RELATING TO PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 23 



In 1880 I again visited all my former stations abont and in Bering 

 Sea for tlie pnrpose of obtaining magnetic observations. 

 This was my last opportunity to examine the rookeries. BeTin- sl^infssd™'^ 

 As a result of the above experience I would further 

 state the following facts : During my visit to St. George Island in 18G8, 

 before referred to, this vast territory of Alaska had just fallen into the 

 possession of the United States, and the Government 

 had not yet fairly established more than the begin- si'-^^g^'ter of isc^ 

 ning of an organization for its management, as a whole, without 

 mentioning such details as the Pribilof Islands. In consequence of 

 this state of affairs, ijrivate enterprise in the form of companies deal- 

 ing in furs had established numerous sealing stations on the islands 

 during 1868. During my stay, except on a single occasion, the driving 

 from the hauling grounds, the killing and skinning was done by the 

 natives in the same manner as when under Russian rule, each com- 

 peting party paying them so much per skin for their labor in taking 

 them. Despite the very bitter and more or less unscrupulous com- 

 ])etition among the various parties, all recognized the importance of 

 l)reserving the industry and protecting the breeding grounds from 

 molestation, and for the most part were guided by this conviction. 



In 1880 I found the rookeries full, and in ray opinion there were as 

 many seals on the islands as at any time during my ex- ^ , j, , 



.'' -r 1 1 X- 1 • V Pups born, and haul- 



perience. 1 have never known ot a pup being born in^ grounds only, on 

 or of hauling grounds existing anywhere along the I'^iiJiiof islands. 

 Alaskan coast or in the islands adjacent thereto, except the Pribilof 

 Islands. I have heard stories and traditit 

 never known of their being substantiated. 



From my knowledge of natural history and from my observations of 

 seal life I am of the opinion that it would be impossible for the young 

 seals to be brought forth and kept alive in the water. 

 When it is the habit of an animal to give birth to its po^l-j^fe" ^''■"' ™" 

 young upon the land it is contrary to biologic teach- 

 ing and common sense to suppose they could successfully bring them 

 forth in the water. It does not seem to me at all likely that a 

 mother would suckle any pui> other than her own, for I have repeatedly 

 seen a female select one pup from a hirge group and pay no attention 

 to the solicitations of others. Pups require the nourishment from their 

 mothers for at least three to four months after their birth, and w<nild 

 perish if deprived of the same. There were not in 1880 sufficient 

 dead pups scattered over the rookeries to attract atten- 

 tion or to form a feature on the rookery. A pup when D^adpups. 

 tlrstborn can not sustain itself in the water and would unquestionably 

 ])erish. 



The Pribilof Islands are the chosen home of the fur-seal {CaUorMmis 

 vrsinti.s). Upon these islands they are born; there 

 they first learn to swim and more than half of their i.omfXffuSeaL 

 life is spent u]ion them and in the waters adjacent 

 thereto. Here they give birtli to their young, breed, nurse their pups, 

 and go to and come from their feeding grounds, which maybe miles 

 distant from the islands. I have seen seals in the waters of Bering 

 Sea distant 100 miles or more from the islands at various times be- 

 tween the first of July and October. These seals were doubtless in 

 search of food, which consists, according to my obser- ppg^,i„„ females 

 vation, of fish, squid, crustaceans, and even mollusks. *'*'^'"-' '^aes- 

 Upon the approach of winter the seals leave their home, infiuenced 



