32 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



hauled back to the customary limits. For the first time during my 

 observations of tliis ground no young were born on the hill above 

 Station V2. Photograph 26 is useless for comparison, the breeding seals 

 being altogether in the dim background to the left. The eastern two- 

 thirds of Lukannon rookery was counted on July 12 5 it contained 1,840 

 females. 



Ketavie roolcery. — Xow thinner than ever before. It is broken apart 

 in many places. All the young born this season were on the lower 

 ledges, and there was no seasonal spreading back whatever. The 

 ground is easily commanded, and a careful count was made. There 

 were only 2,070 females between Station 12 and Ketavie Point, Photo- 

 graph 13 shows a reduced tract, with bulls in the rear that were unable 

 to form harems in 1805. The other photographs of Ketavie show a 

 decrease. 



Reef roolcery. — A comparison of the charts and photographs of this 

 ground for the seasons of 1894 and 189") will show in a measnre the 

 change for the worse that has taken place. Photograph 10 shows the 

 recedence of seals on the hill slope toward the water's edge. Photo- 

 graph 17 shows a recedence toward the sea and a very distinct decrease. 

 The great extent of this panorama is more graphically indicated on the 

 chart (east of Station 17). l!?^o. 18 shows the recedence of the seal belt 

 resulting from diminished numbers and the consequent isolation of old 

 bulls on breeding ground no longer reached by females. No. 19 shows 

 a recedence from the higher ground. No. 20 shows a reduction and a 

 recedence toward the water. The photograph of the grass area ou 

 this rookery is especially interesting as proving the rapidity with which 

 grass takes possession of ground which a few years back was teeming 

 with seals. This area, devoid of grass in July, 18.(2, was selected and 

 marked at that time for annual observation. Being now well grass- 

 grown, as the photograph proves, it is valuable as showing the rapidity 

 with which grass grows '^n ground recently vacated by seals, a fact 

 denied at some length by xe British Bering Sea commissioners (see 

 British Counter Case, Fur Seal Arbitration, Ex. Doc. 177, part 8, p. 

 504). Not only has the area marked by cairns become grass-grown, 

 but the entire tract between the rookeries is now a continuous meadow 

 covered with weeds and flowers. 



Lagoon, rookery. — llere there has been a perceptible shrinkage at the 

 «nds. The photograph shows how tlie west end is breaking apart into 

 small harems. This long and thin rookery may be expected to illus- 

 trate next season the danuige that will surely result from the past 

 season's loss of females and yonng. When counted on July 11, the 

 whole area contained 1,208 female seals. 



Tolstoi rookery.— This rookery has diminished very perceptibly. Pho- 

 tograph F shows that the seals no longer ascend the hill and surround 

 the large bowlder ou the extreme left, while photograph 11 shows a 

 thinning out in the foreground and a recedence from the left end. 

 Allowance should be made for a change in the shape of the bay itself, 

 a hundred feet or more of sand having filled in the bight at the left end 

 of the rookery. A pencil line on photograph LI shows the true bear- 

 ing of the camera. The number of female seals ah3ng the narrow beach 

 from the dotted line toward the point at tiie right (see photograph 11) 

 was 1,520 on July 11, 1895. 



Lower Zapadnie. — Photograph 7 is too dim for comparison. Pho- 

 tograph 7'', although made at long range, indicates a decrease. In 

 photograph 8=^, the camera having been wrongly placed, comparison 

 with the preceding year is unfavorable, but diminished numbers are 

 indicated. Lower Zapadnie is greatly reduced since 1894. 



