Fur Seal 
same time only strictly American species is the Alaskan fur 
seal of the Pribilof Islands, the other species inhabiting respectively 
Bering and Medni Islands, and Robben Island in the Sea of 
Okhotsk. 
The fur seal is a migratory animal, spending the summer and 
autumn in its breeding ground on the Pribilofs and passing the 
winter at sea, ranging down the coast as far as southern Cali- 
fornia. The females reach maturity at the end of their second 
year, while the males do not gain their full size and strength 
until seven years old. As in most gregarious and polygamous 
animals this results in several distinct stages of growth which 
are designated by the sealers by special names. There are the 
adult ‘‘bulls’” and ‘‘cows,” as well as the new-born ‘‘ pups,” 
while the young males of three years are the ‘‘bachelors” and 
the older ones the ‘‘half bulls.” 
The summer life of the breeding ground or ‘‘rookeries” as 
described by visitors is exceedingly interesting. About the first 
of May the old bulls begin to arrive and take up their positions 
on the bleak rocky beaches. By June the cows appear and as 
fast as they land are taken in hand by the bulls, each one 
eventually surrounding himself by a ‘‘harem” which he guards 
and rounds up, forcing back any cow that attempts to escape. 
The single pup is born shortly after the arrival of the cow and 
as soon as it has become sufficiently strong to be left she re- 
pairs to the sea to feed, returning to it at intervals. 
Meanwhile the ‘‘bachelors”” and ‘‘half bulls” arrive at the 
rookery, but herd by themselves and make no attempt to intrude 
upon the harems. The late arriving bulls which fail to secure 
harems locate immediately behind their more fortunate rivals and 
by their efforts to encroach upon adjoining harems or steal cows 
they continually precipitate desperate fights which frequently result 
in their own destruction and cause great uproars throughout 
the rookery. 
The old bulls, which often for a space of two months 
have been forced to fast in order to maintain their positions in 
the rookery, begin to seek their feeding ground at sea about the 
middle of July. They are usually much emaciated as compared 
with their fat, sleek appearance at the beginning of the season, 
the great thick coat of blubber having been absorbed to supply 
their bodies in lieu of food. The killing for the market is re- 
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