270 OFFICIAL REPORTS. 



Northeast Point Rookery, July 22. 



Several hours in the middle of the day were spent examining this 

 rookery. 



The space now occupied at the southern part is but a small portion 

 of what has been covered in recent years. Near Sea Lion Point I saw 

 four dead sea-lion pups and 9 fur-seal pups, but did not discover the 

 cause of their death. The shore from Sea Lion Point northward to 

 where it bends to the west, a distance of about 4,000 feet, is much less 

 thickly covered than formerly, and back of the occupied strip is a con- 

 siderable strip showing unmistakable evidence of having been occupied 

 in recent years, but now wholly without seals. Just west of the north- 

 east point is a considerable stretch where there are no seals even along 

 the water's edge, but Mr. Elliott's sketch shows seals to be very numerous 

 at this place. Just west of this is a bunch of about 10 good-sized bulls 

 that had no cows about them at all. These were not old superannuated 

 bulls, but young vigorous ones, and undoubtedly well able to maintain 

 harems were there a greater number of cows. This and numerous 

 other similar sights convince me that there are even now a good many 

 more bulls than are necessary to serve the cows. 



Still to the left of this, on the sandy shore, is a very large bunch of 

 bachelor seals, beyond which is a large well-filled breeding ground. The 

 shore here makes out in a blunt point beyond which is a large breeding 

 ground about \ mile long and soon widening out to about 200 feet in 

 extreme width ; this is very thickly covered with breeding seals. Back 

 of this is another strip which I estimate to be fully \ mile long and 

 1,000 feet wide, upon which there were only about 150 bachelor seals, 

 though the whole space is bare, the rocks are seal worn, and this area 

 has evidently been in recent use. Back of this and westward is a rocky 

 hill, worn smooth, on which there are no seals now. To the left of this 

 rocky bench is another very large breeding ground which is now about 

 | tilled. Back from this is a rocky bench of considerable extent, which 

 was in use recently, but which has no seals ou it now. Extending along 

 to the left (southwest) are a few scattered families; then conies an im- 

 mense breeding ground containing more seals than any other on the 

 island. Back from this are a few groups of bachelors, one of which 

 was very large. On beyond these -the seals continued in a narrow 

 strip for several rods along the shore. 



The Northeast Point rookery shows the same evidence of decrease 

 in seal life that is so marked a feature of all the other rookeries 

 examined. 



Mr. Elliott, in his census report, estimated the number of seals on 

 the rookery in 1S74 at 1,200,000. While the number is still great, I do 

 not at all think it can even approximate that figure. 



Little rolavina Rookery, July 22, p. m. 



The shore here resembles that at Northeast Point, some rocky reaches 

 and some sandy beach. At the north end I noted a few scattering 

 families along the shore and a bunch of about 500 bachelors back from 

 the shore some little distance, on an area of compact, reddish sand. 

 South of these is a large space once used as a hauling ground (between 

 which and the water is a large bunch of breeding seals), but upon 

 which there are no seals. 



