70 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



were of a blackisli-brown color and of a very penetrating and disagreeable odor, while the drieu ones 

 were of a pale drab color. In spite of the humidity of the elimate things on the beaches dry up 

 remarkably fast and thoroughly, but I suppose it is partly due to the perfect drainage of the sandy 

 or pebbly beaches. ♦ • • 'pjjp fact is that the excrements contain comparatively few solids and 

 ari' easily dissipated. 



This observation is i)articiilarly conclusive because it showed at the well-defined 

 stiition of each half-bull (hauling up much after the fashion of the old bulls) a 

 (juantity of fecal matter in the various stages of disintegration, from that of the 

 semifluid, nearly fresh excrement, to the dry and odorless "chip." Taken as late as 

 August 2, yet a considerable time before the close of the season, it has a very important 

 bearing upon the question. 



The third and last entry in my diary in regard to this matter is dated August 22, 

 and relates to what took place during the big drive on that date on the North Reef 

 Itookery, Bering Island, which was witnessed by the officers, including the surgeon, 

 J)r. Lloyd Thomas, of Her British Majesty's ship Porpoise. It reads as follows: 



There was another matter to which I called the special attention of the English gentlemen wliile 

 we were on the rookery, viz, the presence — and very offensively smelling presence — of semifluid excre- 

 ments on the rocks, particularly mentioning the opposite observation of the British commissioners. 

 In fact, the fecal matter was making it very slippery in places. 



The argument derived from the alleged absence of excrementitious matter on the 

 rookeries is, consequently, disposed of. It may be well to add the remark that it is 

 more than probable that most of the feces are voided at sea before hauling up, and 

 that, in conjunction with their fluid nature, this explanation accounts satisfactorily 

 for the fact that its presence on the rookeries is not more obvious. 



As already remarked above, observations on the rookeries are not apt to furnish 

 positive data as to the nature of the bulk of the food of the Commander Islands fur- 

 seals. That they eat cephalopods is proven by the occasional presence of the beaks 

 in their stomachs, as well as by the above-quoted instance on the South Eookery (p. (iJ(). 

 It is also possible that Mr. Grebnitski's suggestion is correct, that the presence of 

 pebbles in tire stomachs is hirgely to be accounted for by assuming that they are 

 swallowe<l together with the octopods holding on to them. That they also eat fish, at 

 least occasionally, is also unquestionable. But the following facts will as unquestion- 

 ably show that salmon and cod, at least, do not furnish any portion of the regular 

 summer diet of the Commander Islands seals worth mentioning: 



It may not be very much to the point to observe that three species of salmon 

 [Oncorhynchus) abound in all the rivers on Bering Island, and that tlie fur-seals are 

 not observed to feed upon them at the mouths of these rivers; but the lact that the 

 largest salmon river of the island, the Sarauna River, is situated less than 7 miles 

 from the largest seal rookery without the seals coming over there to feed upon the 

 enormous numbers of salmon ascending that riser, is proof conclusive. The river 

 and the lishing establishment of the natives at Saranua have been described elsewhere 

 in this report, so that it will suffice in the present connection to recall the statement 

 that the annual catch in that river alone varies between 20,()()0 and 1(10,000 salmon. 



As for the codfish, it is only necessary to state that they are common right oH' the 

 great North Rookery of Bering Island. On September 10, ISO.j, we were anchored 

 in 10 fiithoms of water less than a mile from Sivutchi Kamen and within hearing of 

 the roar from the rookery. A single cod line over the side of the steamer for a couple 

 of hours brought up three-fourths of a barrel of codfish. 



