350 REPORTS OF BERING SEA COMMISSION. 



Battles on rook- ing groiinds liavG long been described as one of 



eries show no lack 



of males. the peculiar characteristics of the species. A 



younger male is obliged to win his right to a 

 harem by conflict with his older brethren already 

 in possession. Many thousands of virile young 

 males lie at a convenient distance on the hauling 

 grounds, ready to engage in a struggle for a 

 place in the affections of the female seal should 

 a favorable opportunity occur. 



Notwithstanding the depleted condition of the 

 rookeries, these conflicts and struggles still go on. 

 They went on last year and also in 1890. This 

 condition of things is utterly incompatible Avith 

 any theory which assumes a scarcity of virile 

 Testimony as to malcs. The cvideiice of the most reliable and 



no lack of males. ti i t i i • 



credible observers goes to prove the same thing. 

 Mr. Redpath and Captain Webster have already 

 been quoted as declaring that it is among female 

 seals that the great scarcity exists, but it is worth 

 while here to repeat the statement of the latter, 

 that "formerly there would be on an average 

 thirty cows to one bull; now they will not aver- 

 age fifteen." Several of the native observers 

 placed the number of cows formerly served by 

 one bull at a much higher figure than thirty. 

 These facts rather tend to show that males are 

 relatively in excess on the breeding rookeries 

 at the present time. Our own observations 



