RELATIN(i TO SI'. I'MIL ISLAND. 135 



all tlio reqiiircnHMits of the. ]<'as<', iiixl that <'ar<'riil attention to tli<; pres- 

 ei'vation of the seal li(<' should iinchT all <',ir<'iimsta-ii(;(>s be i(;<;ai(l('(l as 

 of first iiii|>oi<aiic<>, and lo this end I he niostcarcfnl stndy of the. habits 

 of the. aninnils slKudd be niad<' ;it the ontsct, ;ind continncd from year 

 to ycai' in order to dctcrininc what elfect the kiliini^of ;i, definite nniiiber 

 nui;ht have upon the seals as to increase or diminution — 1 took more 

 than ordiruiry care in noting' the area of j^ronml oecnpied each year by 

 the diner<;nt classes of seals, and it was evident that 

 dnrinii' (h(5 years 1S71 to l.SSl inclusive there was a fn.in i87i t.. ihki. 

 steady inci'ease in seals of all kimls. 



As iny obs<'rvatioiis exi ended ovo.r a period of time sutVicient for the 

 growth and full develo])ment of individuals I was enabled to determine 

 with a greater degree of aceura<'y the ellect of the operations of the Com- 

 pany generally, as well as to follow specifically to result, various mat- 

 ters of detail, all of which w(M'e based upon the cxiierience and methods 

 of the itussian American (Company as practically known tjo (Japtain Niiv 

 baiim, (HeiH'ial Manager of the l)iisiiiess of the lics.sees, and to the Chiefs 

 and other pcrmaiuMit residents of th<' Islainls. 



(Jrounds ()C('U|)icd by the seals as "breeding rookeries" or "hauling 

 grounds" are (died with a degree of uniformity each year; hence the 

 area, occupied is a very sure criterion in estimating innnbers, wluither 

 of " bulls," or females with their- young, or young males, or- of mixed 

 youirg (yearlings) of l)oth sexes, and the fact of there being a constant 

 incr'ease as al)ove meritioned was fully established by the constant en- 

 largement, yeai- after year', of the space so tilled. 



The fur Sisals of Alaska, are bred and born on the Islands of the L*ribi- 

 lof group in Hering Sea, where they find combined the i>,.ii,ii„ri.Hiini(isiii() 

 (M)n<litions requisite to their existciuec, of isolation, iiomoor cho Ahiskun 

 clirrrate, aird proximity to food supi)ly. ""'■'^'' 



The seals are i)olyga.mous in their habits as to breeding, and each 

 full gi^own and vigorous male animal endeavors to 

 gather around himself the largest possible number of 

 females, and to ap|)r<)priat,e and hold by force the space necessary for 

 them arrd their young. Ac(M>rdingly, when the males 

 retur-u to the fslands, begirrning iir May of eaeh year ,„,y;|I^"*' '"" •"''>'s-'^- 

 (in favora.I)le s(^as()ns sonn; may be seerr in Apr'il), the 

 most desirable locations on the breeding grounds arc a-j>pr'opria.t(Ml by 

 the st rcnigcst and rirost vigorous males, while the weaker or half gr-owu, 

 or- young, are tbrced to take x)laces more remote from well defined cen- 

 ter-s of ])opulation. 



In June the females driven by the near api)roach of maternity a.r-rive, 

 arid on landingar-e for-ced by the near<\st male to remain 

 near himself as long as pussil)Ie, but as thespacehe can r.-n.s"""*'"" "^ '"* 

 hold is limited and soon tilled, his neigiibor-s attempt to 

 steal from his harem, which gives rise to tiere(iContests,in which, not in- 

 fre(pr<'iitly, the fema hi is the victim and is maimed or killed, and the young 

 (pups), perhaps just born, ar-<', trampled and crushed ; lieiHie it is evident 

 thatasirperabiindanceof maJeson thebreedingiir-oiinds o , , 

 IS not desiraltle, and itis also evidentthatan intelligent maioH on bro.din;; 

 and carefully a,p]»lied system of killing males only must K'-..un<isnot(i<Hi.ai,io. 

 result favorably to s<'al life, by preventing ovei-ca'owding, and thus 

 removiirg tlui <;ause of a constant warfai-e which could not fail of being- 

 fatal to vast nunrbers of females and young of both sexes. 



To mys<^lf, as having the interest ot my employer- at heart, the health- 

 ful condition of the " i-ookeries" and their- <',oiistant exi»aiision was a 

 Source of gratilrcation in all respects, and especially as in full evi<lenco 



