RELATING TO PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 81 



comes from the north, and it will come and go with the tide and currents, 

 generally from January to Ajnnl, but occasionally remaining later, and 

 again not appearing at all. 



In June, July, and ])art of August, the islands are enveloped for days 

 at a time in dense fog, and a clear sunny day is of rare occurrence. 

 The atmosphere is damp and cool, and t!u' rain falls in a sort of fine 

 mist which drenches (me through before it is felt. 



The islands are of volcanic origin, and the shores are rough, uneven 

 lava rock, and broken rock and bowlders of like formation. On this 

 rugged shore the Alaskan fur-seals make their summer home; laere 

 they are born and reared for the tirst six months of their existence; 

 here they come every spring as regular as time, and here they repro- 

 duce their species. The career of the fur-seal herd on 

 these shores is not nnlike that of any domesticated seaMs *a\iTiestion of 

 animal — it is simply a stock-breeding question. ^^"^^ breeding. 



Areas upon which it is agreeable for the females to breed are care- 

 fully reserved and set aside for that puri)ose. 



Each year a sufficient number of breeding bulls are reserved for 

 service on the rookeries. The utmost care is taken that the future of 

 the herd is not jeopardized by the injury or death of a female. 



So accustomed have the seals become to the presence of the natives 

 that the timidity and shvness man licsted in the ocean ^ ^ , 



, 1 , , • ■• ' 1 T .Li • • J? J.1 Tameiies.s of seals. 



is not shown on the ismnds. In their mfancy the pups 

 will approach a native without fear, and later on they are readily 

 handled, and the sexes separated, should it be necessary to make a 

 killing of pups for food. In the handling, management, and enlarge- 

 ment of the seal herd there is as much amenability to domestication as 

 there is in a band of range cattle. 



The male breeding seals, or bulls, begin to haul out on the breeding 

 rookeries early in May, and they come in more and ^^^..^^^^ ^^ j^^jj^ 

 more rapidly as the month advances, and selecting ^^^^^ " 

 tlieir respective stations lie down and sleep almost continuously until 

 within a few days of the coming of the females, or cows, when they 

 assume a sitting posture and set np a bellowing noise peculiar to them- 

 selves, which I suppose to be a "call" to the approaching herd of cows. 

 It is at this time the bull appears at his best and in his most aggressive 

 mood, and none but the physically strong and successful are allowed 

 to remain within striking distance of the veterans. 



The cows begin to haul out in June, aaid practically they are all on 

 the breeding rookeries by July lo. Immediately on , . , ^ 



. . ,, '^ , , '' y ^ 1 -1 1 11 XI Arrival of cows. 



arriving they are taken possession of by the bulls, the 

 strongest and most aggressive securing the greatest number, and guard- 

 ing with jealous care and increasing vigilance. 



As a rule the pups are born soon after the cows reach the shore, 

 though it occasionally happens that a cow will be two ^ ^^^ ^ 

 or three days on the rookery before bringing forth her '" ' " ^'"^"*' 

 young. 



I tiiink the pups are all born by July 22, and by the middle of 

 August the cows have been fertilized for the next year, after which 

 the harems are abandoned, and the bulls l)egin to leave the islands, 

 and the females and bachelors (or young males) intermingle indiscrimi- 

 nately on the rookeries. From the time the bulls haul out in May till 

 they leave in Sei)tember they neither eat nor drink, buHs fasting on 

 and their lean and lanky appearance in September is ™fkeries. 

 in striking contrast with their rotund form and sleek and glossy coats 

 in May. 



271(i— VOL Ti 6 



