(SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 129 



Ling males, begin to migrate about the end of October, and by Janu- 

 ary 1 all of them have begun their migration. These dates are some- 

 what earlier or later, according to the season. 



Those that leave earliest go farthest south, arriving on the coast of 

 California, and those leaving later reach the coast farther up. Their 

 arrival is coincident with the coming of the smelt, herring, and eulaclion, 

 upon which they feed. 



On reaching the coast their migration route is continually toward 

 the islands, but following the general trend of the coast, the inner limit 

 being about 1^5 miles offshore and the outer limit from 75 to 100. 



As this migration progresses there is a bunching up of the herd, but 

 the seals travel independently and not in bands or schools. 



The migration route is from the Pribilof Islands through the passes 

 across to the coast, up the coast and across the northern sweep of the 

 North Pacific to the Aleutian Chain, and through the passes again to 

 the islands. 



There is no foundation in the statement that the Pribilof fur seals 

 which migrate have a winter home off any coast. They appear at about 

 the same time off a long line of coast, reaching from California to 

 Washington. When they are so found they are known, always to be 

 moving northward up the coast. 



The herd, by reason of hunting at sea, has steadily diminished, and 

 such hunting will ultimately destroy the herd unless prohibited in the 

 North Pacific and Bering Sea, for no matter how small the annual catch 

 may be there is a possibility that the hunt will always be encouraged 

 by the higher prices resulting from the decreasd catch, as in the case 

 of the sea otter. 



C. L. HOOPER. 



Deposition of H. H. Mclntyre, superintendent of the Pribilof Islands. 



DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 



City of Washington, ss : 



H. H. Mclntyre, of West Randolph, Vt., being duly sworn, deposes 

 and says: 



I have stated in former depositions my connection with the sealeries 

 of Alaska and opportunities for knowledge concerning them. 



When the breeding male seals first arrive upon the islands in the 

 spring they are much more timid and easily disturbed than at a later 

 period, and might perhaps be then driven from their chosen places upon 

 the rookeries, but at a later date, when their relation to their neighbors 

 is fairly established and the cows begin to arrive, no amount of force 

 will dislodge them, and they will die in defense of their harems rather 

 than desert them. 



In June, 1872, 1 carried a photographer's camera near the Eeef rookery 

 on St. Paul Island and while focusing the instrument, with my head 

 under the black cloth, and the attention of my attendant was diverted, 

 two old bulls made a savage assault upon me, which I avoided by dodg- 

 ing and running. The camera was left where I had placed it and could 

 not be recovered until seal clubs had been sent for and one of the bulls 

 killed and the other knocked down and stunned. The throwing of 

 stones and noisy demonstrations had no effect whatever upon them. 

 This experience only emphasized what I have observed on many occa- 

 sions upon the islands. The female seals are more timid, and upon the 

 near approach of man show signs of fear and generally move toward the 

 S. Doc. 137, pt. 



