160 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



resemblance to that which arises from the bodies of a large number of 

 assembled animals. 



The quantity of excrementitious matter present is influenced by the 

 nature of their diet, which, being fish, is largely assimilated, while in 

 their coming and going much of it may be deposited in the water, to 

 say nothing of drenching from rain, to which the rookeries (many of 

 which are solid rock; are subjected. 



On the hauling grounds, on the other hand, it is almost impossible to 

 detect such matter, either through its presence, the appearance of the 

 soil, or its odor. This is a well known fact to anyone who has even 

 casually inspected such hauling grounds as Middle Hill, parts of Za- 

 padnie, western end of English Bay, western end of North Rookery, 

 Starry Arteel, Great East Eookery, and others. 



This difference between the breeding grounds and the true hauling 

 grounds is explained by the fact that the former are occupied by nurs- 

 ing females, which are constantly feeding, while the latter are frequented 

 chiefly by young males, which take but little food during the summer. 

 This abstention from food on their part is further indicated by the fact 

 that, with exceptions now and then observed on the killing grounds, 

 they grow thinner and thinner as the season advances. 



The pup at birth is received by the mother with an affectionate regard 

 that is unmistakable ; a sound not unlike that made by an ewe, but not 

 so loud, can be heard, and care is exercised by the mother for the pup's 

 protection. I have repeatedly seen a mother, when her offspring was 

 still so young as to be helpless, remove it beyond the reach of the surf, 

 or gently lift it from a hole between the bowlders into which it had 

 fallen. I have seen them often place the udder in the most available 

 position for the pup to suck, and move themselves sufficiently close for 

 it to be within easy reach. After an absence in the sea, the mother 

 invariably calls to her young repeatedly, and manifests pleasure on find- 

 ing it. Later on the pup is able to recognize its mother, and as the 

 female will suckle only her own pup the pleasure and contentment 

 which the meeting gives both is evident to the most careless observer. 



Dead pups were as conspicuous in their infrequency in 1892 as by 

 their numerousness in 1891. In no instance was there to be noted an 

 unusual number of dead pups, except on the breeding grounds of 

 Tolstoi, the position, character, and size of which gave prominence to 

 the carcasses. Here the mortality, while in no way approaching that 

 of the previous season, was still beyond the normal, as indicated by the 

 deaths upon the other breeding grounds. 



Any surreptitious killing of the mothers can not be charged with it, 

 for such killing either there or anywhere else on the island would have 

 become the gossip of the village and readily detected by the attempt to 

 dispose of the skins. There are no hauling grounds so close to the 

 breeding areas that the driving of the young males could cause conster- 

 nation among the females during the breeding season. Stampedes or 

 disturbances can not account for it, for not only are the breeding 

 grounds in this particular case of Tolstoi one-fourth of a mile away 

 from the hauling grounds, namely, at Middle Hill (the nearest point to 

 that breeding ground from which seals were driven in 1891 and 1892), 

 but it would be practically impossible to stampede this breeding ground 

 by any disturbing cause save of such magnitude as to be the subject of 

 common knowledge on the islands, and I know that no cause for such a 

 commotion occurred. 



Seals will stand a large amount of annoyance before leaving their 

 harems, or, indeed, being permitted to do so by the bulls, and the man 



