Date 



Harem 

 bulls 



Idle 

 bulls 



Total 

 bulls 



Per cent 

 idle to 

 harem 

 bulls 



Averag 

 harem 



St. Paul Island: 



KitovL. 



Lukanin 



Gor batch 



Ardiguen 



Reef - 



Sivutch 



Lagoon.. 



Tolstoi 



Zapadni 



Little Zapadni.. 

 Zapadni Reef.... 



Polovina 



Polovina Cliffs.. 

 Little Polovina. 



Morjovi 



Vostochni 



July 16 



...do 



...do 



...do 



...do 



...do 



...do 



...do 



July 17 



...do 



...do 



July 18 



...do 



...do 



July 19 

 ...do 



Total. 



127 



85 



209 



23 



400 



159 



7 



302 



294 



155 



10 



181 



111 



52 



95 



841 



3,051 



28 

 15 

 10 



1 

 69 

 31 

 11 



4 

 51 



303 



140 



87 



217 



26 



441 



175 



7 



330 



309 



165 



11 



250 



142 



63 



99 



892 



3,354 



10.24 

 2.35 

 3.83 

 13.04 

 10.25 

 10.06 



9.27 



5.10 



6.45 



10.00 



38.12 



27.93 



2L15 



4.21 



6.06 



9.93 



41.32 

 40.68 

 69.84 

 45.59 

 66.27 

 54.11 

 37.54 

 59.80 

 57.99 

 57.72 

 3L59 

 55.78 

 42.62 

 39.02 

 41.80 

 52.84 



56.51 



