FEEDING EXCURSIONS. 151 



In different years the feeding- grounds or the location where the 

 greater number of seals are taken by poachers seem to differ; in other 

 words, the seals frequently change feeding grounds. For instance, in 

 1887, the greatest number of seals were taken by poachers between 

 Unainak, Akatan Passes, and the seal islands, and to the southwest- 

 ward of St. George Island. In 1889, the catching was largely done to 

 the southward and eastward, in many cases from 50 to 150 miles dis- 

 tant from the seal islands. In the season of L890, to the southward 

 and southward and westward; also to northwest and northeast of the 

 islands, showing that the seals have been scattered. The season of 

 1801, the greatest number were taken to northward or westward of St. 

 Paul, and at various distances from 25 to 150 miles away. 



I have seen seals iu the waters of Bering Sea distant 100 miles or 

 more from the islands at various times between the 

 first of July and October. These seals were doubt- w. H. Ball, p. 23. 

 less in search of food, which consists, according 

 to my observations, offish, squid, crustaceans, and even mollusks. 



Most of the seals taken in Bering Sea are females. Have taken them 

 70 miles from the islands that were full of milk. George Dishoto, p. 323. 



We entered the Bering Sea about the latter part of April, and got 

 over 800 seals in there, most of them being fe- 

 males in milk, and we killed them from 20 to 100 Richard Dolan, p .419. 

 miles off the seal islands. I saw the milk running 



on the deck when we were skinning them; that was the only way I 

 could tell they were females. 



I also found that females after giviug birth to their young at the rook- 

 eries seek the codfish banks at various points at 



a distance of from 40 to 125 miles from the islands Jas. M. Douglas, p. 420. 

 for food, and are frequently absent one or more 

 days at a time, when they return to find their young. 



We entered the Bering Sea May 25th and we got 703 seals in there, 

 the greater quantity of which were females with 

 their breasts full of milk, a fact which I know by Geo. Fair child, p. 423. 

 reason of having seen the milk flow on the deck 

 when they were being skinned. 



We caught them from 10 to 50 miles off the seal islands. 



After the fertilization she is allowed to go to and from the water 

 at will, in search of food, which she must obtain 



so she can nurse her pup. She goes on these Sam'l. Falconer, p. 165. 

 feeding excursions sometimes, I believe, 40 or more 

 miles from the islands, and, as she swims with great rapidity, covers 

 the distance in a short time. She may go much farther, for I have 

 known a cow to be absent from her pup for two days, leaving it with- 

 out nourishment for this period. This shows how tenacious of life a 

 young seal is and how long it can live without sustenance of any sort. 



After the pup is a few days old the cow goes into the sea to feed and 

 at first she will only stay away for a few hours, 

 but as the pup grows stronger she will stay away Jno. Fratis,p. 108. 

 more and more until she will sometimes be away 

 for a week. 



