REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 79 



the southern part of Behring Sea or along the Alaskan and British 

 Columbian coasts, — a fact which is perhaps worthy of note in connection 

 with statements which have been made as to the peculiar suitability of 

 these islands to the graminivorous and now extinct Ehytina, as well as 

 from its possible bearings on the habitats of the fur-seal. 



265. Upon Behring Island the fur-seals are killed in the immediate 

 vicinity of the two rookeries, where salt-houses are established. On 

 Copper Island, the rookeries, situated on the south-west coast, are 

 classified under two groups, from one of which the seals are driven 

 across to Karebelny and from the other to Glinka for slaughter, this 

 being supposed to be necessary owing to the rough character of the 

 coast where they are actually situated. 



206. Further evidence of the adaptability of the seals to circumstances 

 is found in comparing the physical character of the rookeries on the 

 Commander Islands with those of the Pribyloff" Islands. On Behring 

 Island, the North Rookery, situated at Yushin Point, towards the western 

 part of the north coast of ihe island, is the largest. It occupies a flat 

 stretch of rocky reef, which runs seaward in a triangular form, with its 

 wide base against the land a^nd a length of about a quarter of a mile. 

 The surface of the reef is irregular, and much of it stands above high- 

 water mark, though in heavy gales few parts of it can escape the more 

 or less direct wash of the surf. I^o the west of the reef i)roper, and 

 connected with it, is a wide dry beach or bar of sand, which is also 

 occupied by seals, but chiefly by holluschickie or bachelors. On the 

 landward side, the reef is overlooked by low rocky banks overgrown by 

 rank grasses and weeds, and between these and the reef proper are some 

 small irregular grassy flats and pools of salt water. Here the seals 

 never go, though there is no apparent reason why this upper plateau 

 might notbeusedas ahauling-groundor "parade," which would resem- 

 ble several of those adjacent to rookeries on the Pribylofif Islands. 



267. The South IJookery on Behring Island, situated at Poludenni 

 Point, on the south- west side of the island and about midway in its 

 length, was not visited by us. It is, however, much smaller than the last, 

 and is described as presenting very similar characters. In both cases 

 there is ample room for expansion of the rookery ground without break- 

 ing its continuity. 



268. On Copper Island, the circumstances are again quite different. 

 The rookeries and hauling- grounds are here scattered along about 15 

 miles of the south-east coast, extending from about the middle of the 

 island to its southern end. All the rookeries are small; and though 

 distinguished by various local names they are not well defined, but 

 are connected by irregular scattered colonies of breeding seals strung 

 along the narrower and less favourable parts of the shore. The whole 

 shore is bordered by high irregular cliffs, here and there broken by 

 ravines, or by more moderate though always steep and rough rocky 

 and grassy slopes. Flat rocky reefs run out irregularly from the shore 



below, with abundance of rocks awash and large fields of kelp. 

 48 Opposite the breaks in the clifls are bouldery or gravelly bays, 



and both these and the larger areas of reef are irregularly occu- 

 pied by the seals. At Palata Point, near the southern extremity of 

 the island, the seals occupy a steep slope of earthy appearance, which 

 they have completely bared of vegetation to a distance estimated at 150 

 to 200 yards back from the shore, and a height of, say, 200 feet. This 

 rookery in its general character more closely resembles Starry Arteel 

 than any other of the PribyJott" Islands. It is distinctively a breeding 

 rookery, as no holluschickie, it is said, ever haul out near it. 



