70 



FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



above. Thus it can not bo superfluous to call up this question, so that it shall be 

 prominent in discussion and suggestion for future thought. 



>'EKD OF CAREFUL YKAKLY KXAMINATIOX. 



In the meantime the movements of the seals upon the great breeding rookeries of 

 St. Paul and those of St. George should be faithfully noted and recorded every year, 

 and as time goes on this record will place the topic of their increase or diminution 

 beyond all theory or cavil. 



Since writing and X)ublishing the above I have learned that the Rns- 

 sian seal islands have been steadily increasing- their rookery areas from 

 1870 np to 1870-80 ; and, since that tune, the yield of the hauling grounds 

 over there was trebled in 1889 over the catch of 1870. Whether or not 

 these Slavonian rookeries will stand this driving so as to annually get 

 62,000 young males hereafter, as was done last year (188!)), or fail to do 

 so in a few years to come, I can at this distance oidy conjecture. But, 

 our seals have not gone over there; they hare been destroyed in plain view 

 on this side! 



The following salient points of change can be clearly stated, in so far 

 as the Pribilov rookeries exist this season of 1800, and contrasted with 

 their contlition of 1872 : 



SialHS of 1872. 



(1) On the rookery ground the bulls 

 were all by .lune 1, — and 



(2) Located on this ground Ihen no 

 farther than 6 to 10 feet ai)art. 



(3) They were very \igorous, very ac- 

 tive, incessantly lighting with one an- 

 other. 



(4) Thousands upon tons of thousands 

 of half bulls, or polseacatcliie, which were 

 then trying to land upon the breeding 

 belt of sea margin, provoking and sus- 

 taining a constant tight and turmoil, but 

 being almost invariably whipped off by 

 the old bulls. 



(5) Cows began to arrive on the breed- 

 ing grounds by .June 4 to 6, and all arrived 

 in good form by .July 10. 



(6) They were located on the breeding 

 ground in compact solid luasses, uni- 

 formly distributed over a given area of 

 ground, no matter how large or how 

 small. 



(7) A general average of 15 cows to 1 

 bull was the best understanding. Once 

 in awhile, a peculiar contiguratiou of the 

 breeding ground enabled ll)ull the chance 

 to pen up 35 or 45 cows, but it was seldom 

 witnessed, as a rule. 



(8) Cows all promptly and efficiently 

 served when in lieat. Never witnessed a 

 failure. 



.S7a/H« of 1S90. 



(1) On the rookery ground the bulls 

 were all 1)y June 1, — and 



(2) Located on this ground from 15 to 

 150 feet apart. 



(3) They are iuert and somnolent. I 

 have not seen a single light between the 

 bulls yet. 



(4) Not a single half bull, or polsea- 

 catchie, attemi)ting to land and serve the 

 cows. Not a single one ha\'o I been able 

 to observe. In fact, there are none left. 

 Those that exist now have been ruined as 

 breeders, irom the effects of overdriving 

 several thousand of these broken-spirited 

 bulls, old and young, are now loaling on 

 the ouTskirtsof these rookeries and haul- 

 ing out with the small hollnschickie on 

 the sand and rock margins. 



(5) Cows began to arrive on the breed- 

 ing gouiids by .June 4 to 6. All arrived, 

 as a rule, by .July 10. 



(6) They are located on the breeding 

 grounds in scattered harems, solidly here, 

 — there oneortwo harems, then a.dozen or 

 so families scattered over twice and thrice 

 as much ground as they should occupy if 

 massed as in 1872-1<S74. The scanty sup- 

 ply of, the wide stations and feel)leuess of 

 the bulls is undoubtedly the reason for 

 this striking change in their distribution 

 as they ordered it in 1872-1874. 



(7) A general average of 45 or 50 cows 

 to 1 bull is the best estimate that can be 

 made to-day. There are so many harems 

 of 60 and 75 cows in charge of 1 bull to 

 each, and frequently single harems of 100 

 to 120 cows, that it makes the general 

 average of 45 or 50 very conservative. 



(8) Many of tlio cows not served even 

 when persistently solicitous early in the 

 season, ^'igorous, willing service seems 

 to be the exception, not the rule. Bulls 

 not one-tenth as numerous as in 1872, and 

 only one third of the cows hero as a rule, 

 ami no new young male blood mature and 

 virile enough to take its station on these 

 rookeries. 



