FUR SEALS OR SEA BEARS. 243 



suffer great inconvenience ; and the rookeries, at such times, 

 present a peculiar appearance, because the distressed Sea 

 Bears spread out in every conceivable position their bodies 

 can assume and try to obtain relief by briskly fanning 

 themselves with their hind flippers, while they hold the 

 front flippers aloft so as to form a sort of ventilator for 

 the air to pass through. 



In their native element these animals are as grace- 

 ful and quick in their movements as they are slow and 

 clumsy on the land. In commenting on this fact, Mr. El- 

 liott says: "Sea Bears of all ages swim with great 

 rapidity, and may be fairly said to dart along under the 

 water, with the velocity of a bird on the wing. The fore 

 feet can be seen to work, feathering forward, and sweeping 

 back flatly opposed to the water, with great rapidity and 

 energy, and are evidently the sole propelling power ; for 

 if the long, flexible hind limbs have any propelling power, 

 or are used otherwise than as a steering medium, my eye 

 has never been quick enough to detect it." 



A census of the seal herds taken by the agents of the 

 Government, showed that there were on the Pribilof 

 Islands in 1913, 1,403 active bulls with harems, 364 idle 

 and young bulls, 47,000 one, tw T o, three and four-year-old 

 pups, 92,269 young pups, with an equal number of breed- 

 ing cows, and 35,000 one and two-year-old cows. 



The number of seal skins shipped from the islands in 

 1912 to C. M. Lampson and Company in London and sold 

 for the Government was 3,764. Under the leasing system, 

 which prevailed prior to 1910, the Government would have 

 received $38,589.25 for these skins, instead of the $130,- 

 640.57, which represented the net proceeds of the sale. 



