378 TESTIMONY 



of the breeding ground is impregnated with it, which gives to the rook- 

 ery a most disagreeable odor that is increased by the decaying placentas. 

 i am quoted by the British Commissioners (Section 825 of their Ee- 

 imguiarityiD hab- port) to show that in 1884 an irregularity in the habits 

 its of the seals took place at the Pribilof Islands. This ir- 



regularity consisted in the following : Iu previous years the seals that ar- 

 rived in June furnished nearly all eight-pound skins and over; very few 

 of these seals were let go or rejected, and when any were rejected it was 

 principally because they were too large. But this year the two-year 

 old seals commenced to land much earlier, and the run of large half 

 bulls arrived in more scattered bunches, just as if tlie herd had been 

 turned back in places and hurried ahead in others, thus hurrying the 

 smaller seals, so that they came on with the head of the flock, and turn- 

 ing back some of the large seals, so that they came to the islands with 

 the one and two year old seals, which formerly had arrived later. • No 

 irregularity was observed in the habits of the female seals. 



Thomas F. Morgan. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 14th day of December, 1892* 

 [seal.] H. L. Bailey, 



Notary Public. 



Deposition of Joseph Murray, Treasury Agent. 



District op Colmubia, 



City of Washington, ss: 



Joseph Murray, being duly sworn, says: I am the person described 

 in and who verified an affidavit on the 19th day of March, 1892; I was 

 first assistant special Treasury Agent on St. George Island in 1889 and 

 until July 20, 1890, and I have since occupied and still occupy this 

 position on the island of St. Paul. 



I have stated in a former affidavit that in 1891 the rookeries were at 

 Disorganization of their best from July 7th to 22nd. At the time when the 

 rookeries. British Commissioners reached the island (July 28th) the 



process of disorganization had already been in progress for a week or 

 ten days, and the seals were scattered about the breeding grounds. 

 Safe and correct conclusions as to the facts of rookery life can only be 

 drawn after systematic observation during the growth of the rookeries, 

 and during the brief period when they are compact and orderly. For 

 instance, after July 22nd, there is no time when all the females were on 

 shore; many of them are at sea feeding; the pups are wandering here 

 and there, and the bulls having ceased to exercise strict control over 

 their harems generally are giving attention to the few cows still un- 

 served. Even the observations carried on after this date over a series 

 of years must be applied with caution, for on the same day of different 

 years the breeding grounds may present a totally different appearance 

 by reason of climatic conditions. For instance, if August 15th, 1891, 

 had been a hot or sunny day, and August 15th, 1892, a cool or cloudy 

 day, the rookeries would not be similar in appearance on these two days, 

 even if the general condition of the herd in the two years were the same. 



I went over the rookeries carefully looking for dead pups. Thelargest 



number on any rookery occurred on Tolstoi, but here, 



as on the rookeries generally, but few of them were to 



be seen as compared with last year. This was the first time in my four 



