RELATING TO FUR-SEALS AND SEALSKIN INDUSTRY. 387 



ing, and after gorging themselves with food. After the birth of the 

 pup, and after remaining upon the rookeries even for a few days when 

 the period of coming from and going into the water has been entered 

 upon, the mother has a very decidedly gaunt appearance, in strong con- 

 trast to the plumpness of pregnancy or full feeding. After feeding at 

 sea they come ashore again well rounded out. So marked is this that 

 I have repeatedly been misled by mothers in such a condition, mistak- 

 ing them for pregnant cows, and have discovered my error by seeing 

 her call her pup and suckle it. If I had any doubt in my mind as to 

 cows feeding at sea it was dispelled by an examination of three cows I 

 shot at Northeast Point on July 25th, 1 892. Two " sunburnt " cows were 

 first killed and their stomachs were found to be empty. Another was 

 shot just as she came ashore and her stomach was gorged with half- 

 digested codfish, which was identified by Mr. C. H. Townsend, an ex- 

 pert of the U. S. Fish Commission. A dissection was made of this 

 seal, and the udder, which extends as a broad thick sheet at the center, 

 but thinning out towards the edges, over the entire abdominal portion 

 of the cow and well up to the fore flippers, was so charged with milk 

 that on removing the skin the milk freely flowed out in all directions, 

 and previous to skinning it was possible with but little effort to ex- 

 tract a sufficient amount to enable me to determine its taste and con- 

 sistency. A large supply of food is necessary to furnish such an 

 abundant amount of milk. I have no doubt that a well-developed 

 mother seal could yield between a pint and a quart of milk in the first 

 24 hours after landing from a feeding expedition, and with such rich 

 fountains to draw upon it is no wonder that the voracious pups increase 

 during their residence upon the island not less than four times their 

 weight at birth. And it is equally certain that without such a constant 

 supply of nourishment it could not make such a rapid growth as it 

 does. 



The presence of excrementitious matter upon the breeding rook- 

 eries is recognized both by sight and smell. It is of a Excrementitious 

 yellowish color, and though much of it is excreted it is UKlttci - 

 of such a liquid consistency that it is quickly rubbed into and mingled 

 with the soil, and thereafter its existence can only be noticed through 

 the discoloration of the soil and the offensive odor. The latter is readily 

 detected at a distance of miles when the wind is in the right direction, 

 for the soil on the breeding rookeries is completely impregnated with it. 

 The odor bears no resemblance to that which arises from the bodies of 

 a large number of assembled animals. 



The quantity of excrementitious matter present is influenced by the 

 nature of their diet, which, being fish, is largely assimilated, while in 

 their coming and going much of it may be deposited in the water, to 

 say nothing of drenching from rain to which the rookeries (many of 

 which are solid rock) are subjected. 



On the hauling grounds, on the other hand, it is almost impossible to 

 detect such matter, either through its presence, the appearance of the 

 soil, or its odor. This is a well-known fact to anyone who has even 

 casually inspected such hauling grounds as Middle H,ill, parts of Zap- 

 adnie, western end of English Bay, western end of North Eookery, 

 Starry Arteel, Great East Eookery, and others. 



This difference between the breeding grounds and the true hauling 

 grounds is explained by the fact that the former are occupied by nurs- 

 ing females, which are constantly feeding, while the latter are frequented 

 chiefly by young males, which take but little food during the summer. 

 This abstention from food on their part is further indicated by the fact 



