568 THK FUR SEALS OF THF, PRIHILOF ISLANDS. 



SEA-LION ROOKEKIES. 



There arc .> sea limi rookeries on Northeast Point. Tiie third I did not see last 

 year. Tiie largest one is on Sea Lion Neck. I counted .50 pups which ii;id not taken 

 to the water, and seeniinj;ly(lid not like to go. Many of the laiger ones were swim 

 uiing with their mothers. I counted 27 dead pups which had apjjarently been 

 trani])led.' One was freshly dead, and its skin was taken for a museum specimen. 



The sea lion rookery on the point is the smallest. At the one midway between 

 the i)()int and Hutchinson Hill 47 i>ups were counted in the water. Only 1 or 2 dead 

 pups were seen in these last 2 rookeries, though they were not as closely inspected 

 as the one on Sea Lion Neck. 



Along the beach ])ortion of the rookeries of Northeast Point the harems were in 

 many i>hM;es very much scattered, and many were small. The single harems were 

 numerous. In a number of cases pups only remained with the bulls, the cows having 

 disappi'ai'cd. 



At the killing this morning 1,.'>22 skins were taken; 50(1 large and 2,047 small 

 seals were turned back. 



Mr. Adams rejjorts 410 cows in 50 harems on the Amphitheater. There are 5 

 idle Indls. There were 219 cows in the 19 typi(;al harems under Lukauiu cliffs. It is 

 plain tiiat there is a steady diminution of the cows. 



MR. LTCAS'S NOTES. 



A recount of the cliffs of Tolstoi gives ll.'i harems and 834 cows. The increase in 

 nundter of harems is due to the entrance of new bulls who force themselves in and 

 establish small, often temporary harems. On .July l."> the majority of harems 

 contained over 10 cows each; on July 22 the majority contained less than 10. At the 

 earlier date there were 21 harems with 5 cows or undei': to day there are 41 harems 

 with 5 cows or under. The massed portion of Tolstoi is today very sparsely occupied ; 

 at the same time there are very few animals in the water. This absence of the 

 swimnung seals is one of the noteworthy evidences of shrinkage. 



The white cow on Tolstoi head is present to-day near the place she occupied 

 last season. 



JULY 23. 



POLO VINA. 



A force of men was left at Halfway Point last night to make a drive this morning 

 from Polovina rookery. Two hundred and seventy-four skins only were obtained out 

 of the drive; IGl large and ()98 small ones were turned away. One hundred skins 

 weighed in the salt house averaged S.5 pounds each. The killing was made at the 

 salt iioMse at Stony Point. 



Mr. Lucas and I went up to Polovina and made a count of the harems on the 

 main part of the rookery and on Little Polovina. A correct count of the main 

 rookery was not secured last year. The estimate given for it was slightly high, but 

 still not far out of the way. There are 139 harems this year where 138 were 

 estimated last year. The rookery is, however, plainly much reduced. Only a 



' They m:iy liave died of rnciiiaria. This rookery in p;irt occupies a sandy bed. 



