35() THE FUR SEALS OK THE PRIIULOF ISLANDS. 



l>i(>b:ibly afcidciit thiit dctcniiiues which horn shall bf. impregnated first, but after 

 tlie lirst pup is born impregnation occurs each year in tlie unused horn. While the 

 horn which has just borne the pup is' recovering from gestation the othei' is made 

 ready for impregnation. 



The silvery cow belonged to the old black bull. The Graalian follicle showed no 

 trace of rupture in the right ovary. Tiie follicle in the left was about to rupture. 

 The ovaries in this case were a little larger than in the first cow. l)ut showed no trace 

 of having yet been fertilized. This cow was somewhat fatter than the other and a 

 little larger. 



Secretions of the outer part of the vaginal tube in both cows proved acid; those 

 of the uterus alkaline; mammary glands normally developed in both. No corpus 

 luteum ai)peared in either ovary of either cow. l>oth stomachs were wholly empty 

 except for a few nematode worms. The fat was yeUow iu its color. The ijitestiues of 

 both contained excrement. 



THE YEARLING MALE. 



Near by were two small seals in charge of a y(ning half bull. The smaller one 

 was shot and proved to be a yearling bull. It had all the appearances of a female, 

 and Jacob said it was one. The bull showed it all the attention which ct)uld have 

 been exi)ectcd in the case of a cow. It showed tremendous tenacity of life; had to 

 be shot twice in the head ami neck, and yet had strength enough to bite and scream. 

 If it had been in the sea it would probably have swam a mile, perhai>s many nulcs, 

 though from the loss of blood it nuist eventually have succumbed. It defied all of 

 us, even after the second shot, and continued to fight till struck with a knife. It is 

 simply imi)Ossible to believe that pelagic sealers do not lose a large percentage of 

 those they shoot. No other animal shows the temicity of life that a seal does, and 

 no animal is more free from sickness or defective parts. When first shot the little 

 yearling screamed like an angry pup. 



The sacrifice of this yearling was valuable in showing how easy it is to be 

 deceived. This animal was watched closely at a distance of not more than 10 feet 

 by several persons, all of whom pronounced it a female as far as appearance went. 



The yearling male is about the size of the 2-year-old female. Jacob and the 

 other natives say they can tell the female by the sharper snout and narrower bead. 

 But while the head of one female killed seemed to l)ear imt this view, the other 

 most decideilly did not, iind there was no essential difference l)et\veen the head of the 

 yearling and that of the female. There does not seem to be any characteristics that 

 will surely determine the sex of the young aninuils other than those of the sexual 

 organs themselves. 



It is evident from our experience with this and other animals shot for scientific 

 purposes that the suggestion that rifles should be substituted for clubs on the killing 

 grounds is not a wise one. The amount of suffering would be greatly increased by 

 such a change.' 



' In 1897, whilo .seciu-inf; bulls for mnseniii purposes, .I;ii-ol) Kocfmten shot a I)iill twelve times 

 hct'orc- hr tin:illy killed it. To require tlio natives to slioot the seals iu the land killiiiirs \vonI<l li' 

 nonsense. 



