I 



FUR-SEAL HERD OF ALASKA. 49 



of course, entii-ely abandoned in 1890, but the small hauling of 

 nonbreeding seals in 1890 has dwindled away this year to even a 

 fainter record of less than 2,500 holluschickie assembled, and that, 

 too, after being undisturbed since the beginning of the season (being 

 the first time not driven in the last 33 years), for we are creditably 

 informed that no driving and no visit to this rookery has been made 

 this year by the natives or agents in charge prior to our survey to-day. 

 Upper Zapadni.—We now take up the lines of Upper Zapadni. 



Beginning with the inital point of the survey of 1890, at the inter- 

 section of the sands of Zapadni beach, we find the whole of that 

 breading life eliminated between this station up to the foot of sta- 

 tion B. Then w-e find a series of continuous ragged harems at the 

 surf margin ending at station V, which gives us a total of about 

 4,500 cow-s and about 110 bulls and about 40 vagrant and spent 

 bulls, all hauled just north of station V, with a few holluschickie. 

 In this entire circuit, as we traverse it foot by foot, we have seen no 

 sign of the polsecatchie. We have seen three or four 6-year-old 

 bulls only. This stretch from Zapadni Bight to station V is perhaps 

 as vivid an illustration of complete extinction of the breeding lines 

 of 1874 as can be found on the rookeries of the island. Indeed, it is 

 a most melancholy exhibit as we pass over it to-day. We have seen 

 no holluschickie, except four or five, w4th those old whipped or va- 

 grant bulls, hauled out just beyond station V, as above noted.^ 



To recapitulate. — For Lower Zapadni rookery, July 12, 1913, we 

 find 182 bulls, 5,425 cows, 4,850 pups; for Upper Zapadni rookery, 

 July 12, 1913, we find 110 bulls, 4,500 cows, 4,100 pups. 



On both Zapadnis season of 1890 there were 1,600 bulls, 60,000 

 cows, 54,000 pups; season of 1874 there were 12,514 bulls, 220,000 

 cows, 198,000 pups. 



CENSUS OF TOLSTOI ROOKERY. 



[Field notes to accompany the chart and survey of condition of Tolstoi rookery, St. Paul's Island, Pribilof 

 group, begim Saturday, July 12, 1913, 2 p'clock p. m., by Henry W. Elliott and A. F. -Gallagher, special 

 agents House Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Commerce.] 



(The condition of the rookery, when comparison is made with that 

 of 1890, is founded upon the published official survev made by 

 Henry W. Elliott and Charles J. Goft', July 10, 1890, and duly pub- 

 lished as House Document 175, Fiftv-fourth Congress, first session, 

 pages 31, 32, 33.) 



From station A to station E, of the 1890 survey, all seal life has 

 been completely eliminated. At the base of station E is a small 



' The contrast of that fine condition of Zapadni in 1S72-1S74 with what it was found to be in during 

 1890 is made as follows (H. Doc. No. 175, 54th Cong., 1st sess., p. 40), to wit: 



"It is impossible to convey that full sense of utter desolation which the vacant seal area of 1872 on this 

 fine rookery aroused in mv mind last Julv (1890) while then making ray survey of it. (irass and flowers 

 springing up over those broad areas of the once occupied hauling grounds here, where in 1872-1874 thousands 

 upon thousands of young male seals hauled out and over throughout the entire season, and were imdis- 

 turbed by any man, not even visited then by anvone, except myself. No one then ever thought of .<iuch a 

 thing as coming over from the village to make a" killing at Zapadni, there being more seals than wanted 

 close by at Tolstoi, Lukannon, and Zoltoi Sands. This not alone, but that splendid once clean-swept 

 expanse of haulmg groun<ls in English Bay between the Zapadnis and Tolstoi is all grass grown to-day 

 (except over its areas of drifting sands) with mosses, lichens, and flowers interspersed. It is entirely 

 barren of seals, save a lonelv pod under Middle Hill. ,., , 



"Lower Zapadni is certainlv the roughest surfaced breeding ground peculiar to the seal islands, and 

 it is a curious place on which to view the seals as thev locate themselves, for as you walk along they sud- 

 denly appear and disappear as thev haul and lav in tliose queer little valleys and canyonshere which have 

 been formed by lava bubbles of the geological time of the elevation of St . I'aul Island from the sea. But 

 to-dav so scant is the massing of the breeding seals here that that unbroken mighty uproar wluch boomed 

 out from them in 1872 is wholly absent. It is positively quiet, save the subdued sheep-like calling of tho 

 females and the lamb-like answer of their oflspring." 



11864—13 4 



