32 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 
hauled back to the customary limits. For the first time during my 
observations of this ground no young were born on the hill above 
Station 12. Photograph 26 is useless for comparison, the breeding seals 
being altogether in the dim background to the left. The eastern two- 
thirds of Lukannon rookery was counted on July 12; it contained 1,840 
females. 
Ketavie rookery.a—Now thinner than ever before. It is broken apart 
in many places. All the young born this season were on the lower 
ledges, and there was no seasonal spreading back whatever. The 
ground is easily commanded, and a careful count was made. There 
were only 2,070 females between Station 12 and Ketavie Point. Photo- 
graph 13 shows a reduced tract, with bulls in the rear that were unable 
to form harems in 1895. The other photographs of Ketavie show a 
decrease. 
Reef rookery.—A comparison of the charts and photographs of this 
ground for the seasons of 1894 and 1895 will show in a measure the 
change for the worse that has taken place. Photograph 16 shows the 
recedence of seals on the hill slope toward the water’s edge. Photo- 
graph 17 shows a recedence toward the sea and a very distinct decrease. 
The great extent of this panorama is more graphically indicated on the 
chart (east of Station 17). No. 18 shows the recedence of the seal belt 
resulting from diminished numbers and the consequent isolation of old 
bulls on breeding ground no longer reached by females. No. 19 shows 
a recedence from the higher ground. No. 20 shows a reduction and a 
recedence toward the water. The photograph of the grass area on 
this rookery is especially interesting as proving the rapidity with which 
grass takes possession of ground which a few years back was teeming 
with seals. This area, devoid of grass in July, 18:2, was selected and 
marked at that time for annual observation. Being now well grass- 
grown, as the photograph proves, it is valuable as showing the rapidity 
with which grass grows on ground recently vacated by seals, a fact 
denied at some length by the British Bering Sea commissioners (see 
British Counter Case, Fur Seal Arbitration, Ex. Doc. 177, part 8, p. 
504). Not only has the area marked by cairns become grass-grown, 
but the entire tract between the rookeries is now a continuous meadow 
covered with weeds and flowers. 
Lagoon rookery.—Here there has been a perceptible shrinkage at the 
ends. The photograph shows how the west end is breaking apart into 
small harems. This long and thin rookery may be expected to illus- 
trate next season the damage that will surely result from the past 
season’s loss of females and young. When counted on July 11, the 
whole area contained 1,268 female seals. 
Tolstoi rookery.—Vhis rookery has diminished very perceptibly. Pho- 
tograph F shows that the seals no longer ascend the hill and surround 
the large bowlder on the extreme left, while photograph 11 shows a 
thinning out in the foreground and a recedence from the left end. 
Allowance should be made for a change in the shape of the bay itself, 
a hundred feet or more of sand having filled in the bight at the left end 
of the rookery. A pencil line on photograph 11 shows the true bear- 
ing of the camera. The number of female seals along the narrow beach 
from the dotted line toward the point at the right (see photograph LL) 
was 1,520 on July 11, 1895. 
Lower Zapadnie-—Photograph 7 is too dim for comparison. Pho- 
tograph 7*, although made at long range, indicates a decrease. In 
photograph 8, the camera having been wrongly placed, comparison 
with the preceding year is unfavorable, but diminished numbers are 
indicated. Lower Zapadnie is greatly reduced since 1894. 
