422 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



TOLSTOI. 



In the iifteriioou Tolstoi rookery was visited with a view to couuting the live 

 pups under the clitt's. Passiug by the saudy tract, a bull aud two cows were the 

 only adult animals on the saud which would not give way. One of the cows was 

 found to have a newly born pup still wet and unable to walk. The mother fondled 

 over it aiul snapped viciously at two starved pu])s which were trying to nurse her. 

 The bull seemed ([uite as fierce and dangerous as at the height of the season. They 

 were not disturbed further. 



Under Tolstoi clitfs 2,lGi pups were counted. The water for a distance out was 

 lined with pups swimming, mingled with holostiaki. No attempt was made to count 

 them or any of the pujjs that took to the water during the count. There were prob- 

 ably 500 of them in the water. Another ditticulty arose from the hiding of the pups 

 in the caves and holes among the rocks. As many of these were counted as possible, 

 but two hundred pups might easily have been overlooked in out of the way places. 

 This is especially trne of the part next the head, which is made up of great bowlders 

 piled in confused lieaps, in the angles and crevices of which the pups were thickly 

 packed. 



A large cream-colored albino cow with pink tlip]iers and eyes was seen at Tolstoi 

 Head. She was a tine-looking animal. Her presence was noted at the time of the 

 count of the cows early iu the sea.sou. 



ARDIGUEN. 



In the course of the afternoon Mr. Crowley and Mr. Townsend counted ])ups 

 on Ardiguen. Cows were counted here on July 13 by Mr. Townsend and found to 

 number ."»50. The number of live pups counted was 650. The pups were counted 

 twice in an hour and a half, the second count tallying closely with the first. The 

 first count was made from the overhanging bUUfs; the second by passing through 

 the rookery. Not more than 30 pups were in the heavy breakers along the shore.' 



AUGUST 19. 

 THE COUNTINc; OF LIVE PUPS. 



An attempt was made by :\lr. Clark and Mr. Townsend, assisted by Judge Crowley 

 and natives, to count the live pups on (iorbatch rookery, beginning at the nortli end. 

 After counting for some distance it was found utterly impossible to manage the seals. 

 In the first place the jtups could not be kept from taking to the water, and once iu it 

 they either remained there or swam ahead if counted, and back if not counted. Then 

 in every crevice in the rocks the little fellows would pile up on one another so that 

 they could neither be got out nor counted, it even seemed that some of tliem would 

 l)e smothered, so thickly were tliey packed in. Tlie seals could not be worked off 

 gradually, and either went in large bodies, trampling the pups, or else the pui>s 

 accompanied them into the water. 



' We can not help feeling that this count failed to get all the pups among the rorlvs. They 

 certainly could not have been seen from the hank, and as the i ouiit on the vookcry merely corrolioratid 

 the one from above, it does not add strength to it. In 1897 this little rookery showed most decided 

 shrinkao-e. Three harems, aggregating 78 cows, wore wholly wanting, and yet a careful count of 

 the live pups iu August gave 736. We are therefore iu.-lmed to believe that Ardiguen w.-is under- 

 estimated in 18M6. 



