RELATING TO ST. GEORGE ISLAND. 165 



I have seen a raotlier seal carry lier pii]) out a little way into tlie 

 watei- and force the little animal to use its iiippers. 

 Finally, alter repeated trials, tbe pup learus to swim, ^^^'""'"sto swim. 

 and from tliat time on spends a good deal of time in the water; but 

 still the greater portion of these iirst mouths of its life are spent on 

 laiul sleeping- and nursing. 



A good many pups are killed at this period of life by being dashed 

 against the rocks by the surf, which is particularly violent about these 

 islands. 



The only means of sustenance for a pup while it remains on the island 

 is nursing, which it continues till it takes its departure 

 sometime in November, as a rule; but during one ex- •''"« ™aiice of pup.s. 

 ceptionally warm winter some seals remained about the island during 

 the whole winter. During this iirst summer of their existence, after 

 the breeding grounds have been broken up, it is possible to take posses- 

 sion of every pup on the islands and mark them so they could be reciog- 

 nized in the future. 1 am of the opinion that, provided the weather 

 remained the same the year round as it is in the summer, that the seal 

 herd would stay in the vicinity of the Pribilof Islands during the 

 entire year, for the seal evidently considers these ivslands its sole home. 

 Tlie cause of leaving is, as I believe, the approach of 

 cold weather, with snow and ice, and perhaps a lack of C'=^"«e °f ™>s'ation. 

 food supply. On leaving the ishiud the pup goes southward with his 

 mother and companions through the Aleutian passes into the Pacific 

 Ocean. While I was acting as j)urser on the steamer Constantine I ob- 

 served during the months of January, February, and March numerous 

 seals in the inland waters or along the coast between Port Townsend 

 and Sitka. Never a day passed but on looking over the rail seal could 

 be seen sleeping on or disporting in the waters. One day in the bay of 

 Sitka I saw several hundred seals asleep in the watcn-, but at the splash 

 of an oar they innnediately disappear. These seals were in all cases 

 mucli more timid than about their island home, where they evidently 

 realize they are practically safe. 



During June and the first part of July the females and pups go 

 through the Passes, and, entering Bering Sea. again seek the islands. 

 During their second summer the young seals herd together, the females 

 not going upon the breeding grounds. Again in the fall they leave 

 their home on the approach of cold vv^eather and make the second mi- 

 gration south. After this migration the females, now "two year-olds" 

 or " virgin cows," goon the breeding rookeries, and the young males on 

 the hauling grounds. The temale this season is probably fertilized. As a 

 general rule the impregnation is by the bull, to whose harem she belongs, 

 and not by the young males, as has sometimes been stated. These young- 

 males always pursue a female when she is allowed to leave the harem 

 and go in the water, but she refuses them. I am posi- 

 tive from my observations that copulation in the water possible" "' "'^^'^'^ '*"' 

 could not be effectual, and would be a most unnatural 

 occurrence. 



After this season and the migration following, the three-year-old cow 

 lands again on the breeding rookery and gives birth to „ . 



^ , J. 1 • J.1 • "^ * Uniparous. 



one pui); two at a bn^th is as rare an occurrence as a 

 cow bringing forth two calves, aud during my entire experience I never 

 heard of this happening but once. The cow alter bringing forth her 

 yonng remains on the rookery until again fertilized by the bull, which 

 is, I bi'lieve, within two weeks. After the fertilization she is allowed 

 to go to and from the water at will, in searcli of food, which she must 



