148 THE COWS. 



And the killing of females shortly after the delivery of their young 

 can not but have the effect of causing the death 

 C. A. Williams, p. 538. of their offspring through lack of nourishment. 



FEEDING. 



Page 115 of The Case. 

 (See " Feeding Excursions.") 



FOOD. 

 Page 116 of The Case. 



[See " Feeding Excursions."] 



I have noticed that the stomachs of the majority of seals captured, 



provided they were young females or immature 



A. B. Alexander, p. 355. males, were empty, while the stomachs of the 



old bulls were well filled as though preparing 



themselves for the demand of the breeding grounds. Their diet was 



made up of salmon, red rock fish, and squid. 



William Br enn an, p. 359. They five on fish and seawood. 



I am satisfied the principal food of the fur-seal is fish. During the 

 summer fish are practically unknown about the 

 Cha8. Bryant,p. 6. islands, but they abound in great quantities in all 

 parts of Bering Sea, 30 to 40 miles from the isl- 

 ands. This fact came to my knowledge during my eighteen years' 

 whaling experience in that locality. 



The principal food of the fur seal is fish, which abound in all parts 



of Bering Sea, except in the neighborhood of the 



Sam'l Falconer, p. 166. Pribilof Islands during the season the seals are 



on land. I have seen a fish in the mouth of a seal 



in the water, and have also seen fish in their stomachs when cut open. 



It is my belief they eat some kelp also. 



Of the female fur-seal stomach I know nothing, as they are not 



allowed to be killed on the islands, but I think it would be safe to say 



remnants of a fish and kelp diet would frequently 



W. S. Hereford, p. 35. be found, as that is their natural food, and they do 



considerable traveling backwards and forwards 



from the fishing banks while nursing their young after having received 



the attention of the bulls. 



I examined the stomachs of the fur-seals taken in Bering Sea during 



the month of July, 1887, and found the greater 



Jas. E. Lennan, p. 370. number to contain Alaska mackerel. This goes 



to show clearly that at that season of the year 



this fish constitutes an important item in the diet of the fur-seal. 



Nursing fur-seal cows were found in July as far as 100 miles to the 



southward of the Pribilof Islands in Bering Sea, feeding on mackerel 



as above. 



