THE RUSSIAN FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 77 



Again, on Bering Island breeding females and itups are alwayvS mixed with tbe 

 hacbelors in tbe drives. Tbis, on tbe otlier band, does bnt seldom bappen on C!opi)er 

 Island, even nowadays. Yet tlie female seals on lieiing Island are i)roi)ortionately 

 more nnnierous and do not appear to be less vigorons or less prolilic; than on Copper 

 island. Moreover, tbe i)rodn<'tivity of tbe (Joi)i)er Island rookeries bas evidently 

 snti'ered more of late years tbau tbose of Bering Island. Tbe driving, tberefore, does 

 not seem to be responsible for tbe depletion of tbe rookeries. 



DOES THE FEMALE SEAL NURSE HER OWN PUP ONLY? 



Tbe question whether tbe mother seal nnrses her own pup only, or whether she 

 will allow other pnj)s to suck her promiscuously, bas been causing quite a controversy. 

 To i)ersons who have not studied the question on tbe rookeries witli tlu; closest 

 attention it seems an absurdity to sujipose that a female seal, after an absence of a 

 day or more, during which her pup has been mingling with tlie tlumsands of other 

 pups and roaming all over the rookery witli them, should be able to find it and 

 recognize it. During my visit to tbe islands in 1882-83 the que.stion was not up, and 

 I had i)aid no special attention to it. On thinking of the nuiltitudes of jjups which I 

 bad seen podded together in tbose days I was, therefore, on theoretical grounds, 

 strongly inclined to side with tbose who denj' that such a search and recognition 

 takes place, and I so expressed myself to Mr. True when we talked tbis matter over on 

 our way to the Pribylof Islands. I resolved, however, to i)ay special attention to tbis 

 question. Tbe great difficulty lies in the impracticability of so singlirg out a number 

 of mothci-s irith their young and so marking them that they could be individually 

 recognizable at a distance and for several days at least. Only in this way wcnild it be 

 possible to gather proof conclusive to others than the observer himself, particularly 

 to i)ersons who might not be willing to accept his other observations as final. 



]My observations on tbe rookeries, however, have been sufficient to convince me 

 that 1 was wrong in doubting tbe ability of tbe mother to find and recognize her 

 individual oflspriug among thousands of pu^is of identically the same appearance. 

 Some of these observations noted down in my diary follow here in the very words 

 written down on tbe sjjot. 



Kisliolcliiioiie lioolcerij, JUring laland, July 10, 1S95. — Old bulls are certainly scarce and of liolns- 

 tiaki I have thus far seen none. Pups are very plentiful, and the females do not appear to have heen 

 barren when they arrived. The pnps are already "podding," and the two backward extensions on 

 either side of the "parade'' consist chiefly of pups. 



The matki come and go, especially those that are wet and apparently just in from the sea, while 

 the dry ones [meaning those with the fur dried from having been longer ashore] lie still, sunning and 

 fanning themselves. 



Right in front of me, about 200 feet away, is a small group of 6 dry matki and close to them a pod 

 of about 50 pups. About 20 feet to the left is a lonely sikatch; then another similar group of dried 

 matki .and pups. The dry mothers are silent and lie down sleepily; tbe bull has not changed his 

 jmsition. his nose sticking right up into the air, during the last hour; he probably sleeps. Occasionally 

 a wet matka [i.e., with wet fur] comes ambling up from the sea, and fighting her way through the harems 

 Mi'.xt to the water's edge finally reaches this group, which is located at the posterior left-hand horn of 

 till) breeding-ground —the very edge of the rookery. Such a, matka will stop occasionally, shake her 

 head and bleat (apparently in anger); a few pups will rush at her; she noses them; finally shows 

 liir teeth, bleats, shakes her head and ambles away to repeat the performance at the next pod. A 

 matka with only a large wet spot on the hind quarters [she had consequently been .a considerable time 

 out of the water] came up in this fashion to this pod, and after nosing about in the midst of it finally 

 grabbed a pup by the skin of its neck, much to the disgust of the l)up, apparently, and carried the 

 little one oli', part of the way holding it in her mouth, part of the way pushing it ahead between her 



