THE RUSSIAN FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 



Ill 



the lowest figure. The percentages are, therefore, very nearly correct. If there is any 

 error, it is iu understating the number of females, but I am sure that the possible error 

 does not exceed 1 per cent. 



The figures of the 13 drives iu the table previously given were ascertained in the 

 same manner, aud I have no doubt that they are essentially correct. No tally was 

 kept previous to the drive on July 14, and I failed to obtain the details of the drive 

 on July 24, but there is no reason to believe that the percentage of the classes was 

 diiferent in these drives, except that I was informed that there were no females or pups 

 in the first drive, June 13. In order to complete the record of this rookery for 1895, 1 

 submit the following table of the skins taken in each drive during the summer season: 



Total inimhei- of slcinH taken on North Rookery, Benng Island, during the summer smeoii of 1895. 



Looking again at the table of the classes in the 13 drives, we note that it was 

 necessary to drive off over L'9,000 seals in order to obtain 6,725 skins, and that ot 

 those 20,000 no less than 20,5GS were females. As already stated, there is no reason 

 to suppose that the percentage of females differed materially in the other 4 drives, 

 except one. If, therefore, we calculate the corresponding figures for a total of 8,231 

 (8,341—110) skins, we find that in order to obtain 8,341 skins, the total catch for the 

 season, it was necessary to drive off to the killing- grounds 35,741 seals, of all ages, of 

 which the astounding number of 3.5,171 were females. In this count are not included such 

 females as were allowed to escape along the road of the drive, although the number 

 of females thus culled was comparatively few, as the men were afraid of letting a 

 single killable bachelor escape. 



Xotliiug could better illustrate the straits to which this rookery has come. On 

 the other hand, nothing could better demonstrate how little the driving disturbs the 

 seals. Here is a rookery where the females have been driven probably as long as seals 

 have been taken, though not iu the same proportion as now. Yet, the females return 

 to be driven over and over again, aud the hreeding-gronnd is the part of the rookery 

 least affected in the general deci'ease. 



A great amount of mortality due to starvation was ob.served among the pups, but 

 is here only alludeil to, as I have treated of that question in another connection (p. 78). 



SOUTH I'.OOKEET, 1882. (Plato 9.) 



This rookery, although probably the remnant of the innumerable multitudes which 

 Steller speaks of, has not been of much account of i-ecent years. After the interreg- 

 nnui, 18(!9-1S71, it was so insignificant that no regular catch seems to have been made 

 until 18S0, although occasionally, i. e., before and after the season closed on North 

 Rookery, a few seals were killed at Poludionnoye in order to get fresh meat for the 

 main village, Nikolski. Thus, in 1878, ."iO were killed in June and 30 on November 5. 



