se of death 



pups. 



RESULTS. 215 



these statements.^ The rookeries, strewn with Number of dead 



pups in 1891. 



dead and dying pups, were also in 1891 inspected 

 by tlie British Bering Sea Commissioners.^ And 

 Kerrick Artomanoff, the old chief of the St. 

 Paul natives, in speaking of their appearance on 

 the rookeries during the last six years, says : '^In 

 my sixty-seven years' residence on the island, I 

 never before saw anything like it."^ 



At the request of Mr. Stanley Brown,' Dr. J. C- ^^<^am 

 S. Akerly, then physician on St. Paul Island, 

 examined a large number of the dead bodies, and 

 after a careful and minute examination, which is 

 fully detailed by him in his deposition,^ gives it 

 as his opinion " that the great mortality during 

 1891 amongst the young seals on St. Paul Island, 

 Bering Sea, was caused by the deprivation of 

 mothers' milk." He sums up this opinion with 

 eight reasons why he believes the young seals 

 died of starvation.^ His opinion as to the cause 

 of their death is shared by many others who had 

 an opportunity to examine the dead and dying 

 pups on the rookeries.'^ The natives on the islands, 



' Auton Melovedoff, Vol. II, p. 143 ; H. H. Mclntyre, Vol, II, p. 51 ; 

 Cliarlos W. Price, Vol. II, p. 521; Aggie KusMn, Vol. II, p. 128; 

 John Fratis, Vol. II, p. 108; H. N. Clark, Vol. II, p. 159. 



2 Milton Barnes, Vol. II, p. 101. 



3 Vol. II, p. 100. 

 * Vol. II, p. 19. 

 «Vol. II, p. 95. 

 6 Vol. II, p. 96. 

 nV. H. Williams, Vol. II, p. 94; J. Stanley Brown, Vol. IT, p. 



19; Charles W. Price, Vol. II p. 521; AggieKusliiu, Vol. II, p. 130; 

 John Fratis, Vol. II, p. 109. 



