178 MIGRATION OF THE HERD. 



of cold weather, going a little earlier than in the preceding year, make 

 the same round, and return to the islands as "two-year olds" in June 

 or July. Now the sexes separate, the females going - upon the breed- 

 ing grounds, where they are fertilized before the old male leaves the 

 island in August. * After coitus on shore the young 



female goes off to the feeding grounds or remains on or about the 

 beaches, disporting on the land or in the water, as her inclination may 

 lead her. The male of the same age goes upon the " hauling grounds" 

 back of or beside the rookeries, where lie remains the greater part of the 

 time, if unmolested, until nearly the date of his next migration. Here 

 he has only the native islander's club to fear, which, iu the best inter- 

 ests of commerce, should not be used on him until the following year. 



After the third migration the female returns to the breeding grounds 

 to be delivered of her first pup, and the male comes again to the haul- 

 ing grounds, but, as a whole, considerably earlier than he did when 2 

 years old. Here he remains pretty constantly, it" he escapes the club, 

 until the beginning of the rutting season, when his instincts lead him 

 to stay much of the time in the water adjacent to the breeding grounds 

 through which the females are passing from and to the rookeries, or 

 when allowed by the older non-breeders, to coquette with the females 

 upon the beach stones awash at the edge of the water. 



The fourth and fifth migrations are about the same as the third. The 

 female has already become a yearly producer of a single offspring, and 

 the nonproducing male is, in each of the fourth and fifth years respect- 

 ively, contributing a decreasing number of skins for market, and gain- 

 ing size and strength to enable him, when or 7 years old, to usurp 

 the authority and jurisdiction of some old male whose days of useful- 

 ness are numbered. This change is not effected without sanguinary 

 conflicts. 



Q. What time of the year do you generally start out sealing in the 

 Pacific? — A. I have varied always from the 11th 

 Alex. McLean, p. 430. of January until the 11th of February. 



(). When do you call the season's catch over? — 

 A. About the 11th of September; probably a month later. I usually 

 get back about the 11th of September. 



Q. What time of the year are the seals all out of the Pacific, having 

 gone to the Bering Sea? What months? — A. To my knowledge they 

 would go into the Bering Sea after the 20th of June. 



Q. What time of the year do you generally start out sealing in the 



Pacific, and up to what time do you continue? — 



Daniel McLean, p. 443. A. I start out about the 15th of December and 



stay out until about the 1st of October. 

 Q. What time of the year are the seals practically all out of the 

 Pacific, having gone to the Bering Sea? — A. About the loth of June. 

 Hot all, but the body of them. 



He states that fur-seal are rarely seen in Barclay Sound, and are 

 usually found off the coast at a distance of from 



John Margathe, p. 308. 5 to 15 miles. Tliey are found in clear water, and 

 never close the land. 



The seal first make their appearance in March 

 Frederick Mason, p. 284. off Prince of Wales Island, and leave about the 

 middle of Juue. 



