28 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



I spent the 25th and the forenoon of the 26th in going over the rook- 

 eries of Lukaunon, Ketavie, Keef, Lagoon, and Tolstoi. Female seals 

 were scarce, none being observed on any of the rookeries at a distance 

 of more than 50 or 60 feet from high-water mark, although the usual 

 rookery area was occupied by bulls. The harems in course of formation 

 along the beaches were as yet very small, the average number of females 

 to each being five. About one-fourth of the females were nursing new- 

 born pups, the others being conspicuously gravid. Some sections of 

 rookery ground were still covered with snow and a number of new-boi n 

 young with the red placeutai still attached were lying upon the snow. 

 Occasional females were noticed arriving from the sea, but none were 

 seen leaving. There were no signs of any then coming into heat. A 

 hasty count by harems of females and young at two favorable points 

 resulted as follows: 



Lukannon. — 10 females, 5 pups; 2 females, 1 pup; 15 females, 2 pups; 

 4 females, 1 pup; 9 females, 4 pups; 9 females, 3 i)ups. 



Ketavie. — 14 females, 6 pups; 6 females, 1 i)ui); 8 iemales, 2 pups; 

 7 females, 4 pups; 10 females, 3 pups; 10 females, 2 pups; 8 females, 3 

 pups; 5 females, 1 pup. 



The hauling grounds were fairly well occupied. A drive was made 

 from Keef rookery on the morning of the 25th, about 1,200 being killed. 

 At 1 p. m. the rejected seals had in large part returned to Zoltoi Neck, 

 from which they had been driven, and were hauled out nearly all the 

 way across. A drive of about 1,000 seals from Polavina rookery was 

 made on the 20th, from which about 700 were killed. 



COMMANDER ISLANDS. 



The Albatross sailed at noon on Jane 26 for Bering Island, Siberia, 

 where we arrived on July 3. Dr. Leonhard Stejneger, curator in the 

 United States National Museum, was landed lor the season, in order to 

 study the condition of the seal rookeries and the habits of the Com- 

 mander Island seals, respecting which he made an imi)ortant series 

 of observations during the years 1882 and 1883. The 4th was spent in 

 visiting North rookery, 12 miles distant from Nikolski village, the trip 

 being made on dog sleds furnished by Governor Grebnitzky. Although 

 the weather was not clear, 1 succeeded in making highly satisfactory 

 panoramas of the rookery, which lies in two sections, separated by a 

 space of about three fourths of a mile. The rookery is located at Yushin 

 Point at the extreme northern end of the island. The larger section of 

 the rookery occupies a flat, reef-like peninsula, the smaller being on 

 the beach to the southwestward. Very few bachelors were present, 

 and these were scattered so close to the breeding seals that distinct 

 hauling grounds were not apparent. The breeding seals were very 

 densely packed upon their respective areas, a large portion of the 

 females having brought forth their young. The latter were beginning 

 to collect into groups by themselves, and the females were rapidly 

 coming in heat. 



North rookery, the most important of the four rookeries on the Com- 

 mander Islands, I estimated to be of about the same size and impor- 

 tance as Tolstoi rookery on the I'ribilof Islands. With but one other 

 rookery approaching it in size, it is evident that the seal tishery of the 

 Commander Islands is of very moderate value as compared with that 

 of the Pribilof Islands, while it is certain that there is at present no 

 such supply of seals as would be necessary for the maintenance of the 

 large fleet of vessels now operating upon this herd during its migra- 

 tions between Bering Sea and the coast of Japan. 



