114 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



I found that while on the whole the hieediug grounds had retained their former 

 shape — uecessarily, because of the natural conditions of the beach — there was a 

 great thinning out of the ranks of the females. At the same time a large area at the 

 northwestern end had become nearly depopulated. At first I credited the thinness 

 of the breeding herds to the bright weather, but another visit to the heights the next 

 morning showed no improvement. 



That day I saw no hachiJors, except the little patch at the Stolp; none at 

 VodoiJad and Krepkaya Pad. At Maliuka Bukhta, I was informed, they had ceased to 

 haul up several years ago. The next day we saw a few more bachelors — a somewhat 

 larger patch — at the Stolp, and two other patches, of possibly a hundred seals each, 

 one on each side of the A'odopadski Nepropusk. 



But one feature that struck me with surprise was the great number of bulls aud 

 half-hulls. This abundance of old males was particularly interestiug, coming, as I 

 did, directly from Bering Island, where this clement was so scarce. 



Piqis were present in good proportion. 



The decrease in the yield of this rookery has been considerable. While as far 

 back as 1881 0,500 skins were secured without trouble, it was impossible for the men, 

 iu 189,5, try as hard as they might, to secure more than 2,000. They were given full 

 swing and encouraged to take as many as possible, though they needed no special 

 encouragement, for the decrease in skins meant a corresponding decrease in food and 

 comfort during the following winter. Moreover, the season was extended to the first 

 week of September, and yet with no better results. Between August 12 and Sei^tem- 

 ber 10 they could scrape together only IBS skins. 



GLINKA ROOKERIES, 1882-83. (Platf 13). 



The capacity of Glinka used to be more than double that of Karabelni, having in 

 good years yielded over 20,000 skins. The best haulinggrounds were Palata, Zapadni, 

 and Pestshanaya, but bachelors then hauled out as far as Babin.skaya Bukhta in the 

 south and Gorelaya Bukhta in the north. These distant gi'ounds were only drawn upon 

 occasionally, and the grounds l>etweeu Urili Kanien and Palata Mys furnished the bulk 

 of the skins. Of these Pestshani hauling- ground was the most prolific and the handiest, 

 although the driving was very severe before the new salt house was built, and single 

 drives yielding more than 4,000 skins from this place were no exceptions.' 



The principal breeding-grounds occujiied the inaccessible beach between the Stolbi 

 in Gavarushkaya Bukhta to Palata Mys, comprising Sikatchinskaya and Zapalata, 

 the gully and basin north of Palata, and, finally, the family grounds designated as 

 Zapadni or Zapadni Mys. Palata, to the looker-on conung over the mountains, was 

 lU'obably the most impressive rookery view in the whole Comuiauder Islands group. 

 The solid blackening masses of breeding seals, filling the gully to overflowing and 

 extending under the bluffs and along the beach on both sides, was a sight never to be 

 forgotten. My originiil sketch, made in 1883 from a prominent jioint 800 feet above, 

 is unfortunately lost or mislaid, and I am therefore obliged to sul)stitute an elaboration 

 of it (pi. 52) made shortly after my return, probably in January or February, 1884. I 

 know it to be a pretty faithful rendering of the sketch, but of course the latter would 

 have been more authentic. 



Zapalata aud Sikatchinskaya were the mainstay of the rookery, however. There 

 the breeding seals were absolutely safe against all possible Interruptions from the land 



' Dr. Sluniu reports that iu 18S7 a drive yieldlnj; 6,000 took place from this hauling-groimd. 



