100 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PKII5IL0F ISLANDS. 



should have survived. The differeuce between this luimber and the 50,01)0 which we 

 bavefouud to actually survive is accounted for by the starvation of pups in JSyi. 



Treating iu the same manner the approximate birth rate of 170,000 pups in 1805, 

 we tind that, after making the deductions for loss through natural causes and from 

 starvation, probably 40,000 returned as L'-yearolds in 1897. 



Of the 100,000 pups born last year treated in like manner, probably 00,000 

 appeared in 1897 as yearlings. 



THE COMPLETE ESTIMATE FOR ANIMALS OF ALL CLASSES, 



This completes our estimate of the younger classes of seals. Tiie tigures are 

 merely rough approximations and are to be considered as such. They, however, 

 point in the direction of the truth and are probably not far from it. Putting these 

 various estimates in tabular form we have the following completed estimate of all 

 classes of animals ou the rookeries of the Tribilof Islands for the season of 1897: 



Animals }>rcseiil at one timi- or another, season of 1S07. 



Breeding females IL'S), 216 



Pups bom 11'9,2U> 



Active bulls -4. -H** 



Idle bulla (apiirosiiuate) •">. 000 



Half bulls (approximate) 10, 000 



Three-year-old males (approximate) -'5. 000 



Two-year-olds of both sexes (approximate) 40,000 



Yearliugs of both sexes (approximate) 60, 000 



Total 403,850 



In round numbers, therefore, there were on the Pribilof Islands at one time or 

 another during the season of 1897 400,000 seals of all classes. We wish to again 

 emphasize the fact that these figures, iu so far as they refer to other classes of animals 

 than the breeding seals and young, are mere approximations. 



DEDUCTIONS FOR LOSSES. 



These auimals were of course not all alive at the close of the season. Their 

 number had been reduced from various causes, as the death of nursing pups, ]ielagic 

 sealing, and the filling of the (juota. These losses to the herd may be estimated as 

 follows : 



Animals knoicn to hare ilial from rarious causes, season 1S97. 



Pups, from Uncinaria, trampling, etc estimateil.. 7, 750 



Pups, from starvation do 14,000 



Bachelors (quota) 20, 800 



Pelagic catch (Bering Sea) 16,464 



Total : 5!), 104 



Total alive dariun seasou 402, 850 



Total dead 50,104 



Tot.al alive ()et<d.er 15, 1897 343,746 



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