106 



ALASKA FISHERIES AND PUR INDUSTRIES IN 1917. 



greater percentage of one-cow harems and the average would be cor- 

 respondingly reduced. But there is a minimum beyond which the 

 average can not go, because one cow per bull is impossible. 



Those males which are in position about the margms of the breeding 

 areas to receive cows but are without them are cdled idle bulls. In 

 past years when bulls were scarce many young bulls 4,5, and 6 years 

 old came about the areas and necessitated the enumeration of a sepa- 

 rate class, namely, the young bulls. But with the number of adult 

 males existing in 1917 the younger animals have no chance to hold a 

 position within reach of the cow masses, so that this class has been 

 done away with as an integral part of the height-of-the-scason harem 

 count. All bulls about the breeding grounds in position to receive 

 cows are either harem or idle bulls. 



It was very evident in 191 7 that even the adult males give up hope of 

 securing cows if they can not get within a certain distance of them at 

 the height of the breeding season. This distance seemed to be about 

 equal to three layers of idle bulls on most rookeries. Thus if a bull 

 comes to a rookery late and can not get within this distance he skirts 

 the rear a time or two and then hauls away. The large number of 

 idle bulls naturally provokes a great deal of fighting among them at 

 the rear of the rookeries. This abandonment of the rookery areas was 

 well illustrated in 1917 by the numbers of adult bulls hauled among 

 the bachelors at the height of the breeding season. And this condi- 

 tion necessitated the computation of an additional class in 1917, 

 known as surplus buUs. Their number must be estimated, not a 

 very satisfactory procedure, but no counts worthy of notice are 

 possible for a basis. As these animals haul with the bachelors they 

 are taken up with that class. 



The total number of harem buUs found in 1917 was 4,850, and idle 

 bulls 2,706, a total of 7,556, as shown in the following table: 



