FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY. 87 
adversely. A very few were entirely without hair or fur, but the affection in general 
was noted only as small round spots. Some of the older seals appeared to have been 
clipped irregularly all over the body. 
The number of pups which met death as a direct result of the count is shown as 
follows: be 
Location AND NUMBER OF Pups Wuicu Diep As Drrect REsutt or Count IN 1915. 
Rookery. mpmnber Cause. 
IGN OVbe stoeterscmisict: stots Solace eaters sie Sion o ce toe ae nis oonsclowisinnaccere 1 | Drowning. 
WOSLOG DINE E See are cadets ccascciwinie smaralace ctieeseeaeoeeee ete 1 | Trampling by bull. 
olowminale se ae emeet cc ania s secieniec aca sak neine con bee icmncmeras 5 | Smothering. 
SU OISCOUB eet ate cee ek etic cincsic cae tua coos oanclatibae tee aac uee 4 Do. 
DN OR DHE Apree eter ae eas Bed nec Cian tins gt er Don es eeeton 5 Do. 
HAPAGNA (Sis GEOLLO) xe seo ae iahins soles ciao oe ieee ccna acne 1 Do. 
Totaly. Jajaatale ate oe neler ig leietee sae = see eledcine oe is dade 17 
On sunny days, when the pups are driven out in a long, thin line to be counted, 
they try to pile up, and if they are not quickly separated the lower ones of the pile 
are sure to be smothered. There is one certain way to prevent casualties when this 
piling up occurs, which is to go into the pile of pups and scatter them in every direc- 
tion. One need have no fear of injury from their bites if he wears boots, and no injury 
will result to the pups by being trampled upon. In 1915 almost the entire count was 
made in hot, sunny weather, and it speaks well for the faithfulness and attention of 
the native attendants that so few pups were killed. 
Breeding cows.—The female gives birth to her first young when three years of age. 
The evidence goes to show that the period of gestation is a few days short of a year, 
and the 3-year-old cows are the last of the class to arrive on the rookeries, with the 
exception of the nubiles. Although they were carefully looked for earlier, the first 
branded 3-year-old cows were noted on July 17, on Kitovi rookery. After this they 
were seen on practically all rookeries during the remainder of ‘the season. 
The arrival of the cows on the rookeries is not an occasion for a general battle among 
the bulls. Fights over cows occur after the young are born and the cows come in 
heat. Many of the cows are then injured in the shoulders and flanks by the bulls, 
and most of the mortality among the cows on land results from such injuries. The 
total number of deaths of cows on land at present, however, is so.small as to be almost 
negligible. The total number of dead cows found in 1915 was 39. 
After her arrival at the rookeries, if the cow does not give birth to her pup.immedi- 
ately, some time is spent swimming up and down in front of the rookery. She will 
then come out very cautiously, always endeavoring to escape to the water when a 
bull tries to intercept her. And once she is intercepted she spends considerable time 
trying to escape from one bull to another. Very seldom does a bull go into the water 
afteracow. As the water-line tier of bulls of a rookery intercepts the cows the rookery 
fills up by those escaping to the rear. This is exactly contrary to the manner in which 
the rookeries fill with bulls. They go around the ends of the water-line row of estab- 
lished bulls. 
The number of pups born shows that there were 103,527 breeding cows in 1915. 
Excellent data regarding the unknown loss at sea during the first three years may be 
obtained from these figures. It is now pretty well established that the average breed- 
ing period of cowsisabout 10 years. Several branded 13-year-old cows with pups were 
seen in 1915. The loss to the breeding cows each year should therefore be 10 per cent 
of the number present the previous summer. Ninety per cent of the breeding cows of 
1914 should therefore be represented in the figures 103,527. The remainder should 
represent the number of 3-year-old cows which came upon the rookeries in 1915. Ten 
