Cinirtcnii of doiiiiitodorc (I. R. Salisbury 

 Tlic Biological Survey of the United States Department of Agriculture sent an expedition on the 

 revenue cutter "Thetis" to the leeward group of the Hawaiian Islands in 1912-13. One point of spe- 

 cial interest lay in observation of the "Laysan seal," the real habitat and breeding grounds of which 

 have always been a mystery since the finding of the first specimen on Laysan Island in 1905. Al- 

 though strict watch was kept at all times for the rare Hawaiian seal, the expedition of 1912-13 saw 

 only one specimen in the waters or on the beaches of Laysan during a three months' stay. This was 

 a fine male, of which both skin and skeleton vs^ere saved for the United States National Museum. On 

 Lisiansky Island, northwest of Laysan, two specimens were seen; but it was on Pearl and Hermes 

 reefs, still farther north and never before visited by scientists, that the main rookery was found. The 

 seals were so tame tliat they allowed approach to within a few feet. When approached too closely, 

 however, they took to the water, althougli the old females sliowed a disposition to fight in prote<'tioii of 

 the young 



iirtinji i)j Oiii'cniiir a. 1{. Freer 

 treacherous Pearl and Hermes reefs — so namsd 



At the main breeding colony of these seals, on tl _ _ 



from ships wrecked there-we saw about sixty specimens altogether, including twentv females with 

 pups, but the expedition was able to give only one day to investigation. There is urgent, need for fur- 

 ther study of the species, as the small number of seals in the rookery seems to indicate that they are 

 rapidly becoming extinct 



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