350 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



reiiiaikable. Mr. Macoun points out the spot where Ik^ to-day counts 2;'» dead pups 

 as the jilaee where the great mass of dead pups, estimated by him at over 4,0(»0, was 

 seen in 1892. 



So far as couhl be made ont with the glass, no other cause of death than tliat 

 abeady noted in siinihir places on otlier rookeries can be discovered, namely, cnisliing 

 under foot by lighting bulls. The pups seem small at a distance, but may be partially 

 (!oncealed by the sand. They show a uniforudy flattened appearance and are not 

 curled \i\). They seem to have died about the same time, or to have been dead about 

 the same lengtli of time. Their appearance seems to indicate that they died in the 

 height of the season. lu many cases the fur is worn off in jtatches. 



Mr. Macoun remarks that the mortality is not so great to-day as it was in 1892, 

 but his observations of that year were m;ld(^ somewhat hiteran.l under more favorable 

 (tonditions. lu liis oi)inii)n, not starvation, but some ei)idemi<', was the cMUse of death 

 in 1892. He agrees that 200 would probably cover the dead jinps today on Tolstoi 

 Sands. 



Ml!. LITCAS'S NOTES. 



On ]<ja.st rookery of .St. (Tcorge, the hauling grounds and breeding grounds are 

 now but a mere fraction of the space formerly occui)ied. The character of the ground 

 anil the vegetation shows that within very recent times — say live or six years — the 

 rookery covered twice the area and the hauling ground ten times the present area. 



There are some idh^ bulls about, mostly young, and niiiny bachelors. Old bulls 

 are hauled out on the beach at various points. The harems are small, the rookeries 

 sparsely jiopulatcd. 



Little East and (Ireat East rookeries were once continuous; now they ai-e 

 sejjarated by a considerable space, and East contains I'A') harems and Little East 40. 



One fresh placenta seen at the water's edge. 



JULY 30. 



Dr. Jordan and Mr. Clark visited Gorbatch and lleef rookeries in the afternoon, 

 Mr. Macoun visited Lukauin. 



The day Avas cloudy and foggy; southwesterly winds. Thermometer 40; barome- 

 ter 30.45. 



ZOLTOI. 



An old bull with a broken Hipper, which lay in the "hospital "at the angle of 

 Zoltoi Sands, was killed. He was going about on three legs, holding up the injured 

 Hipper like a dog would its paw. 



THE COLOKATION OF THE CO^yS. 



There does not seem to be much truth in the current idea that the light-colored 

 cows are receut arrivals and the brown ones those which have been out long enough 

 to get sunburned. It seemed plausible enough when we lirst landed on St. George, 

 but there are more of these silvery oues now on the rookeries than there have been 

 atauy time this sc^asou. The season is now I'ai- enough advanced to make it possible 

 to assert that all the adult breeding cows are on the rookeriesorel.se have gone to 

 sea after having given birth to their pups. It seems almost certain that the lighter 



