THE HERDED SEALS. 



591 



Siimmdri/ of all disstHioiia on St, Paul Island, heginiiiiig with August 19 — Continued. 

 U. SUMMARY BY SUCCESSIVE DATES. 



SEPTEMBER 5. 

 ME. WAKEEN'S NOTES. 



This aft«ruoon I visited the seals in the lagoon. At the landing, or the place 

 where the fence crosses the neck of the lagoon, about 150 seals are hauled out on the 

 bank on either side of the channel. Others are in the water bumping up against the 

 fence and biting at it but not doing it any special damage. A few seals have escaped. 

 The greater part of the seals are hauled out on the flat near the base of the bluff 

 toward Tolstoi. 



There seems to be no doubt that the seals realize the fact that they are confined, 

 and they patrol the fence looking for an opening. Undoubtedly they can get over 

 the 42 iuch fence when they set out to in earnest, but few of them seem to care to 

 make the exertion. Most of those which have escaped as yet have done so by 

 crawling through a hole where tlie wire does not fit closely to the ground. These 

 holes we are fixing as f;ist as pns.^ible. 



There is a beaten path around just inside the fence extending probably two-thirds 

 the way around, where the seals have gone searching for an oi)ening. The point 

 where their eftbrts to escape are chiefly concentrated is near tlie bluft" at Tolstoi. 

 This is the route by which the bachelors released fnmi the killings make their way to 

 the sea. There also the nature of the ground is such that there are many long holes, 

 depressions, hillocks, etc., into which the wire fence does not fit. 



SEPTEMBER 6. 

 SIR. EDWAEDS'S NOTES. 



In accordance with instructions, I counted the dead pups on the amphitheater as 

 they accumulated since the removal of those found on August 13. 



XttiitbtT dead. 



Aug.14 3 Xng. 29. 



19 7 31. 



24 23 Sept. 3. 



27 36 6. 



39 

 45 

 52 

 56 



