490 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PKIBILOF ISLANDS. 



the reef ouly to be lamleil back into the shallow water. It is only necessary to see 

 the pups handle themselves in this surf to appreciate the nonsense of the "deadly 

 surf nip." 



The seals and puijs on this rookery, in their present position, remind one of the 

 appearance of the rookery in the breeding season. The old bulls are numerous, and 

 as soon as the cows arc disturbed they begin rounding them up and roaring. Along 

 the shore there are others which dispute your passage with a little show of old time 

 vigor, but soon take to the water. 



Judging from this rookery and others visited there will be no loss in beginning 

 the count Monday morning. The few j)ups that will die within the course of next 

 week can be counted or estimated. I should not put the number on Polovina at more 

 than 50 and this estimate would be about right for the other rookeries of the same 

 size.' 



SEPTEMBER 27. 



BRANDED PUPS. 



I went this morning with Colonel Murray to look up branded pups more closely. 

 We drove off the seals from the part of Lukanin on which the branding was done, 

 watching the pui)s as they went down over the rocks to the sea in order to note the 

 branded ones and particularly to .see if any trace of the castrated pup could be found. 

 Nothing was seen of the latter. A number of branded juips were seen, and all were in 

 good condition, most of their backs being well healed, .some completely so. One of 

 the single-branded pups from Kitovi was among the Lukanin pups, and his brand 

 showed no soreness. 



A branded pup was found just on the verge of starvation. He was killed for 

 closer examination. The scars on his back were in a bad condition, the skin turned 

 up at the edges, and the wound being full of juis. The skin was shriveled and 

 shrunken, but its bad condition was due to the fact of starvation. There was no 

 vitality to carry on the work of repair. This pup is doubtless one of those suspected 

 of starving at the time of the branding. 



After the seals had left the ground it was carefully searched for starved pups and 

 branded ones. The castrated pup was not found among the dead, nor were other 

 branded pups found dead. There is left but one puj) whose death is nnaccounted 

 for. This one may have died as a i-esult of branding, but not necessarily. Of the 

 two pups found dead, one looked as if it had been drowned; the other was emaciated 

 and seemed to have died of starvation. 



Going along under the cliffs and up to tlie face of Lukanin Hill, we lound many 

 other branded pui)s, all nearly or quite recovered from their brands. Theie is no 

 doubt as to the spoiling of the skin by branding, and there is no doubt of the success 

 of branding. 



One large gray puj), greatly bloated and unalde to make any use of his front 

 flippers, was found. He was full of fight, but helpless to raise his liead. He will 

 probably be here when we come to count the dead pups in a day or two, and we 

 will then have him killed. 



' On close inspcctiiin a very diffen-nt result was oMained. A very iuailequate count of the 

 starviug pups gave 1,500 Jor tbe rookeries of St. Paul, aud it was doubtless far below the facts. 



