FUR SEALS AND OTHER LIFE, PRIBILOF ISLANDS, 1914. 1 69 



GORBATCH ROOKERY, ST. PAUL ISLAND. 



This rookery occupies nearly half a mile of shore on the northwestern side of Reef Peninsula. Its 

 extreme eastern harems are at the foot of abrupt clififs, its central ones are situated on broadly shelving 

 ledges, while those farther west occupy a bowlder beach. Being scarcely half a mile from the village, it 

 is easily accessible and high banks in several places afford excellent observ'ation stations. 



. On the occasion of the first critical examination of tliis rookerv' on June 23 it held about go old bulls, 

 26 of which had small harems aggregating about 60 cows. Many harems contained but one cow, and the 

 largest numbered only 10. About one-fourth of the cows had new-bom pups. The next day the cows 

 had increased to about 100 and at least 20 pups were seen. 



On June 25 100 old bulls were counted, 43 of which had harems containing in all 143 cows. The 

 pups had then increased to 41. On June 26 the cows had increased to igSand 79 pups were counted. 



Gorbatch was next visited on June 30, when loi harem bulls were counted, 72 of which had harems 

 aggregating about 550 cows and at least 170 pups. On July 3 no detailed count was made, but the number 

 of cows had increased and the number of pups nearly equaled the cows. At this time many of the cows 

 had begun to go to sea to feed. No more counts were made until July 17, when the official harem coimt 

 showed 112 bulls with harems. The females in these harems were later foimd to have given birth to 

 6,152 pups. 



A small hauling groimd on a grassy hillside at the rear of the middle of the rookery was occupied by 

 a moderate number of bachelors which slowly increased throughout the season. On June 30, this number 

 was slightly less than 100; on Jtuie 24, it was not less than 150; on Jtme 26, it was somewhat more than 

 200; on July 3 , by careful count, it was approximately 400; and on July 28, it was 500. 



ARDIGUEN ROOKERY, ST. PAUL ISLAND. 



Beyond Gorbatch Rookery and separated from it by a short stretch of precipitous cliffs is the small 

 rookery known as Ardiguen. It occupies a narrow beach at the foot of a high cliff, from the crest of which 

 one may look almost directly down on the harems. This rookerj', when first examined on June 24, was 

 occupied by only 9 bulls, 5 of which had small harems. The number of harems later increased to 14. 

 From 1909 to 1913 this rookery had uniformly held 11 harems. The coimt of pups showed that 656 pups 

 were bom on Ardiguen. 



REEF ROOKERY, ST. PAUL ISLAND. 



Extending for somewhat over half a mile along the southeastern side of Reef Peninsula is the popu- 

 lous rookery bearing this name. The grotmd occupied comprises mainly ledges of rock or bowlder- 

 covered beaches. The regular nature of the groimd and the lackof eminences make observation difficult, 

 as the harems extend some distance back from the shore and access to the front of the rookerj' mass from 

 the rear is not possible. 



On Jime 24 there were about 165 harem bulls on this rookery. At the time of the official count of 

 harems there were 193 bulls. In these harems were bom 13,559 pups. 



Near the center of the breeding ground on Reef Rookerj- is an extensive hauling groimd, from which 

 numerous drives were made in 1914. A drive from this place on July i contained, by actual count, 780 

 seals, and these were estimated to constitute about one-fifth of the total number then on the ground. 



On August 8, notwithstanding that practically all food killings in recent years have been taken from 

 this place, i ,600 seals were driven from this hauling ground, forming the largest drive that has been made 

 on the islands for a number of years. On July 3 between 2,000 and 2,500 seals were estimated to be 

 hauled out here. On July 28. when a one-day count of all bachelors on St. Paul Island was made, only 

 1,500 were found on Reef. 



SIVUTCH ROOKERY, ST. PAUL ISLAND. 



Sea Lion Rock or Sivutch, a small islet lying a few hundred yards off Reef Point, is the site of a 

 populous rookery. When first visited, on June 29. 63 breeding bulls were stationed there; 35 of these 

 had harems, with a total of 364 cows. At the height of the season, there were 91 harem bulls, and 10 

 idle bulls. The count later showed that 4,052 pups were bom there. 



Bachelor seals haul out on Sivutch in some numbers. On July 28 at least 500 were present there. 

 This hauling ground is resorted to later in the autumn than any other, and successful drives for food are 

 sometimes made as late as December. A few sea lions are usually foimd on this island, and many 

 birds breed on its summit. 



