SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 103 
On St. George, by the same method, we find the following: 









Number 
Rookery. Area. apieowe: 
Sq. feet. 
AR PAMTINGS <ioe a atelsiaia a=ia ae elnilele (mera meme (=la'=nin/= vinlm als\ sie e[e(=/<in's\< =[e)0\= =(n/==(mwisle(= im [em eie(=ininim=im ini 128, 171 2, 786 
BAT Area eed oaoocoagiou GoU On aCU DESC AU DOR COMES EE abc OUGE COCR COn Coo se Sancesee 64, 329 1, 398 
INGA aos Sab pbesoonss SCRE CODE OOS RE aor CHa e So CROCOO SSE Cee epe OR MerSmecroSaTeamoe 128, 868 2, 800 
LUT HE DENSE sitios bea pose sb aSdo nS sacase Cano ob SoS TbO EeBEaEOecoocunobeHonocosodese 24, 254 527 
JUD Sip - Soe oshococeecs cs Sp tht SoSnSHbOS 2596 danooononESbpeto Ssrbsypoobogosseiscddosade 67, 884 1, 476 
BBG mere Unease acme a Dd Wire: 308 veda en cel sg ee RR 8, 987 
The total for the two islands will be as follows: 
Cows. 
Sits TERE oe Sho Reel: Ae ee BBS Bee Cee ae REE Ser wee SEs Sele eros reas oe 61, 436 
SUG OORCeenmetactcmincins = cca ee ac, ceiceivics ecetey a= pale miele i eniisistled = ects steto ae Eels 8, 987 
ROG Aes iar See Asie rnfh a Pacer bis a eiesye Sims Se inte ola ey Slaemretaeehesomies eats 70, 423 
The number of breeding bulls, providing one for every 16 cows, as 
already determined, will be as follows: 

Bulls. 
Sue Neem ela I Se Som SS ERS Ln DS. ssh a erle Leen ene a min onehoare 3, 839 
"Shy (SECTS Se a mesa pee Gesee reas Toor eer Cees ose eeE mes 555 Ale S aie Ee 563 
Mite Were epee Stare Se Sk Syn rare penetra ee Aree, Jaa Slay etary sleyoe careayer ciae le 4, 402 
ESTIMATE OF BACHELORS. 
To count the bachelor seals on the hauling grounds is a much more 
difficult task than to count the breeding cows. The bachelors are much 
of the time in movement, going down to and returning from the water, 
fighting among themselves, etc. Furthermore, they lie pretty evenly 
distributed over the areas they occupy, rendering it extremely difficult 
to select a single point on which the eye can rest as the count proceeds. 
For these reasons a count of the bachelors is in most places practically 
impossible. But there are other difficulties as well. The bachelors at 
the water’s edge and back of the rookeries are scattered and frequently 
in situations in which they can not be well seen. On the large hauling 
grounds the “drives” cause the number to rise and fall. Where there 
are a thousand to-day there will be only a hundred to-morrow. Under 
certain conditions of weather these young males resort to the land in 
great numbers, while under other conditions they remain in the water. 
All these disturbances and changes cause any direct count to be of little 
value. 
The counting of the bachelors being deemed impracticable, it remains 
to consider whether an estimate of their number can be made. It is 
known by official count how many seals are killed during the season, 
and counts were also made by myself and by the assistant Treasury 
agent this year of the number rejected from the majority of the killings. 
There is great confusion in the ‘“ pods” or little bands of seals when 
the killers attack them, and the seals rejected when once started often 
move off rapidly. Hence the enumeration of the rejected seals can 
not invariably be made with entire accuracy. Still, as I learned by 
recounting, the error is only slight, and not sufficient to affect the 
general result. We have then an exact count of the number killed 
and an approximately accurate account of those rejected. Upon ascer- 
taining what relation the latter bears to the former we can determine 
