OBSERVATIONS ON THE FUE SEALS OF THE 

 PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



I. ASSIGNMENT OF "WORK. 



As the act of Congress above quoted couteinplates a very extended investigation, 

 the work has been divided among the mcnibors of the Commission as follows: 



1. The general report; the diary of daily observations; detailed descriptions of the 

 rookeries; hauling and killing grounds and drives; the starvation of pups, and the 

 general moveuients of the seals on the islands— Dr. Jordan and Mr. Clark. 



2. Anatoiuical studies; the causes of mortality among the seals; pelagic sealing 

 from the natural history point of view; the historical sketch— Mr. Lucas. 



3. The photographic work and maps; statistics of the pelagic catch; charts show- 

 ing the distribnticn of the seals in Bering Sea — Mr. Townsend. 



4. A. study of the fur seal herds of the Connnander, Kurile, and Robben islands; 

 natural history and hydrography of Okhotsk Sea — Dr. Stejneger. 



5. Hydrographic observations, and control of the Albatross — Captain Moser. 



6. The oversight of certain ])ractical ex])eriments. the most important of them 

 being the branding of fur seals — Colonel Murray. 



II. ITINEBARir. 



The United States Fish Commission steamer Albaiross, with the American Commis- 

 sion and Professor Thompson and Mr. Macoun, of the British Commission, left 

 Seattle on the morning of June 24, arriving at St. George Island, Bering Sea, on the 

 afternoon of July 8. July 9, 10, and II were spent in and about this island making 

 general observations, photogra]ihing tlie rookeries, and counting the breeding seals. 

 The time between July 12 and 18 Wiis occupied in similar work on St. Paul Island. 



July 18 the A Ibalross steamed ibr Unalaska, leaving Mr. Townsend there and taking 

 Dr. Stejnegerto the Commander Islands. July 30 to August 9 were spent about these 

 islands, August 22 to 26 about the Kuriles, and August 28 to Scptemlier 2 about 

 Robben Island, reaching Hakodate. Japan, September 10. 



On July 28 Mr. Lucas, Professor Thomi)son, and Colonel Murray visited St. Cleorge 

 Island, the iirst two returning to St. Paul on August 5. Mr. Townsend returned 

 from Unalaska August 8, and he and Mr. Lucas spent the time until the 12th at sea, 

 on board the/i'((.s7(, boarding vessels of the sealing tleet. 



August 8 to 14, inclusive, were occupied iu counting trampled pups on St. Paul. A 

 similar count was nuide by Mr. Lucas and Mr. Macoun August 16 to 21 on St. George. 



On August 16 Professor Thompson and Dr. .Jordan left St. Paul Island in H. M. S. 

 Satellite for the Commander Islands, spending August 24 and 25 on the rookeries of 

 these islands and returning to St. Paul on September 1, bringing with them Mr. 

 Barrett-Hamilton, another member of the British Commission. 



Mr. Townsend left St. Paul on the company's steamer Homer for San Francisco 

 August 23. Colonel ^Murray returned from St. (icorge September 1. and on the fol- 

 lowing day made experiments in branding pups on Lukanin Rookery. Messrs. 

 Lucas and Barrett-Hamilton spent September 2 to 5 at sea on the Bush, among the 

 pelagic sealers. 



On Septembers Dr. Jordan, Professor Thompson, and Mr. Lucas sailed with the 

 Exisli for Sitka and thence to Seattle, Messrs. Clark, Barrett-Hamilton, and Colonel 

 Murray remaining on St. Paul. 



On Sejitember 11 further experiments iu branding were made. The starved and 

 starving pups on St. Paul were counted September 28 to October 1. A similar count 

 was made on St. George October 6. On October 7 Messrs. Clark and INIacoun returned 

 to St. Paul, Mr. Barrett-Hamilton remained on St. George, and Colonel Murray 

 went to LTnalaska. On October 22 the remaining commissioners left the islands on 

 the Bear and arrived in Port Townsend November 3. 



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