FUR FACTS 215 



stands on the rookery where they await the arrival of their families. 

 Each bull selects a prominent place which he holds against all comers, 

 unless he is driven off by a larger and stronger opponent. The bulls 

 often fight savagely among themselves for choice positions on the 

 rookery and for possession of the cows and often are severely wounded. 

 The females have a single offspring, each mother knowing her own 

 pup and will not permit any other pup to nurse. This is said to be 

 the reason why so many seal pups starve to death on the rookery 

 when their mothers are killed out at sea hunting food. The seals 

 have been using these islands for their breeding grounds for many 

 many years. The Islands are of volcanic origin and there is not a 

 trace of a tree, a shrub, or a vine on them, and yet this is the favorite 

 haunt of this tremendous herd of Alaska seals, as well as the home 

 of many millions of birds, which also use the islands to rear their 

 young. Every year the seals come back to the same spot and make 

 their home on land for at least six months of the year, during which 

 time they bring forth and rear their young, after which they return 

 to the sea and depart to the depth of the great ocean until it is time 

 for them again to return. 



Early in May the big bulls begin to arrive in large numbers and 

 select their stations. When they have won their places, they lie 

 down and sleep oftentimes for several weeks until the breeding cows 

 are expected. They then sit up and begin to take notice, and send 

 forth their peculiar cry which is supposed to be a cordial invitation 

 to the approaching female seals to hurry. Along about the middle 

 of May and before the arrival of the females the bachelors begin to 

 arrive and they too would establish themselves in prominent places 

 on the breeding grounds were it not for the older and larger bulls 

 who are there to prevent this very thing and do so by driving them 

 off. No male seal can stay on the breeding grounds that is not big 

 enough and strong enough to maintain his position against all comers. 

 It is purely a case of the survival of the fittest, and the larger the bull, 

 and the greater his strength, the larger is his breeding ground, and 

 the larger his harem. The young male bachelor seals are thus very 

 naturally forced to herd by themselves and are required to keep a 

 safe distance from the breeding grounds during the breeding season. 

 They group together and discuss their own troubles and watch the 

 proceedings. The life of the young bachelor seal is a hard one. He 

 is not only prevented from coming on the breeding grounds, but when 

 the killing time comes the bachelor seals are driven off in herds and 

 cracked on their heads and skinned for their pelts which are more 



