NOTES ON WALRUS ISLAND. 653 



JULY 12. 



A di'ivc was made tliis moruinj;- from Lukauin arid the TJeet'. No seals wero found 

 on Zoltoi. Eight hundred and four seals were killed; 140 large and fi38 small seals 

 were turned back. Those killed represented 50 per cent of the animals driven. 

 Lukanin is again Justifying its reputation as the "nursery," as the greater part of the 

 little ones came from it. 



COUNT OF LAGOON. 



After the killing Mr. Macoun and myself made a count of the cows, by harems, on 

 Lagoon rookery. JMr. Lucas managed the boat. The following is the count of harems 

 in detail: 



Toral cows 1,319 



Total harems 115 



Average harem 11.4 



The count for Lagoon rookery for last year was made on July 13, but as Kitovi 

 I'ookery had to be counted and photographed by Mr. Macoun on that date this year, 

 at his suggestion the count of the lagoon was made one day in advance. The weather 

 conditions were very favorable and the count is accurate. Tiie harems on the inner 

 side of the reef are fewer and smaller than last year, there being only S harems of 

 from 1 to J: cows not visible from the water front. 



WALRIS ISLAND. 



In the afternoon I was able to visit Walrus Island through the kindness of 

 Captain Roberts, of tlie Rush, who took over Mr. Duffield and his assistants to make a 

 survey. The vessel overran the island about 2i miles in the fog, having been carried 

 out of her cour.se by the currents. 



Walrus Island is devoid of vegetation except for a small area of seal grass near 

 the northern end. Mingled with the seal grass is the species of wormwood common 

 about the abandoned rookeries. The island is everywhere low. The coast line is for 

 the most part precipitous. There are a number of little coves suitable for landing, the 

 best one on the eastern side. Probably no landing could be effected on the island in 

 any except the smoothest weather. 



The island is covered with birds, which on our landing filled the air and made 

 rain coats and sou'westers indispensable articles of wearing apparel. The birds were 

 the ones common to the other islaiuls, the only remarkable feature about them being 

 their great numbers in a small space. The arris occupy the flat tops of the basaltic 

 columns and tlie ledges of the clifts. Each one stands above a single large egg resting 

 with its larger end ou the bare rock aud the smaller tucked under the feathers of the 



