CAUSE OF DEATH OF PUPS. 477 



1 was informed at the time [November, 1801] that the stomachs of 

 dead pups had been examined by the medical 



officers at the island and no traces of food were Jno.C.Cantwell,pA08. 

 found therein. From personal observation I am 



of the opinion that fully DO per cent of them died of starvation, great 

 emaciation being - apparent. 



The greatest number of seals taken by hunters in 1801 was to the 

 westward and northwestward of St. Paul Island, 

 and the largest number of dead pups were found W. C. Couhon,pAio. 

 that year in rookeries situated on the western 



side of the island. This fact alone goes a great way, in my opinion, to 

 confirm the theory that the loss of the mothers was the cause of mor- 

 tality among the young. 



A good many pups are killed at this period of life [before learning to 

 swim] by being dashed against the rocks by the 



surf, which is particularly violent about these Sam'l Falconer, p. 165. 

 islands. 



I have never known of any sickness or epidemic among the seals, 

 and I am of the opinion that the thousands of 

 dead pups on the rookeries last year died of starva- c. L. Fowler, p. 25. 

 tion on account of their mothers being shot and 

 killed while feeding at the fishing banks in the sea. 



I was present last year and saw some of the dead pups examined. 

 Their stomachs were empty, and they presented all the appearances of 

 starvation. I also noticed on the rookeries a great many emaciated 

 pups, which, on a later visit, would be dead. It has always been the 

 practice prior to 1801 for the natives to kill three to four thousand pups 

 in November for food, and we always find their stomachs filled with 

 milk. 



When Mr. Webster had charge of the killing at Northeast Point, 

 where he used to kill from 25,000 to 35,000 seals 

 in a season, I generally did the cooking there, John Fr a tis, p. 107. 

 and I cooked seal meat every day, and we all ate 



if, and our people live on seal meat, yet I never saw a sick or a 

 diseased seal or a carcass that was unfit for food. 



It is my opinion that the cows are killed by the hunters when they go 

 out in the sea to feed, and the pups are left to die T 1 ,,.. .. 1AQ 

 and do die on the island. 



But that year [1884] I examined them, and found them very much 

 emaciated. In my judgment they were starved to 

 death because their mothers had been killed while h. a. Glidden, p. 110. 

 away from the islands in search of food. This, 



perhaps, would not be so if a cow would suckle any pup that comes to 

 her, but she will not, and on the contrary will beat off any young seal 

 which endeavors to nurse from her except her own. I know a cow rec- 

 ognizes her pup, but a pup never seems to distinguish its mother from 

 other cows which it comes in contact with. 



They were thin and poor, and appeared to have Alex Hans son, p. 116. 

 starved to death. 



