316 THK FIR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



sullk'ieiitly near to count Iroiii laud, and from the water only tliosc on tlic sliiugle 

 beach can be seeu, wliilc those ou the tiat above can only be gnes.seil at. 



Ou tlie western side counting was begun at the most southern ])atch, and was 

 done from the whaleboat. The first patcli contains 47 liaieiiis and 527 cows, au 

 average of 11.21 per harem. Few idle bulls are noted here. The secoTid patch 

 contains 104 harems, l,.'5(i(i cows, an average of 13.13 i)er barem. Twenty idle bulls 

 are counted. The third ])atch contaiUvS 73 harems, 904 cows, an average of 13. There 

 are no idle bulls. 



The extreme southern patcli of seals indicated on Townsend's iiuip has entirely 

 disappeared. These are the only portions of the rookery that can be counted. 



It is interesting to note the recurrence of the averages, 11-13 cows to the harem 

 on some breeding areas, and about 17 in otliers. When harems occnjiy the narrow 

 fringe of rocky beacli the smaller average holds true, while the larger average holds 

 where the harems have no opportunity to spiead over a wider area. 



On Sea Lion Neck were 2 dead seal pups among the harems. Many pup bones 

 were seen in the rear of the breeding grounds, lepresenting deaths of former years. 

 Among the bachelors hauled up just north of the Neck was 1 dead i)ni>. with the 

 liair worn completely off the lower ]iart of the back, and 1 live i>up, both near 

 together, and a considerable distance from the breeding grounds. They were 

 probably brought there by the bachelors. On the sandy beach Just south of the 

 southernmost i)atch of breeding seals on the east side dead pups were counted in 

 the uppermost wave of the recent gale. In the same place were 11 dead sea lion pups, 

 and 14 more lay in a similar position on the south side of Sea Lion Neck. All the 

 dead pups were fresh (except 1 sea-lion pup), and aiiparently died at the same time. 

 From their position and appearance one would naturally suppose them to have been 

 drowned in some recent gale,' probabl\- the one of -Inly 10, whicli l)lew from the 

 northeast. On the western side 1 dead pup was seen at the jjosterior line of the 

 liauling ground to the south of Hutchinson Hill, with its placenta still attached. 

 Another puj) very badly bitten and torn was seen still walking about, although 

 apparently (piite sick. 



A dead seal was found ou the beach just north of Sea Lion Neck, only a few feet 

 from photographing station 6. It ai)i)eared to be a rather large yearling just getting 

 its permanent teeth, but was too much decomposed to make it possible to ascertain 

 Sex or cause of death. 



In the patches on the western side excessive fighting was going on among the 

 bulls, and the females were consequently highly excited and nervous. Many cows 

 were cut; many bulls were also torn and bleeding. The animals seem insensible to pain 

 and pay no attention to their wounds. 



The total number of cows and harems which could be counted on Northeast 

 Point rookeries was 33(> harems, 4,032 cows; an average of 12 per harem. Only the 

 scattering and unmassed portions were counted. The chaiacter of the ground is in 

 these cases very similar to that in the Lagoon and Zapadni lleef, and the average is 

 practically the same. 



' This is uot probablti. More lilcely liotli nea-lion pups unci seat pups were tbe victims of 

 I'licivaiia, as they were evidently washed from the niokery ou the tip of Sea \Aon Neck, whicli is 

 sandy and well adajited to the devehipnu'nt of the worm. 



