CHAPTER V . 



THE DAILY LIFE OF THE ROOKERIES. 



THE ARRIVAL AT THE ISLANDS. 

 THE MALES. 



The adult males arrive first at the islands in the spring. Their appearance is 

 governed largely by the movements of the drift ice, which packs in about the islands 

 late in winter and remains until the latter part of April, sometimes until late in May.* 

 In 1895, when the ice remained thus long about the islands, making the landing of 

 the bulls difficult, roads were cut in it, through which the animals hauled to reach 

 their stations. 



THE DATE OF THE EARLIEST ARRIVALS. 



The average date of the landing of the first bulls, as shown by the record in the 

 log of the islands, is about the 1st of May. Instances are recorded where the ani- 

 mals have landed on the ice and traveled in for a mile or more, taking up their places 

 on the snow-covered rookeries. The incoming of the bulls is gradual. They appear 

 almost simultaneously on all the rookeries, each being represented by one or two.t 

 The number increases, slowly during the early part of May, rapidly in the latter part. 

 By the middle of June, practically all of the regular harein bulls are located in their 

 places on the breeding ground. During the season of 1897 a count of bulls on I^orth 

 rookery of St. George, June 7, gave 180, where 196 harems were found later in the 

 season. On Kitovi rookery of St. Paul, a count of bulls made on the 12th of June 

 gave 156, where 182 harems existed in 1896, and 179 later in the season of 18974 



THE OLDEST COME FIRST. 



It is probable that the earliest bulls to arrive represent the veterans of many 

 seasons, and that those arriving subsequently come in the order of their ages. Thus 

 the young half bulls and the idle bulls as a class do not locate about the rookeries 

 until the time of landing of the cows. They then haul out around the rookeries to 

 places in the rear, or fight their way through the territory of bulls already in place. 

 Some of them are doubtless successful in displacing earlier arrivals, or in gaining 

 advantageous places on the breeding grounds. The young bulls for the most part 

 in the beginning of the season hang about the water front and try to intercept the 

 landing cows. It is only after the breeding season is well advanced that they are- 

 seen in numbers about the rear of the rookeries, and even then they come and go 

 from the water more or less regularly. 



* See extracts from log of St. Paul, Pt. II, under date of May, 1895. 

 t See extracts from log of St. Paul, Pt. II, May of any season. 

 j Daily Journal, Pt. II, under date of June 12. 



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