1916.] Townsend, Voyage of the 'Albatross' in 1911. 407 



morning of the 4th, I landed and shot two more of the large elephant seals. 

 We spent the forenoon and half of the afternoon in skinning and skeletonizing 

 these, several men working on the large heavy specimens. Each of the large 

 males killed measured sixteen feet in length. Our operations caused very 

 little disturbance of the rookeries; one large male remaining within thirty 

 feet of where we were working. A few of the elephant seals left the beach, 

 but the most of these soon returned and probably none of them would have 

 moved if they had not been annoyed by the sailors walking among them. 



The six yearlings taken the day before were captured by simply winding 

 them up in nets to prevent them from biting, or escaping from the boats. 

 I secured about fifty good negatives, showing the seals in various attitudes 

 and the general character of the rookery. There was ample proof that this 

 was the commencement of the breeding season; a dozen or more of the 

 females being accompanied by very young pups. The latter were very dark 

 colored and quite distinct in size from those of the apparently yearling class 

 which we had captured alive. They were remarkably fat and almost incapa- 

 ble of movement on that account. Later in the afternoon before we sailed, 

 I examined the shore line for a couple of miles south of Steamer Point, where I 

 had observed fur seals in 1892, but found no signs of them. The Guadalupe 

 fur seal (Arclocephalus townsendi Merriam) may be extinct. If there are 

 any individuals left they probably occupy some of the numerous beach 

 caves farther south, as it was the habit of the species to lie in such shelters. 

 Guadalupe Island is about 20 miles long and from 3 to 7 miles wide. It 

 is 4500 feet high near the northern end and is of volcanic origin. The island 

 is overrun with goats, which have contributed greatly to its barrenness. 

 Although formerly used as a goat range, the animals being raised for their 

 skins only, it has long been uninhabited. There are a few scattered 

 cypresses, pines and cabbage palms about the higher elevations, and a few 

 springs some of which fail in dry seasons. 



Fishing at the elephant-beach anchorage was good, but the fishing ground 

 about the island is limited, as it is surrounded by very deep water. 



At nightfall the ' Albatross ' sailed for San Diego in order that the young 

 elephant seals and the large skins might be shipped eastward without delay. 

 The entire following day was spent in cleaning and preparing the skins and 

 skeletons of our four large specimens for shipment. We arrived at San 

 Diego on the morning of the 6th. The young elephant seals were each 

 crated separately and forwarded by express to the New York Aquarium,- 

 without food or water, as they would not eat and were in good condition. 

 Later two of them were sent to the Zoological Park in Washington. 1 



1 The writer has published a special account of the elephant seal in 'Zoologica,' Scientific Contribu- 

 tions of the New York Zoological Society, I, No. 8, pp. 159-173, pll. 52-72, April, 1912. He has also 

 published an article on the same subject in the 'Century Magazine' for June, 1912, pp. 205-214- 



