264 



OFFICIAL REPORTS. 



NOTES ON THE FUR-SEAL ROOKERIES OP THE PRIBILOP ISLANDS, 



JULY 18 TO 31, 1892. 



By B. W. Evermann, of the United States Fish Commission. 



Captain Z. L. Tanner having carried out his instructions and returned 

 to Unalaska where a board of survey condemned the boiler of the Al- 

 batross, thus causing some delay before starting off to the Pacific coast, 

 I decided to devote the time to such an investigation of seal life on the 

 Pribilof Islands as tlie few days at my disposal would permit. 



On the evening of July 17, 1 left Dutch Harbor on the Bertha for the 

 Pribilof Islands. I had with me Mr. N.B. Miller, of the Albatross scien- 

 tific staff, who accompanied me as photographer. 



We landed upon St. Paul Island on the morning of July 19, and re- 

 mained there until the evening of July 24, when we went by the Bertha to 

 St. George Island. Owing to rough weather we were not able to land 

 upon this island until the evening of July 27. We remained on St. 

 George Island until the evening of July 31 when we sailed on the 

 Bertha for Dutch Harbor where we again joined the Albatross. 



In view of the limited time at our disposal for the study of the fur- 

 seal rookeries, the plan was adopted of visiting each rookery at least 

 once, and of paying daily visits, when possible, to Lukannon rookery, 

 whose situation and general character rendered it particularly well 

 adapted for observation. 



The following is an account of my observations upon the various 

 rookeries : 



Lukannon Rookery, Tuesday, July 19, from 1:80 to 4 p. m. 



Apparently the height of the breeding season has not only been 

 reached but perhaps passed. From one point I counted as carefully as I 

 could all the seals in view along the rookery for a distance of about 150 

 feet, the strip being about 100 feet wide. 



Counting them by harems, calling one bull and all the cows and pups 

 about him one harem, I obtained this result : 



The difference between the number of cows and pups is due to two 

 facts, viz: 1, a few of the cows have not yet been delivered of their 

 pups, and 2, most of the cows have already been served by the bulls, 

 and have been permitted to go out in the sea to feed. 



Counting all the bulls, cows, and pups in plain view over a slightly 

 longer strip, I found 15 bulls, 200 cows, and approximately COO pups. 



