268 



OFFICIAL REPORTS. 



I notice to-day that the pups are able to crawl about upon quite high 

 rocks almost as well as the old seals. 



During my visits to the various rookeries on St. Paul Island, between 

 July 18 and July 25, 1 saw but one pup born and that was on Lukannon 

 rookery, July 23. Several others were seen in different places which 

 had been born but a short time before (in some instances apparently 

 but a few minutes). It is quite certain pups were being born now and 

 then, but the opportunities for getting close enough for careful obser- 

 vation were not good except in rookeries situated like Lukannon. 



Ketavie rookery, St. Paul Island, July 19, 189.1, j>. m. 



This rookery is to the right of Lukannon rookery and scarcely dis- 

 tinct from it. It is of the same general character as Lukannon, but the 

 ascent from the water's edge to the grassy plain is more gradual. The 

 cows were more numerous, proportionately, than iu Lukannon and 

 there were very few bachelors. 



The same general appearance was presented here as on Lukannon — 

 a strip immediately along the shore well covered, a second strip with 

 rocks worn smooth; hard, smooth ground with no vegetation except 

 the algoid coating, then a strip with smooth rocks, hard smooth ground, 

 more or less with short, pale or bleached grass. 



Ketavie rookery, July 20, a. m. 



Visited this rookery again this morning for a short time. 



To the right of this rookery is quite a distance of shore line, say 

 1,000 feet a, to b, which has been used as rookery and hauling ground 

 by the seals, but upon which no seals are seen now, thus: 



1. Thick breeding ground. 



2. Bunch of bachelors. 



To the left of c the bulls, cows and pups were quite thick in most 

 ] daces along the water front in a strip averaging perhaps 10 feet wide. 

 Lying back of this is a broader strip, as much as 180 feet wide in some 

 places, which has been used, but on which there are now no seals. 



I think it a reasonable estimate to say that if all the bare area in 

 this rookery were occupied as closely all over as it is in spots fully 

 eight times as many seals could find room ; and the grass-grown por- 

 tion, being free of rocks, would furnish room for a great many more, so 

 that it is pretty certain that there is room upon the Ketavie rookery 

 for fifteen times as many seals as are there now. 



The Ketavie rookery evidently contains a greater percentage of cows, 

 as compared with the number of pups, than does the Lukannon rookery. 



