SKAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 35 



PELAGIC SEALING. 



The result of pelagic sealing in Bering Sea the past two years already 

 shows a marked decrease in the breeding seals on the rookeries. There 

 were fewer cows in the harems, and on several of the rookeries there 

 were " breaks" or " spaces" wholly unoccupied that had never 

 appeared before. It is evident that the cow herd can not long with- 

 stand the onslaught of pelagic sealing in Bering Sea. It was believed,, 

 when double the number of sealing vessels came into the sea August! 

 than were there last year, that double the number of seals would be 

 taken. But not so. JSoi was it the fault of the sealer. It was the 

 scarcity of seals. They were not there in sufficient numbers to be 

 taken, although the tragedy of last year was reenacted. 



At the time of my leaving the islands, dead and dying pups were to 

 be found on every hand. During the month of October, 22,054 dead 

 seal pups were counted on the rookeries on the island of St. Paul and 

 6,012 on St. George. They were distributed in proportion to the num- 

 ber of breeding seals on the several rookeries, thus showing conclu- 

 sively that their death was produced by starvation, and not by an* 

 epidemic' on any special rookery. 



The breeding-seal herd has been reduced to such proportion that they 

 can now be counted with comparative accuracy. I made the count as 

 follows : 



St. Paul Island : 



Breeding cows 78, 696 



Bulls 4, 372 



St. George Island : 



Breeding cows 21, 240 



Bulls 1,180 



Capt. F. A. Drake, of the United States Fish Commission steamer 

 AUmtrosx, also made a count of the breeding seals on the islands at the 

 time of making his plane- table survey of the rookeries, and it is prob- 

 able that by the aid of the survey he may be able to give a more accu- 

 rate count of the number than I can. But I am certain that if I err it 

 is in overstating and not understating the actual number. 



EXCESS OF MALE LIFE. 



There is a surplus of available bulls on the islands. As the cow herd 

 decreases the bulls increase. There is now a large per cent of male life 

 that is a detriment rather than a benefit to the breeding grounds. 

 Nearly 50 per cent of the bulls of breeding age were unable to procure 

 a single cow with which to start a harem. A large number of bulls had 

 from one to four only in their harems. 



The idle bulls loiter about the boundaries of the breeding rookeries, 

 intercepting the cows as they come and go to feed, keeping up a constant 

 warfare. The cows are thus annoyed and harassed throughout the 

 season, when they should be permitted to rest and care for their young. 

 Every cow that leaves the island is pursued by one or more of these 

 big, strong, young bulls. How far this pursuit is kept up can not be 

 determined. It is believed by some that this is the cause of the cows 

 going so far out at sea before stopping to procure food, and it seems 

 plausible enough. 



If regulations can not be made at once to prohibit pelagic sealing in 

 Bering Sea, there is but one remedy left, that of taking such number 

 of seals on the islands as to reduce the herd to such proportions as will 

 make the business of sealing at sea unprofitable. 



The large number of schooners now engaged in that business will be 

 compelled to seek other employment. The business once stopped, the 



