494 APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



far. I was taken to South-west Bay, St. Paul Island, by a crew of natives, on 

 the 23rd August. During the brief time I was ashore they fished about half-a-niile 

 offZapaduie rookery, catching two halibut and seven cod. These men told me that 

 fish were always very plentiful near the island, but that until 1891 they had never 

 had time during the summer months to catch them; when they were not driving or 

 killing seals, there wore the skins to salt and re-salt, the Company's ship to load 

 or unload, and coal and provisions to be brought from the landing-place to the 

 storehouses. 



The next day sahnon were seen in the lagoon near the village. 



When anchored about a mile off Nikolski village, Behring Island, the 3rd Septem- 

 ber, a great many cod of small size — 4 to 8 lbs. — were caught from the ship by the 

 sailors, and at the village I learned that they were taken close to the island at all 

 times. Salmon are to be got during the wliole season in the river about 12 miles 

 from Nikolski village, and at the village itself early in the season. 



Mr. Baldwin, who has been on St. Paul Island several years, told me that small 



squid are very numerous close to the islands, and Mr. Towusend, who has in 



139 several years been employed as a naturalist on the "Albatross," in Behring Sea, 



said more than once in my hearing that there was no part of Behring Sea that 



did not abound with them. 



It is thus evident that should seals, whether males or females, require food during 

 the time they resort to the islands (which has not been proved), it is to be had m 

 abundance close to the rookeries, while it is further api)arent that the '' natives," 

 with the exercise of but ordinary diligence on their own part, are in no way depend- 

 ent on the slaughter of seals for food. 



"o^ 



Virgin Coivs. 



While on the Pribyloff Islands in July and August of 1892 I endeavoured carefully 

 to note everything that might throw light on the question as to when the virgin 

 females first receive the males, and during that time did not see one female seal that 

 was not either still carrying her young, or whose size did not show that she was of 

 sufficient age to have already had a place on the breeding-grounds. In other words, 

 I never saw a virgin female upon the breeding islands. Every female of small size 

 that was seen moving about the rookeries or leaving the water was watched, and 

 was without exception found either to go at once to some harem where she was 

 plainly at home, or by her manner it was evident that she had young somewhere on 

 the rookery. Very often, too, if watched until they lay down, it could be seen that 

 their breasts were swollen as if full of milk, though this was by no means always 

 the case. Not one cow concerning which I was left in doubt w,as seen on any 

 rookery, and I feel certain that no virgin cow came ashore at these places. 



Mr. ,J. Stanley Brown, who had been on the islands for some weeks before I 

 reached them, told me (8th .July) that Jie had been carefully watching a number of 

 harems as they grew, and was ceitain that not one virgin cow had yet come ashore. 

 He told me at this time that he was quite sure that these young females did not haul 

 out with the " holluschickie," but spent the early part of the season in the water in 

 iront of the breeding-grounds and came out on them later on, and wer6 then served 

 either by the old bulls or by younger ones near the water. This explanation can 

 hardly, however, be the trne one, as were the virgin cows really in considerable 

 numbers in front of the rookeries, they would be seen there at all times; but often, 

 when the day was cold and cloudy, hardly a seal was seen in the water near the 

 islands, though at other times it was black A\ith them. Where are the young 

 females when few seals are seen in the water? 



Were it true that the young females are not served until late in the season, they 

 would be either much later iu bringing forth their young than the older cows, or 

 they must carry their first young for a much shorter time than those of following 

 yeais, which is scarcely credible. But two other solutions of the question seemed 

 to me possible: one, that females do not come to the breeding islands, unless in very 

 small numbers, until they arrive there to give birth to their tirst young; the other, 

 that these two-or three-year-old females haul-out with the holluschickie, and are 

 served by the older bachelors among them. Mr. Brown in August appeared to come 

 to the latter conclusion, and even pointed out to me small seals amcuig the hollus- 

 chickie, whicti he asserted to be females. Though asked by me, to shoot one or two 

 of these small seals (as females had been shot by his orders a few days before at 

 North-east Point for the purpose of determining whether they had been feeding), 

 he declined to do so. Had this been done, these questions might at once have been 

 decided. 



Alter the harems had broken up, and many of the old bulls had left the rookeries, 

 younger males were observed to come on them, and attempts at service were not 

 unconmion, even by very young bulls, three or four years old. These animals were 

 often seen to tease and worry half-a-dozen or more cows one after another; yet 



