MAKLNKHEN ROOKERY. 465 



SEPTEMBER 6. 



Dr. Joidiiu, Mr. Lucas, .Mr. Barrett-Hamiltou, aucl Mr. Clark visit Gorbatch in 

 the afternoon. 



GORBATCH. 



The nsual number of liair seals are out on the rocks at the point. 



Mr. Lucas counts 4 additional starved pups, making in all 15 to the present time. 

 These have died within a week. 



A wet cow is seen to recognize a pup which looks as if he were half starved. He 

 is very eager, but his mother is slow to give him a chance to nurse. The little fellow 

 seems almost ready to eat her up. He fights off the other pups in the way and keeps 

 shaking his head and calling to his mother. Two other pups, plainly starving, are 

 following the cow. These she drives oft'. This cow has probably been an unusually 

 long time away. At last she climbs to a flat rock near the head of the cliff', pushes a 

 pod of sleeping pups oft" from it, and, after much delay, she nurses her own. 



There are many starving pups in the "slide."' The old bull in A's position still 

 holds his ground. 



LUKANIN. 



After returning home Mr. Lucas and Mr. Clark went over to Lukanin rookery to 

 see the branded pups. Sixty-six of the 124 are counted from the top of the cliff' 

 without disturliing the seals. A close count was not attempted. 



One branded pup is seen out in the water swimming among the others. He is 

 apparently enjoying himself quite as well as his fellows. Three are seen to laud from 

 a swim within a few minutes. Two are seen to swim out. One is nursing. His mother 

 lies on a rock and the pup stands on his hind flippers, showing the branded back to 

 good advantage. The pups seen are, in general, doing just wliat the other i^uiis are 

 doing. None seem to feel any bad efl'ects, though the inspection is not close. 



On the west side of the hauling ground on Lukanin Hill there is a bright, fresh 

 green strip of grass which fringes the entire west side and rear end of the hauling 

 ground. Beyond it is a much wider strip of the yellow seal grass which marks the 

 shrinkage area of the rookeries. The green strip on the west side is lo feet wide; 

 the yellowish strip beyond is 65 feet. Distributed through the abandoned area are 

 bowlders similar to those on the hauling grounds. The seals once occupied the entire 

 width of this strij) of 80 feet, and the fresh young grass probably marks the area 

 abandoned this present year, showing that the hauling grounds shrink away toward 

 the rookery. This is but natural, as the bachelors try to get as close as possible and 

 are kept away by the bulls. They always keep as close to the harems as possible, 

 and therefore any shrinkage must be visible on the outer side, or away from the 

 rookery. 



INTERVIEW WITH ARTIMONOF. 



In tlie afternoon Dr. Jordan had an interview with Kerik Artimonof, at which 

 Apollon, the native chief, acted as interpreter, with a view to obtaining information 

 regarding the old rookery said to have once existed on the North Shore. 



Artimonof said in substauce: 



'• I am the oldest man on the island, and was chief for eighteen years during the 

 time when Dr. Mclutyre was superintendent of the company. Maruiiichen was a small 



