THE COUNT OF HAREMS AT NOKTHEAST POINT. 507 



the two sides of the peiiiusula, all the hauliug grounds are brought n[> in one drive. 

 The lessened number of bachelors makes this i)ossible. 



The ab-^eiice of bachelors to be disturbed made it possible to count the harems on 

 the Northeast Point rookeries with reasonable accuracy. The only (ilace where 

 estimates were made was along the shore line of the mass under Untchinsou flill 

 and the other mass to the south near the western end of the rookery. Less than 100 

 harems were so estimated. 



The first section of Morjovi, Just opposite Webster Ilouse, has (i7 harems now. 

 Last year there were ST harems. On Sea Lion Xeck there are L*4 harems today where 

 2.") were couured last year on the IGth. All the harems are small, many having only 1 

 cow. These iiave plainly been formed since the harems have begun to scatter. 



For the re:naining part of the rookeries comparisons can not be instituted, but 

 for Morjovi there are a total of 2 !.'> harems and for N'ostochni of 910. 



The mass of harems under Hutchinson Uill is no longer a wonderful one. l-'rom 

 tlie irregular but compact form of a week ago, as seen by Mr. Morton, it has now 

 spread out thinly over the whole space above the beach. But on this flat are (mly U2 

 harems. This portion of the rookery is really smaller than either the mass beside 

 Walrus Bight or that near the western end of the rookery. 



THE COUNTING. 



By going down in the empty bachelor runways it was possible to see the beach 

 portions of the rookery. In the great contiTiuous patch extending from the foot of 

 Hutchinson Hill nearly a mile to the westward the presence of a great drove of idle 

 bulls would have prevented approach, but it was found that by starting up a drove 

 of young bulls and keei)ing them moving along the rear the idle bulls gave ground 

 and gradually became absorbed with them, so that the edge of the beach could be 

 reached at every point. 



Ten dead bulls were counted in the rear of the harems on the 2 rookeries. They 

 were not on ground occupied by harems, but in the region of idle bulls, showing the 

 fierce fighting that has taken place among them. Last season the bulls found dead 

 were among the harems or on the water front, for the most jiart. There wore 3 dead 

 cows on the tlat below Hutchinson Hill. Xumerous dead pups were seen. One pup 

 bad a suppurating eye. Two bulls were seen in a dying condition. Two were so 

 injured in the front flippers that tliey could scarcely walk. Almost every bull in sight 

 was seamed with scars. Occasionally, in the disturbances created during the count, 

 fights would be started between bulls, which soon appeared to lose their senses and 

 continued to tight until lost sight of. The scarred conditiDU of the bulls is a noticeable 

 feature of this year, due without doubt to the diminished number of cows and sharper 

 rivalry among the unoccupied bulls. Some of the bulls nearest the harems are so 

 much more savage than the idle bulls, as a class, that it seems likely they had 

 harems last year and are furious because they can not get any this year. In the drives 

 are many old bulls and many young ones fully grown. Some of these are scarred, 

 showing that they had attempted to secure places on the rookeries. A large number 

 of the smaller bachelors have shown fresh cuts, in all likelihood made by bites from 

 these bulls while on the drives. 



