42 TESTIMONY 



captured upon the islands in considerable numbers in December and 

 January. Without the data at hand from which to absolutely verity 

 my statement, I think I am correct in saying that this class of animals 

 remained in the vicinity of the islands throughout three of the twenty 

 years from 1870 to 1890 and more or less of them were killed on shore 

 in every month. 



I believe all classes of seals would remain constantly about the 



islands if conditions of climate and food su])ply were favorable to their 



doing so. The fact remains, however, that the great mass of the pups 



migrate with their elders down through the passes be- 



ourseo migra ion. ^^^^^j^ ^^^ islauds of the Aleutian Archipelago into the 

 Forth Pacific, and are found at any time during the winter months 

 east of longitude 170° west and north of latitude 35° north. Toward 

 spring they appear in increasing numbers off' the coasts of California, 

 Oregon, and Washington, and as the season advances still further 

 north along the British Oohimbia and Alaska coasts in March and 

 April ; thence westerly in May and June and July until they reappear 

 in Bering Sea. The course pursued by the seals in their migration is, 

 to some extent, a matter of conjecture, and the knowledge upon which 

 evidence is given concerning it can not of course be based upon actual 

 personal cognizance by any one man of all the facts from which the 

 conclusion is reached ; but it is, nevertheless, I have no doubt, as ac- 

 curately stated in this paragraj^h as is warranted by any series of ob- 

 servations. 



The i)ups which I have so far followed in their first migratory round, 

 now appear as " yearlings." They spend perhaps the 

 Year lugs. greater portion of their time, the second summer, in the 



water, until the latter part of August and ScptciiilxT, when they come 

 ^^^^.^^.^^ upon the land, both sexes herding together indiscrim- 



inately. They are not at this time, nor are their elders, 

 particularly timid. IJpon the near approa(;h of a human form they 

 start towards the water, but generally stop and look about them, un- 

 less closely followed, without any indication of fear, and leisurely proceed 

 to the beach, or again lie down upon the sand or rocks. The same 

 demeanor in the water, when about the islands, as they calmly float 

 upon the surface until a boat is almost upon them before they awaken 

 to any sense of danger, seems to indicate that they feel at home on and 

 about the islands. 



They again migrate southward for the second time, upon the approach 

 c T . .. of cold weather, going a little earlier than in the i)re- 



Seconfl migration. 'i j.i i i j. j. ii 



ceding year, make the same round, and return to the 

 islands as "two year olds" in June or July. JSTow the sexes separate, 

 the females going upon the breeding grounds, where they are fertilized 

 before the old male leaves the island in August. It has been said that 



copulation also takes place in the water between these 

 th^water!"^''*'"" "' young females and the so-called "nonbreeding males," 



but with the closest scrutiny of the animals when both 

 sexes were swimming and j)laying together under conditions the most 

 favorable in which they are ever found for observation, I have been 

 unable to verify the truth of this assertion. After coitus on shore, the 

 young female goes oft" to the feeding grounds, or remains on or about 

 the beaches, disporting on the land or in the water, as her inclination 

 may lead her. The male of the same age goes upon the "hauling 

 Hauiiiio -noumis grouuds" back of or beside the rookeries, where he re- 

 an iiio gioum s. jj^j^j^^g ^^jg greater part of the time, if unmolested, until 

 nearly the date of his next migration. Here he has only the native 



