41'-' THK FUR SEALS OP^ THE PKIHII.DF ISLANDS. 



being adiuiriibly adapted for rookery purposes, covered as it is by large bowlders liice 

 the lagoou. One dead bull, 5 dead cows, and 1 yearling holostiak were also found on 

 this rookery. One of the cows and the holostiak were fresh, and the skins were taken 

 for nuiseuin purposes. 



The dead cow contained a fulitiiue fetus, evidently all right. It was saved and 

 brought home for <lat:' as to weight and nieusurenient. The fetus was ready to be 

 presented liead first, contrary to the order of presentation in the birth witnessed 

 on Ardiguen, where the hind Hippers appeared first and the head last. It is to be 

 noted that here is a \>n\> still unl)orn, showing that the limit of bii'ths extends late into 

 August. 



The lungs of the cow were found to be badly congested. She might have been 

 rouglily handled by a bull. No other cause of death seemed api)areut. 



The holostiak showed a crushed skull; evidently from a, blow on the liead. 

 There was also considerable congestion on the back of tiu' neck and shoulders. 

 Might have been the result of a blow at a killing, but as no killings from this region 

 have been made since July 27, and as the animal must have died within a few hours, 

 this can not have been the cause. 



As a rule no worms are found in the stomachs of the jjups dissected. A few 

 were found in the small intestine of a starved puj). They probably do not get them 

 until they begin to eat tish. 



PROPORTION OF PIPS TO COWS. 



A count of pups at Zapadni Keef confirms what we were led to expect from the 

 count on Lagoon. It is significant as showing that through the coming and going of 

 cows on the rookery, it haiipens that at no one time can all the cows be found, or even 

 much more than one half of them. The counts, therefore, on which the census of the 

 rookeries has been liased are not true to the facts. They can, however, be corrected 

 if we can ascertain the proportion between the cows actually present and the pups 

 born. It will be necessary to count Ivitovi and other places to determine and verify 

 this excess of living i)ups, ami, if possible, to form a new basis of enumeration. Tliis 

 discovery necessarily affects the estimate of True and Townsend for last season, which 

 was based upon the supposition that all the cows were present when it was made in 

 July. 



LITTLE ZAl'ADNI RdoKEItV. 



The count of dead pups on Zapadni and Little /apadui was made by Dr. Jordan 

 and Mr. Macoun, Professor Tliompson and Mr. Lucas, dissecting such as were fresh. 



Little Zapadni is a steep hillside covered with coarse anguhir bowlders. Among 

 the large rocks are many depressions full of rainwater, and excessively filthy from the 

 excrement of the seals. 



This rookery has very few dead pups. Of all tlie rookeries on the island it is the 

 most ditticult for a man to walk over. The total number of dead pups was 134; there 

 were 6 dead cows. A living cow was seen which had been severely wounded on the 

 back. The wound was beginning to heal. A yearling female was noticed playing 

 witii the pups much as a girl would play with dolls. 



Eighteen dead pups were found on the sandy beach between Little Zapadni and 

 Zapadni proper. 



