SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 131 



suited our convenience and drove more frequently from near-by rook- 

 eries, but at all times worked the more distant rookeries more or less 

 frequently, as appears by tlie seal island records. His successors in 

 otlice theorized that all the rookeries ought to be worked in regular 

 rotation, mid so directed. We therefore increased our number of boats 

 and mule teams in order to transport the skins from distant points, and 

 complied with his orders. But we did not do this because of any 

 scarcity of killable seals; no scarcity occurred until pelagic sealing 

 had already made serious inroads. There was no such thing ever 

 thought of upon the islands as "reserves of seals," nor was any differ- 

 ent practice pursued in respect to driving from year to year, except 

 that all rookeries were worked more systematically after the first few 

 years of the lease. 



In the early years of the first lease a few of the bundles of seal skins 

 shipped from the Pribilof Islands may have weighed as much as 60 

 pounds, but 1 would not undertake to say that I have seen any weighing 

 as much. If there were any, the explanation is as follows: The skins 

 in such bundles were those of small wigs, and such skins were bundled 

 together so that the flesh sides should be covered completely and no 

 overlapping edges left. 



Excrement is voided by seals upon the rookeries as often, I think, as 

 by other carnivorous animals. Those who assert the contrary appar- 

 ently expect such discharges as they were accustomed to see in the 

 track of the herbivora. The excrement of the seals is of very soft, often 

 semifluid consistency, and in the porous soil or on the smooth rocks is 

 easily brushed about by the trailing flippers of the seals and lost sight 

 of. Their food is chiefly fish, which is highly organized and contains 

 very little tissue that is not absorbed and assimilated. The excrement, 

 therefore, is limited in quantity, even when the animal is full fed, and 

 from its nature and surroundings easily overlooked. 



H. H. MdNTYRE. 



HABITS, AND MANAGEMENT OF SEALS ON ROOKERIES, AND PELAGIC 



SEALING. 



Deposition of L. A. Noyes, resident physician on the Pribilof Islands from 



1880 to 1892. 



ST. GEORGE ISLAND, PRIBILOF GROUP, 



Alaska, ss: 



L. A. ^Toyes, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I am a native 

 American, and my home is in Randolph, Vt.; I am 52 years of age, and 

 a physician by profession. 



In 1880 I entered the service of the lessees of the Pribilof Islands as 

 resident physician at the seal islands, and I have resided here continu- 

 ously ever since, excepting an occasional visit to my home for a few 

 months in winter, once or twice since 1880. 



From June, 1880, to August, 1883, I was on St. George Island, and 

 from 1883 to 1884 I was on St. Paul Island. I then returned to St. 

 George, where I have resided ever since, except the vacations aforesaid. 



I have given much time to the study of the Alaskan fur seal and its 

 peculiar habits, and I have watched with care and solicitude the 

 increase and the decline in numbers of the animal on the hauling 

 grounds and rookeries, and also the methods followed by the lessees in 

 taking the skins the driving and killing of the young males of from 



