534 , THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



There are 17G cows, all told, on Lukaiiiu to day. Mr. Adams saw S new cows 

 arrive in the course of an hour. The largest harem in sight under the cliffs has 13 

 cows. A cow arrived at i o'clock this afternoon and was cai)tured by a bull without 

 other cows. It will be possible to keep her under watch. All the other harems with 

 single cows are mixed up by the accession of new cows. 



JUNE 26. 



A killing was made this morning from Tolstoi, Middle Hill, and English Bay. 

 The day was extremely unfavorable, bright sunshine prevailing all the time. This is 

 the fourth day of such weather. By turning the seals frequently into the little poud 

 at Icc-llouse Lake the killing was carried on without serious accident. 



Mr. Morton and Colonel INIurray made the count of rejected seals. The total 

 killing amounted to 1,098, and 214 small and 4(»2 large seals were turned away. lu 

 the salt house 100 skins were weighed and the average weight found to be 7.4 pounds. 



The rejected seals were turned into the salt lagoon, and went directly out over the 

 reef at the angle of the clitt'. The larger seals doubtless made the trip last year 

 and remember the way. 



I went to Tiukanin when the killing was well under way. A cow was stolen from 

 a large harem by a bull in the rear. This is the second cow which he has been seen 

 to steal from the same harem. He has a third cow% which was also doubtless stolen. 

 A pup newly born in the harem is in great danger from his efforts to control the 

 new cow. Its mother picks it up, holding it in her mouth for some seconds, and 

 jiutting it down in front so that she can stand guard over it. The pup of the recently 

 stolen cow is calling and the mother answering. In the course of ten minutes the 

 little fellow has reached his new home. 



A badly torn cow which was found carried off into another harem has not yet 

 succeeded in getting her pup. She calls it at intervals and it answers, but can not 

 get over the intervening rocks and has not sense enough to go around. The cow was 

 lirst seen in her new position yesterday morning. 



There are 207 cows this morning on Lukanin. A number of the harems range 

 from 12 to 19 cows each. The large harems are constantly growing larger. Many 

 bulls, even at the water's edge, have no cows, and a good many have only 1 as yet. 

 Where a harem is formed with a single cow it is either by theft or by the capture of 

 a landing cow. Where the cows have any choice in the matter they tend to get into 

 the harems which are already occupied. The Amphitheater has 76 cows. 



A test of 100 skins from the killing this morning in ten lots were weighed, the 

 weights being as follows: 05.;^, 74.i, I'.i^, 74, 70, 70, 79, 75^, 76, 78i. This gives an 

 average weight per skin of 7f pounds. 



REEF. 



In the afternoon 1 visited the Keef. All along Gorbatch we have the same 

 phenomenon of big harems with small ones mixed in and bulls without any cows. In 

 the rear are the scattering small harems, evidently formed by capture. The same is 

 true of Ardiguen, and, so far as can be seen from a distance, of Keef rookery also. 

 The harems in the latter place are under the bowlder beach and are not visible flt-om 

 the rear except in one or two places. Everything tends to show that the cows in 



