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ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



above. Thus it can not be superfluous to call up this question, so that it shall he 

 lirominent in discussion and suggestion for future thought. 



NEED OF CAREFUL YEARLY EXAMINATIOX. 



In the meantime the movements of the seals upon the great breeding rookeries of 

 St. Paul and those of St. George should be faithfully noted and recorded every year, 

 and as time goes on this record will place the topic of their increase or diminution 

 beyond all theory or cavil. 



Since writing and publishing the above I have learned that the Rus- 

 sian seal islands have been steadily increasing their rookery areas from 

 1870 up to 1879-80 ; and, since that time, the yield of the hauling grounds 

 over there was trebled in 1889 over the catch of 1876. Wliether or not 

 these Slavonian rookeries will stand this driving so as to annually get 

 62,000 young males hereafter, as was done last year (1889), or fail to do 

 so in a few years to come, I can at this distance only conjecture. But, 

 our seals have not gone over there; they have been destroyed in plain view 

 on this side! 



The following salient points of change can be clearly stated, in so far 

 as the Pribilov rookeries exist this season of 1890, and contrasted with 

 their condition of 1872 : 



status of 1872. 



(1) On the rookery ground the bulls 

 were all by June 1, — and 



(2) Located on this ground then no 

 farther than 6 to 10 feet apart. 



(3) They were very vigorous, very ac- 

 tive, incessantly fighting with one an- 

 other. 



(4) Thousands upon tons of thousands 

 of half bulls, or polseacatchie, which were 

 then trying to land upon the breeding 

 belt of sea margin, provoking and sus- 

 taining a constant fight and turmoil, but 

 being almost invariably whipped off by 

 the old bulls. 



(5) Cows began to arrive on the breed- 

 ing grounds by June 4 to 6, and all arrived 

 in good form by July 10. 



(6) They were located on the breeding 

 ground in compact solid masses, uni- 

 formly distributed over a given area of 

 ground, no matter how large or how 

 small. 



(7) A general average of 15 cows to 1 

 bull was the best understanding. Once 

 in awhile, a peculiar configuration of the 

 breeding ground enabled 1 i)ull the chance 

 to pen up 35 or 45 cows, but it was seldom 

 witnessed, as a rule. 



(8) Cows all promptly and efficiently 

 served when in heat. Never witnessed a 

 failure. 



Status of 1890. 



(1) On the rookery ground the bulls 

 were all by June 1, — and 



(2) Located on this ground from 15 to 

 150 feet apart. 



(3) They are inert and somnolent. I 

 have not seen a single fight between the 

 bulls yet. 



(4) Not a single half bull, or polsea- 

 catchie, attempting to land aud serve the 

 cows. Not a single one have I been able 

 to observe. In fact, there are none left. 

 Those that exist now have been ruined as 

 breeders, from the efl^ects of overdriving 

 several thousand of these broken-spirited 

 bulls, old aud young, are now loafing on 

 the outskirts of these rookeries and haul- 

 ing out with the small holluscbickie ou 

 the sand and rock margins. 



(5) Cows began to arrive on the breed- 

 ing gounds by June 4 to 6. All arrived, 

 as a rule, by July 10. 



(6) They are located on the breeding 

 grounds in scattered harems, solidly here, 

 — there one or two harems, then a dozen or 

 so families scattered over twice and thrice 

 as much ground as they should occupy if 

 massed as in 1872-1874. The scanty sup- 

 ply of, the wide stations and feebleness of 

 the bulls is undoubtedly the reason for 

 this striking change in their distribution 

 as they ordered it in 1872-1874. 



(7) A general average of 45 or 50 cows 

 to 1 ball is the best estimate that can be 

 made to-day. There are so many harems 

 of 60 and 75 cows in charge of 1 bull to 

 each, and frequently single harems of 100 

 to 120 cows, that "it makes the general 

 average of 45 or 50 very conservative. 



(8) Many of the cows not served even 

 when persistently solicitous early in the 

 season. Vigorous, willing service seems 

 to be the exception, not the rule. Bulls 

 not one-tenth as numerous as in 1872, and 

 only one-third of the cows here as a rule, 

 and no new young male blood mature and 

 virile enough to take its station on these 

 rookeries. 



