162 MIGRATION OF THE HERD. 



their island home they proceed southward through the Aleutian passes, 

 the majority going through or to the eastward of the pass of longitude 

 172°. The cause of their departure is doubtless the approach of cold 

 weather and the lack of sufficient food. 



Providing the conditions were the same on the islands the year round 

 as they are in the summer, and providing the food supply was sufficient 

 in the immediate vicinity of the islands, I think the seals would remain 

 on or about the islands during the entire year. The seals evidently 

 consider these islands their home and only leave them by reason of lack 

 of food and inclement weather. Some seals remain about the islands 

 until the first of January, and the winters of 1874 and 1875 being excep- 

 tionally mild, seals remained on or in the vicinity of the islands during 

 the whole year. 



The seals leave the rookeries in March when ice begins to form around 

 the islands and the snow commences to fall. The 

 5961 ;i»LS u ' *' T <™ (lel F ^^o and Patagonian seals, however, 

 never leave the rookeries or the waters in the vi- 

 cinity, only going out into the inland waters in search of food. About 

 Terra del Fuego no ice forms and no snow falls that remains. The tem- 

 perature remains about the same summer and winter. 1 think if ice 

 formed there and there was much change in the temperature the seals 

 would migrate northward to warmer waters. 



The seals inhabiting these shores do not migrate, but always remain 

 on or near the land, only going a short distance 

 Geo. Comer, p. 597 in search of food, and at all seasons and in every 

 {Antarctic). month of the year seals can be found on shore. 



I am of the opinion that, provided the weather remained the same 



the year round as it is in the summer, that the 



Sam' I Falconer, p. 165. seal herd would stay in the vicinity of the Pribi- 



lof Islands during the entire year, for the seal 



evidently considers these islands its sole home. The cause of leaving 



is, as 1 believe, the approach of cold weather, with snow and ice, and 



perhaps a lack of food supply. 



Cold stormy weather, with sudden heavy frost, will drive them off 



sooner, so that the islands will be deserted by 



Jno. Fratis, p. 108. ] )cccmber 15, while warm weather will keep plenty 



of bachelors here until late in January, when I 



have known them to be driven and killed for food. 



I think the duration of the winter season has a direct bearing on the 



northward migration of the fur-seal species, as I 



Norman Hodi/son, p. 366. have observed that they move that way earlier 



after an open winter than an unusually severe 



one. 



Q. Judging by the direction that seals were traveling during your 

 experience, where do you suppose was their des- 



Andrew J. Hoffman,p. tination?— A. I couldn't say as to that; I know 

 they traveled southward to a more milder cli- 

 mate. 



