SEAL LIFE ON THE PKIBILOF ISLANDS. 29 



The positions where seals were taken by pelagic sealers during- the 

 season of 1895 in the waters adjacent to the Coiiunander Islands were 

 for the most part to the eastward, southward, and westward of the 

 islands, within a radius of 100 miles, the catch of one vessel having 

 been made off Cape Nagikinsky, 200 miles to the northwest. The data 

 are derived from the log books of 5 American vessels whose catches 

 aggregate 714 seals, taken between July 5 and September 4. In the 

 year 1892 the schooner Henry Dennis made a catch of 503 seals between 

 July 2 and August 28 in these waters, all seals being taken within 170 

 miles of the islands. The sex of seals taken is not stated. The total 

 number of seals obtained by the combined Canadian and American 

 fleets oft" the Kussian coast during the season was 7,048, tlie positions 

 where seals were taken by Canadian vessels not being at hand. 



During the season of 1895 a sealing fleet numbering 45 vessels took 

 38,732 seals belonging to the Commander Islands herd, along the coasts 

 of Japan and Russia. To this number should be added the catch 

 made hy a small fleet of a dozen or more vessels belonging to Japan, of 

 whiidi we have received no record. The Japan and Russian catch for 

 the season is considered small, and would have been unprofitable but 

 for a shortage in the total pelagic catch and a consequent advance in 

 the price of seal skins. 



PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



The Albatross returned to St. Paul Island on July 9, when I took up 

 my quarters on shore for the season. 



Resuming the observations left oft' in June, the rookeries of Lukan- 

 uon, Ketavie, Lagoon, Tolstoi, and a portion of Reef rookery were 

 examined very minutely and the breeding feniales occupying them 

 carefully counted. This work, with brief visits to all the other rookeries, 

 occupied the time until the 10th, when Ketavie and Lukannon rookeries 

 were visited for chart data. On the 17th we went to St. George Island, 

 where all the rookeries were photographed and their areas platted on the 

 charts during the 18th and 19th. Returning to St. Paul Island on the 

 20th, the chart and photographic work was taken up and pushed rapidly 

 to* completion, the charts being finished on the 24th and the photo- 

 graphic series on the 27th. 



From this date until August 9 I was engaged in making natural his- 

 tory observations on the rookeries, and in setting up artificial land- 

 marks to outline the present limits of the rookeries and serve as guides 

 for their delineation in future. 



The latter work consisted in painting on suitable bowlders, in white 

 lead, hi)'ge crosses ( + ) that would be conspicuous from the photographic 

 stations, and would appear in the panoramas that might be made 

 hereafter. These crosses, placed on Northeast Point, Polavina, Reef, 

 Tolstoi, and Upper Zapadnie rookeries, on St. Paul Island, and on 

 Zapadnie rookery on St. (leorgie Island, were located with reference 

 to the limits of the breeding grounds or the points where seals were 

 massed. 



On Northeast Point rookery four (crosses, visible from Station 5, 

 mark the rear limits of the principal masses of seals. 



On Polavina rookery four crosses mark the limits — two on each side 

 of Station G. 



On Reef rookery five crosses from stations 17 to 18, mark limits or 

 masses. 



On Tolstoi rookery five crosses mark limits. 



On Upper Zapadnie rookery six crosses mark limits or masses. 



