408 CALLORHINUS URSINUS ^NORTHERN FUR SEAL. 



injurious to them, namely, sunshine and rain. I here fiu^nish 

 an abstract from the meteorological tables of 0. P. Fish, signal- 

 officer resident on the island in 1874, this being the warmest 

 year and the one most unfavorable to the Seals during my 

 eight years' residence at the islands. 



"During the months of May, June, and July the sun's rays are 

 generally obscured, the sky has a leaden appearance, but there 

 is very little fog until about the end of July, at which time also 

 there are usually two or three days of heavy rain. In June and 

 July there are occasionally days Avhen the sun shines clearly for 

 two or three hours, but rarely longer. These days are dreaded by 

 the sealers. At a temperature of 40, with obscuration of the 

 sun, the Seals lie quietly ; at 42 they manifest signs of discom- 

 fort from heat, and lie on their sides, fanning themselves with 

 their hind flipi^ers, occasionally changing sides. At 45 they 

 are decidedly uncomfortable, and all that can go into the water 

 to bathe and cool themselves, remaining there an hour or two. 



"The beachmasters, and the little Seals that have not yet 

 learned to swim, remain on the land. When the sun shines for 

 two or three hours, and the rocks become heated, there are oc- 

 casional deaths among the beachmasters and very young pups 

 from sunstroke, the symptoms being a nervous jerking of the 

 limbs, followed by con"\ailsions and death. Fortunately these 

 occurrences are rare, and it was only in 1874 that any appre- 

 ciable number were lost from this cause. That year many young- 

 Seals died about the first of August. With light rain or thick 

 fog they endure a temperature of 50 without inconvenience. 

 The same fatal results occur from overheating when driving, 

 in which case if the animals are not skinned immediately the 



