EEPOET OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 75 



Its surface consists of liills and upland moors, and its liighest parts 

 exceed 900 feet. The shores of St. George are generally steep and bold, 

 and much of its border is formed by clift's of considerable height, which 

 constitute the breeding places of innumerable birds. 



253. ISTo tree or shrub occurs on either island, of which the surface is 

 covered, wheu not too rocky to support any growth, with grass and 

 herbaceous vegetation, mingled with moss and lichen on the higher parts. 

 Neither island aftbrds any harbour, and it is necessary to anchor under 

 a weather shore and to effect a landing either with an off-shore wind or 

 in calm weather. The situation of the village on St. Paul is, however, 

 such that a landing can generally be effected there either on one side or 

 other of the long south-westerly-extending peninsula terminating in 

 Eeef Point. 



254. The breeding rookeries and hauling grounds (or tracts which the 

 bachelors and other seals not actually engaged in breeding frequent) 

 are, of course, confined to the immediate vicinity of the coast line on 

 both islands. The seals seldom laud and never remain on Walrus Island, 

 and though in former years many are said to have hauled out on Otter 

 Island, and some still do so, this is not known to have been occupied as 

 a bree<ling station. 



255. All the existing breeding rookeries on St. Paul and St. George 

 Islands were visited and examined by us during our first visit to the 

 islands about the end of July, and some of tliem were subsequently 

 re-examined on our second and third visits in the months of August 

 and September respectively, for the purpose of noting the changes in 

 the distribution and habits of the seals at various seasons. So much 

 has, however, already been written in description of the topography of 

 the various rookery grounds, particularly by Mr. H. W. Elliott, that it 

 is not here necessary to enter into any minute description of them. It 

 will serve all practical purposes and will tend to leave the main question 

 involved unobscured, if the several rookeries are merely characterized 

 in a very general way, and if their differences and common characters 

 are subsequently treated of together. 



250. There are on St. Paul Island at the present time seven recog- 

 nized breeding rookeries, of which the names and general characters 

 are as follows : 



(i.) Zapadnie Eooliery. — This consists of two parts, which may be 



called West and East Zapadnie respectively, separated by a 



45 small bay with sandy beach, upon which the seals do not renmin. 



The rookery ground of both ]>arts faces to the south-east, and 



consists of rather regular sloi)es rising from the edge of the sea, and 



more or less thickly strewn with angular or sub-angular basaltic blocks. 



(ii.) Tolstoi Eoohery. — This rookery faces to the north-west, on the 

 other side of English Bay. The ground occupied by the breeding 

 seals is, for the most part, a steep and rugged slope, strewn with 

 angular blocks, and broken by jutting masses of solid rock. At its 

 north east end the slopes become lighter, and it merges into the open 

 and smooth slopes of Middle Hill, which constitute an important 

 hauling-ground frequented by bachelor seals or holluschickie. 



(iii.) Lagoon Roolcery. — Facing to the south-west, and open to the 

 full sweep of the sea only in bearings between south-west and west. 

 In consequence of the protection aftbrded by the long Reef Point, this 

 rookery ground is the most sheltered of any on either of the islands. 

 The ground actually occupied by the breeding seals is a narrow and 

 low reef of well rounded boulders, which separates the sea from a 

 shallow lagoon. 



