578 THE FL'K SEALS OF THE PRIllILUF ISLANDS. 



The count oC pups ou Kitovi rookery for the two seasons is very satisfactory. 

 Last year, tliough tlie count was made Lite, a tremendous surf was beating' against 

 the water front of tlie rookery, and the ]uips couhl not take to tiie water. Tliis year 

 they had not begun to swim to any extent, and tlie very moderate surf kept such as 

 might be inclined to padiUc in the water away from it. The bulls were not present 

 last year, but this year tliey oft'ered no serious difficulty beyond the danger involved 

 in getting about among them. In fact, they served as a help in keeping the pups 

 broken up in pods. 



Four dead cows were seen on this rookery. The number of pups dead scorned 

 about normal compared with last year. Few sickly j)ups were seen. Tliis is in contrast 

 with the conditions of last year. Then the lirst victims of staivation from i)elagic 

 sealing were about ready to die, and in each jiod of living ones drawn oft' there would 

 be left in the wake a lot of stragglers half dead. There were practically none of these 

 this year. Such weak ones as were seen were more likely to be victims of rnrinurin^ 

 or lost mothers. But they were few in number, not more than a dozen all told being 

 observed. 



At the killing this morning from Reef and Lukanin 418 seals were taken; 350 

 large and 1,440 small ones were turned back. One hundred skins weighed an 

 average of 8 pounds each. Two seals died on the drive, one on Zoltoi sands and the 

 other at the edge of the killing gnmnds while one of the pods was resting. 



UU. JOEDAN'S NOTES. 



Dead pups on the Reef are much fewer than last year. Only 1 was found at the 

 north end of the larger of the two ponds. It had starved. 



A cow when alarmed seized her small pup in her mouth and ran a few stejis witli 

 it. I have not seen this occur before. The puj) seems weak and is probably very 

 young. The mother is very attentive to it. 



Two small weakly starving pups were killed. One had sore eyes. The pups 

 showed great vitality. 



The great rookery patches on the Reef are much shrunken from last year. The 

 largest is 200 feet below its extension in 189G. The bulls are weakening rapidly. A 

 recently dead cow was found on the Reef. She was old an<l in milk. Examination 

 showed an unborn pup, breech presentation. The uterus was ruptured and the 

 placenta was outside of it. To the uterus was attached a superfetus in bad condition, 

 in size about twice as long as an egg. Gangrene had set in at the mouth of the uterus. 

 The ovaries were normal. The large pup was also uormal, except for the wrong 

 presentation. 



ABDIGUEN. 



1 went down on the shelf which was last year occui)ied by bull A. Xo seals have 

 been there this season. The places of B and are occupied by an old idle bull eai^h. 

 In D's place are two pups only. In E's place is a water bull. F has 5 pups and 2 

 cows. There are 21 pups about G's place. One st.arved pup is present. The upper 

 part of the slide is practically deserted. The idle bulls at its mouth are very fierce. 



A cow witli a wound on her shoulder from which pus was running was seen. She 

 had probably been shot. 



