2fi() THE FUR SEALS OP THE PRIHILOF ISLANDS. 



Lukauin ami but few bachelors were fbuiul. Tliirty percent' less bulls are preseut 

 than were out at this time last year. 



June 23. — Captain Bryant found quite a number of females on Tolstoi and many 

 1 and 2 year old seals along the ditt'erent rookeries about the bay. He thought there 

 was a lack of bulls. 



June 2.J. — A party of natives were sent to drive oil' the seals on Otter Island. 

 About 5,00') were driven off. Un the 18th 2,000 were driven off. 



June 2(!. — A drive from Zoltoi gave S(52 seals. A raid was made today on Otter 

 Island; 370 seals were killed. 



July 10. — A drive from Tolstoi yielded 2,039 seals. Several schooners are shoot- 

 ing seals about the island. - 



July 29. — A drive from Zoltoi gave 1,040 skins. The average of seals killed to 

 the whole drive was 12 jter cent,' the others being mostly yearliugs. 



August 1. — A drive of seals from Lukanin gave 1,538 good skins; the drive was 

 large, but only 7 per cent of them were fit to kill, the greater part being last year's 

 pui)s. 



August 2. — The drive from Tolstoi and ^liddle Hill yielded 2,13!) seals. This 

 drive was much better than yesterday's, yielding 40 jier cent.' Sc^aling was closed 

 for the season. 



August 17. — A drive for food was made from Kitovi and 134 killed; 5 stagy. A 

 large number of females were found hauled with the bachelors. 



August 23. — A drive for food from Kitovi yielded 207 good and 7 stagy skins. 

 About 25 per cent of the drive was over one year old and no females were mixed in. 



RECORD KEPT BY CHARLES BRYANT. 



S(!ptembcr 10. — A visit to ]\eef and Jjukaniu showed a large number of seals, 

 mostly pups and yearlings. The pups seem to be twenty days to one month behind 

 last year and to have suffered from the bad weather of the jiast month. 



October 7. — At a drive for food from Zoltoi, 133 seals were killed, all stagy. Exam- 

 ination of the rookeries shows that the pups are hovering on the uplands; a large 

 number have not yet begun to shed their pup hair.' There are very few bulls on the 

 shores and those mostly yearlings. 



Oi^tober 14. — A visit to the lieef showed ])nps in good numbers on the uidands. 

 They seem smaller in size for tliis time of year than they shotild be, and backward 

 about shedding their first hair. Few females are on the shore. Only a i'ew holostiaki 

 are on the lower end of the lleef. 



' These references to reduction of Imlls can only be conjectures. They doubtless form a con- 

 tinuatiou of the conditions depicted by Ciiptaiu Bryant the year preceding. See notes date of .July 10, 

 2o, eti\, 1875, and record for 1H77 ft'. 



-It is evident from this that iin-gular pelaf;ic sealing; was carried on prior to 1883 in Bering Sea. 



' This must be an error, as the dri vi^ would lunler these circuinstames have numbered 8,600. In 

 the note of Auijust 1 a similar but more striking error occurs, since the average of seals killed would 

 make the drive number 21,900 seals, which would be impossible. 



^The reference here and luider date of August 23 would seem to indicate the appearance of fresh 

 seals, making it likely that the earlier scarcity of these seals was due to temporary causes. 



"The natives are said to have reported that the sea birds they shot late in November were late 

 also in shedding their featheis. That m.iny black pu]>s should be found at this time is not strange. 

 Such pujis were to be seen after the middle of October in 1896. They merely represent belated births. 



