252 ARGUMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 



later they also begin to leave the islands in search of food and migrate 

 to their winter habitat. The young males and the young females come 

 ashore later titan the breeding neals, and at more irregular dates, and 

 haul out by themselves. Lastly, the pups of the year born in June 

 and July commence to pod, or herd together, away from their mothers, 

 towards the middle or end of August, ami after that frequent the 

 beaches in great numbers and bathe and swim in the surf. They 

 remain on the islands until October, and even November, being among 

 the last to leave (Keport of the British Commissioners, Sec. 30). 



TheUnited States Commissioners maketho following statement, which 

 is corroborated by abundant evidence. The bulls are the male seals 

 from five or six to twenty years of age, and weigh from four hundred to 

 seven hundred pounds. They arrive on the breeding ground in the lat- 

 ter part of April or the first few days of May, but the time is, to a cer- 

 tain extent, dependent upon the going out of the ice about the island. 

 (Case of the United States, p. 108.) Toward the latter part of May or 

 first of June, the cows begin to appear in the waters adjacent to the 

 island and immediately land upon the breeding ground. The great 

 majority, however, do not haul up until the latter part of June, and 

 the arrivals continue uutil the middle of July. 



Some of the bulls at this time (about the first of August) begin to 

 leave the islands, and continue going until the early part of October. 

 [Case of United States, p. 112, citing witnesses as to this point,] 



The bachelor seals, or nonbreeding males, ranging in age from 1 

 to 5 or 6 years, begin t<> arrive in the vicinity of the islands soon 

 after the bulls have taken up their positions upon the rookeries, but 

 the greater number appear toward the latter part of May. They en- 

 deavor to land upon the breeding grounds, but are driven off by the 

 bulls and compelled to seek the hauling grounds. 



As to the departure of the seals from their home on the Pribilof 

 Islands, there does not seem to be any question that the statement in 

 the United States Commissioners' Eeport is correct. 



The length of time that a pup is dependent upon its mother, as here- 

 tofore stated, compels her to remain upon the island until the middle 

 of November, when the cold and stormy weather induces her to start, 

 her pup being then able to support itself (pp. 119, 120). 



The bachelor seals generally leave at the same time as the cows and 

 pups leave the island, though a few bachelors always are found after 

 that period (p. 122 of the case of United States). 



The Alaskan herd has had but one breeding place, which is the 

 Pribilof Islands. While there is no express contradiction as to this 



