5(;-2 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRllULOK ISLANDS. 



Mr. Adaiii.s reports the lollowiiis' eouiits for the iiniphitheater: July 14, 550; July 

 l.">, 703; July 1(>, 078. l'\)r the same dates the totals for the I'J harems ou Lukaiiiu 

 were as follows: 327, 325, 338. 



MR. LUCAS'S NOTES. 



Harem No. 25, on Gorbatch, has to day 34 cows and 34 pups, 2 recently born, as 

 shown by i)lacentas. The hareui next below has 12 cows and 10 pups. A recount of 

 Ardiguen gives 33 harems and 40L' cows, including 1 dead one. At this time last year 

 there were many cows and pups on the flat above the slide. There are none there now. 



There are no cows on to[) of Lukanin at photo station 12, where there were cows 

 last year. This lack of cows at positively known points, and the ability to approach 

 with ease places that could not be visited last year except with great difficulty, shows 

 conclusively the general shrinkage of the rookeries. 



JULY 18. 



Mr. Lucas and I went in a boat to Tolstoi and Zapadni Reef. A count of harems 

 for the main part of Tolstoi gave a total of 2t)5 harems. The count was made from a 

 boat otfshore, and is fairly accurate. Seen from the water, the population of Tolstoi 

 sand Hat loses its compact and dense form. It is inteisected by numerous vacant 

 spaces, on which are no cows, but which are black with pups. One large harem is 

 isolated in the western end of the flat. The harems are climbing the slo])e at the very 

 end. The middle portion of the slope is wholly devoid of cows. The bowlder bcaih 

 is thickly lined with harems. At the eastern end the wedge of cows extends up to 

 the foot of the slope and harems are scattered along in a band to the to]). The usind 

 commotion and excitement are visible. The bulls are fighting and rushing about 

 recklessly among and over the cows and pups. 



The count of cows on Zapadni Keef, which was begun but not completed on the 

 14th, was finished from the boat to-day. Tlie completed count for this breeding ground 

 gave 1,049 cows in 114 harems. This shows a singularly great decrease. It will 

 remain for the count of live pups to show whether this is due to some peculiar 

 condition at this time or whether in reality the number of cows has so largely decreased. 

 The count of last year gave 176 harems and 2,256 cows. The count of this year is 

 (•ertainly very accurate for the conditions prevailing to-day and on the 14th. 



In the evening Lukanin and Kitovi were visited. There are 566 cows in the 

 Amphitheater and in the 19 harems chosen for daily count on Lukanin there are 228 

 cows. For the.se 19 harems 416 pups can be counted, and they must with very few 

 exceptions belong to the harems counted. 



JULY 19. 



I made a visit to theEeef and Gorbatch rookeries this morning in company with 

 Mr. Lucas. Gorbatch everywhere on the rocky slope falls short of the conditions last 

 year. No harems are o)i the hill and the harems do not reach within 100 feet of Old 

 Johns Kock. There is also a marked thinning out on the i)oiMt where the hair seals 

 haul out. The conditions at the present time on tlie rocky slope do not compare 

 with those of this time last year any more than did the conditions of the loth instant 

 with those of the samed:ite last year. 



The large harem of 150 cows noted on the loth instant is now broken into two. 



