SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 105 
Zapadnie: 
Dials 2hseiscas a2 aaceeise crempiole aomele sh iosiaemise tee ces oo bees kiss bee dereeiects 2, 266 
Siege ee eee ae eI eC a ye Dike UM wh as 2, 690 
Lukannon: 
TIN B ooclses soba doce stoe d55n chad nash dees steeds sssnooscse sb6cabesbeacas 1,011 
RRL a Lie eaten me erat ce settee <inlc samelemciicdial ek Clete oe Skt abe slciale rdetces 1, 217 
Again, the proportion of seals rejected from the killing grounds 
increases gradually as the season advances. As shown by the table at 
the first killing I observed that 50 per cent of the seals driven up were 
rejected. This was on June 26. On August 1, the last killing of the 
season, the per cent rejected was 79.2 of the whole number driven up. 
The increase in the proportion of rejected seals is reasonably regular. 
That there should be such a proportional increase is of course to be 
expected, but it appears to be a fact that the relative proportion of 
killable seals decreases as the season advances, whether a hauling 
ground has been swept over previously or not. Thus, 50 per cent of 
the seals were rejected from the first drive from Polavina on June 26, 
and 64 per cent from the first drive from Lukannon on July 3, Simi. 
larly, we find that 73 per cent were rejected from a third drive from 
Northeast Point on July 22, while 76.5 per cent were rejected from a 
second drive from Lukannon, which took place five days later. 
Another matter to receive attention before a general estimate is 
made relates to the length of the period during which the bachelors 
are arriving at the island. My own observations are of no value in 
this connection, because, as the foregoing table shows, the two largest 
hauling grounds at least were full before I arrived. It is necessary, 
therefore, to refer to the statement of other observers on this point. 
Bryant, referring to the year 1869, states that “‘by the middle of June 
all the males, except the great body of the yearlings, have arrived.” 
GNA. Pinnipeds, p. 384.) The American Bering Sea commissioners, 
quoting various observers, state that they “begin - to arrive in the vicin- 
ity of the islands soon after the bulls have taken up their positions upon 
the rookeries, but the greater number appear tuward the latter part of 
May.” (United States, No. 6, Bering Sea Arbitration, p. 120.) 
These statements are not so definite as could be desired, and I do not 
find any others that are more so; but from the foregoing table it appears 
probable that while the hauling grounds fill up early in June, bachelors 
continue to arrive in greater or less numbers until August. If this is 
not the case it is difficult to understand how so comparatively large 
numbers of killable seals can be found late in July. 
Whether the seals return to the same hauling grounds as that from 
which they are driven is perhaps of no great moment, as the net result 
appears to be the same whether they do or do not. 
Taking the six weeks in the foregoing table as the period during 
which the hauling grounds are full, we can arrive at a conclusion 
regarding the number of bachelors in the following way: 
The number killed between June 20 and August 1, as shown by the 
official count, is 11,045. Earlier in the year 353 were killed, making a 
total of 11 398. To this amount is to be added the number rejected 
from the first drives from each of the several hauling grounds, viz: 
MUPUCHOAS INE OUNG aye ee ein ee Wes Be es i eel Ay BO A Si 1, 603 
sh BN AYENS RACE EN Pg es gh ct RN SEO i A oT AY ta par Ne AT en 1, 487 
tea ewan b GIN beeen oe = eee e Oe Se Sie Leder ee Lemay May) 2 SEC oe ree eone ents bt 575 
LSTA BES AAS S SERS SMe AM GAA pe, RIE eA ec ean a Ey AA Ste tA cal eo a 1, 126 
COPTIC TT Sy fies al APP Ay hy et Bey Lt a a og 1, 405 
Pec ATITOT. Seen eee eee As Ame ASE YS Be Al A eRe EH CL oe Ue ed Re AAT 647 

