NOTES ON KITOVI EOOKERY. 327 



A COW at Lukaiiiii Point tries to get to tbe water and is pursued a long way by 

 her own bull, then rij;bt and left by four other bulls, the last one on the water's edge- 

 She remonstrates and explains, biting at them. One nearly breaks her neck. The 

 clitt' is dangerously high. She dare not drop off the elitt' into the water. Cows in 

 the harem bite at her. She finally escapes by making a long detour, but has to stop 

 frequently to rest. Cows returning do not seem to have the same difficulty. 



When a cow wishes to take to the water her own bull remonstrates with her. 

 Then the bulls through whose domains she goes try to detain her. lu the eud, how- 

 ever, she has her own way. Often the bulls come to blows — that is, to blowing their 

 strong, musky breath at each other, like rival journalists. Cows often seem to forget 

 what they started out for and go back to the harem. The purposelessness of action 

 is very characteristic of harem life. 



When cows come in from the water they seem hampered by their wet coats, and 

 are discouragiugly deliberate about hunting up their pups. It makes one tired to 

 watch them, they are in so little of a hurry. It is said that they do not let their pups 

 nurse, even if they find them, before they get dry. Cows have, however, been seen 

 to nnr.se their pups almost inunediately after finding them, and while (juite wet. Two 

 cows come out of the water apparently with some idea of where their pups are. They 

 call and two pups come, and after being smelled over are accepted. One nurses the 

 wet mother, the other is made to wait. — (Mr. Lucas.) 



The bachelors are full of curiosity, coining to look at us if we sit down. Four- 

 year-olds swim all about the edge of the rookeries like whales, at home in the water 

 though despised on land. 



There is need of a manual for the guidance of young bulls. They land from the 

 sea on the domain of the idle bull and are lucky if they escape scalped. The same 

 thing happens if they get into the breeding ground. 



Cows are near-sighted. They do not notice one at all unless he is above the level 

 or moving. An exception to this seems to be when a seal comes to the surface of the 

 water to breathe. Then the animal seems to catch sight of the person walking or 

 standing on the shore even at a considerable distance. It will make a quick dive 

 and hasten off through the water, soon, however, coming to the surface, gazing 

 curiously at the object of alarm. The seal's senses are less acute than those of many 

 other animals. It has too few enemies to make accuracy of sense perception 

 necessary. 



The sun citmes out hot and every hind flipper on the rookery goes like a fan. 

 The day is uimsually clear and hot for St. Paul. Such a day as this is unfavorable for 

 driving, aud yesterday it was necessary to turn a thousand seals back into the sea 

 and discontinue the killing, because of the untimely appearance of the sun. To make 

 the seals exert themselves in such weather or undergo any unusual excitement would 

 be disastrous. 



JULY 23. 



Mr. Lucas and Professor Thompson went early to Poloviua to witness the drive, 

 and afterwards to inspect the rookeries. Ur. Jordan aud Mr. Clark also visited the 

 same rookeries later in the day. 



Weather cloudy, wind from north, changing to northwest. Thermometer 44; 

 barometer 30.44. 



