68 THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



duriug this season of killing. I notice also this remarkable characteristic of the "holluschickie"; no matter how cleanly the natives may 

 drive the seals ofl" of a given piece of hauling-gronnd this morning, if the weather is favorable, to-morrow will see it covered again just 

 as thickly ; and, thus they drive in this manner from ZoUoi sands almost every day during the killing-season, generally finding on the 

 succeeding morning more, or as many, seals as they drove off the previous dawn. This .seems to indicate that the "hoUusehickie" 

 recognize no particular point as fiivored over another at the island when they land, which is evidently iu obedience to a general desire 

 of coming ashore at such a suitable place as promises no crowding and no fighting. 



LuKANNON AND Ketavie, JiiUj 19, 1874. 

 Not materially changed in any respect from its condition at this time iu 1872. 



GoRBOTCH, July 19, 1874. 

 Just the same. Condition excellent. 



Eekp, July 19, 1874. 

 A slight contraction on the south sea-margin of this ground ; compensated for by fresh expansion under the bluffs on the northwest 

 side; not noteworthy iu either instance. Condition excellent. 



Nah Speel, July 20, 1874. 

 A diminution of one-half at least. Very few here this year. It is no place for a rookery ; not a pistol-shot from the natives' houses, 

 and all the natives' children fooling over the blufi's. 



No noteworthy change ; if any, a trifling increase. Condition good. Animals clean and lively. 

 No percei)tible change in this rookery from its good shape of 1872. The condition excellent. 



Lagoon, July 20, 1874. 

 Tolstoi, July 21, 1874. 



Zapadnie, July 22, 1874. 

 A remarkable extension or increase I note here, of 2,000 feet of shore line, with an average depth of 50 feet of breeding-ground, 

 which has been built on to Upper Zapadnie, stretchiug out toward Tolstoi ; the ui)per rookery proper has not altered its bearings 

 or proportions; the sand beach belt between it and Lower Zapadnie is not occupied by breeding-seals; and a fair track for the 

 " holluschickie", .500 feet wide, left clear, over which they have traveled quite extensively this season, some 20,000 to 25,000 of them, at 

 least, lying out around the old salt-house to-day. Lower Zapadnie has lost iu a noteworthy degree about an average of 20 feet of its 

 general dejith, which, however, is more than compensated for by the swarming on the upper rookery. A small beginuing had been made 

 for a rookery on the shore just southwest from Zapadnie lake, in 1872, but this year it has been substantially abandoned. 



Contrast on St. George between 1873 and 1874. — An epitome of my notes for St. George, gives, as to 

 this season of 1874, the following data for comparison with that of 1873 : 



Zapadnie, July 8, 1874. 

 This rookery shows a Slight increase upon the figures of last year, about 5,000. Fine condition. 



Starry Ateel, July 6, 1874. 

 No noteworthy change from last year. 



North Rookery, July 6, 1874. 



No essential change from last year. Condition very good. 



Little Eastern, July 6, 1874. 

 A slight diminution of some 2,000 or so. Condition excellent. 



Eastern Rookery, July 7, 1874. 

 A small increase over last year of about 3,000, only trifling, however ; the aggregate seal-life here similar to that of last season, with 

 the certainty of at least a small increase. The unusually early season, this year, brought the rookery "seecatchie" on the ground very 

 much in advance of the general time ; they landed as early as the 10th of April, while the arrival of the cows was as late as usual, 

 corresponding to my observations during the past seasons. * 



The general condition of the auimals of all classes on St. George is most excellent — they are sleek, fat, and free from any disease. 



In this way it is plain that, practically, the exact condition of these auimals can be noted every season ; and, 

 should a diminution be observed, due to any cause, known or unknown, the killing can be promptly regulated, or 

 stopped, to any required quota. 



Ten years have passed, with the end of last season, in which nearly 100,000 young males have been annually 

 taken on St. Paid and St. George; 75,000 from the former, and 25,000 from the latter, as a rule; and we now 

 have the experience with which to enlighten our understanding, and to make our statement correct. Tliat 

 afiQrraation is, that if the effect of annually killing 100,000 young male seals is either to increase or to diminish the 

 seal-life on the Pribylov islands, it cannot be noticed ; it has not to a certainty wrought injury, and it has not 

 promoted an increase. I advanced this hypothesis iu 1873 ; and I now find it completely verified and confirmed 

 by the united, intelligent testimony of those who have followed on the ground in my footsteps. 



Pecuniary value of the seal-life on the Pribylov islands. — The theoretical value of these interests 

 of the government on the Prib.\ lov islands, represented by 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 fur-seals, male and female, in 

 good condition, is not less than $10,000,000 or f 12,000,000; taking, however, the females out of the question, 

 and from this calculation, and looking at the " holhischickie " alone, as they really represent the only killable 

 seals, then the commercial value of the same would be expressed by the sum of $1,800,000 to $2,000,000; this is a 

 permanent principal invested here, which now nets the pablic treasury more than 15 per cent, annually ; a very 

 handsome rate of interest, surely. 



Strange ignorance of their value in 1867. — Considering that this return is the only one made to the 

 government by Alaska, since its transfer, and that it was never taken into account, at first, by the most ardent 



