THE ALASKAN SEA-LION. 373 



tion, a mighty fisherman, familiar with every submarine haunt of 

 his piscatorial prey ; and, like his cousin, rejects the heads of all 

 those fish which have hard horny mouths or are filled with teeth 

 or bony plates. 



Many authorities who are quoted in regard to the habits of 

 hair-seals and southern sea-lions speak with much fine detail of hav- 

 ing witnessed the capture of water-birds by Pliocidw and Ofariidce. 

 To this point of inquiry on the Pribylov Islands I gave continued 

 close attention ; because, oft" and around all of the rookeries, large 

 flocks of auks, arries, gulls, shags, and choochkies were swimming 

 upon the water, and shifting thereupon incessantly, day and night, 

 throughout the late spring, summer, and early fall. During the 

 four seasons of my observation I never saw the slightest motion 

 made by a fur-seal or sea-lion, a hair-seal or a walrus, toward inten- 

 tionally disturbing a single bird, much less of capturing and eating 

 it. Had these seals any appetite for sea-fowl, this craving could 

 have been abundantly satisfied at the expense of absolutely no effort 

 on their part. That none of these animals have any taste for water- 

 birds I am thoroughly assured. 



In concluding this recitation of that wonderful seal life be- 

 longing to those islets of Pribylov, it is well to emphasize the fact 

 that, with an exception of the Russian and American seal islands of 

 Bering Sea, there are none elsewhere in the world of the slightest 

 importance to-day ; the vast breeding-grounds of fur-seals border- 

 ing on the Antarctic have been, by the united efforts of all nation- 

 alities — misguided, short-sighted, and greedy of gain — entirely de- 

 poj)ulated ; only a few thousand unhappy stragglers are now to be 

 seen throughout all that southern area, where millions once were 

 found, and a small rookeiy, protected and fostered by the govern- 

 ment of a South American State, north and south of the mouth of 

 the Kio de la Plata. When, therefore, we note the eagerness with 

 which our civilization calls for seal-skin fur, the fact that in spite 

 of fashion and its caprices this fur is and alwaj's will be an article 

 of intrinsic value and in demand, the thought at once occurs that 

 the Government is exceedingly fortunate in having this great am- 

 phibious stock-yard, far up and away in the quiet seclusion of Ber- 

 ing Sea, from which it shall draw an everlasting revenue, and on 

 which its wise regulation and its firm hand can continue the seals 

 forever. 



