DEPARTURE FROM ISLANDS. 161 



sonal equation of the individual; but I am nevertheless of the opinion 

 that a conservative estimate would be that he could serve without dif- 

 ficulty at least one cow per day during- his stay upon the rookery. Pos- 

 sibly the best results would not be achieved thereby, but this capacity, 

 taken in connection with the fact that young males persistently seek 

 their opportunities upon the rookery margins and at the water's edge 

 during the entire season, leaves no doubt in my mind that no breeding 

 female leaves the island unimpregnated. 



Up to the 20th of July the breeding grounds present a compact, 

 orderly arrangement of harems; but, under the 

 combined influence of the completion of the serv- j. Stanley Brown, p. 16. 

 ing of the females and the wandering of the pups, 



disintegration begun at that date rapidly progresses. It is at this time 

 that the virgin cows of 2 years of age, or not older than 3, mingle more 

 freely with the females and probably enter the maternal ranks, for the 

 unsuccessful males and maturer bachelors, no longer deterred by the 

 old males, also freely wander over the breeding grounds. 



DEPARTURE FROM THE ISLANDS. 



Page 122 of The Case. 



And they (the bachelors) remain on or about the islands until the 

 inclemency of the weather compels them to leave, 

 which is usually late iu the fall or early winter, c. L. Fowler, p. 25. 

 Occasionally some remain till late in January. 



The bachelors, cows, and pups go in November, the older bachelors 

 leaving late in October and the pups in Novem- 

 ber. Sometimes in good, mild weather bachelors AntonMelovedojf,p. 114. 

 are found and killed for food late in January. 



MIGRATION OF THE HERD. 



CAUSES. 

 Page 123 of The Case. 



All the seals, when they leave the island, go off Kerrick Artomanoff, p. 

 south, but T think they would stay around here all 100. 

 winter if the weather was not so cold. 



The greater part of the seals that we find in the North Pacific Ocean 

 are born on the islands in Bering Sea. Most of 



them leave there in October and November. If 3 -J s VllUa " 1 Bre,uian > P- 

 the weather is mild they stay longer, but when 



the snow falls they leave the rookery and take to the water. Here they 

 swim around for some days, and if it grows milder and the snow melts 

 a great many will haul up again, but if the weather remains very cold 

 all leave and start for the south. 



The time they* leave the islands is generally the middle of November, 

 but the weather is the true mark of such depart- 

 ure, they seeming to be unwilling to stay after Chas. Bryant, p. 5. 

 the first snow or sleet conies. On departing from 



*Tlie pupa. 

 11 B S 



