266 ISTATUEAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS IN ALASKA. 



Cape Eomaiizoff, but are mainly limited to the viciuity of the Fur Seal Islands in summer and 

 the bays and passes of the eastern Aleutian Islands during the migrations. During the summer 

 they are unknown south of the Aleutiau Islands and are unknown north of them in winter. 



On the first of May each year the old males begin to go north through the passes in the Aleutiau 

 Islands and seek the beaches on the Fur Seal Islands. About a mouth later the main body arrives 

 and millions of these intelligent animals are then found crowding the shore line of Saint Paul and 

 Saint George wherever suitable ground occurs. The males take their iilaces on the shore first, the 

 stronger ones near the water and the weaker further back. As the females land the males fight 

 desperate battles over them and the victors take them by the back with their teeth and place them 

 close alongside themselves where they can guard them from possible rivals. This goes on until 

 many of the strouger males have a harem numbering from fifteen to forty-five members, according 

 to Elliott. In preserving this from intrusion by surrounding males, which are on the alert to steal 

 females from one auothei-, they sustain many severe wounds and are sometimes killed. The females 

 also sometimes fall victims to the fury of the combatants. 



For about three months from their laudiug tliese seals remain on shore without a siugle visit 

 to the water and consequently without tasting food. When they land they are fat, and during this 

 long fast they must exist by the absorption of their oil. 



During August they commence to move to and from the water, aud the sea about the islands 

 swarms with them. They are very playful iu the water, particularly the half grown young, aud 

 the manner iu which they frolic about and leap from the water is very amusing. Many of them 

 remain about these islands until forced away by the weather, the last remaining until the end of 

 December. In September, 1881, when we steamed by these islands, the water swarmed with the 

 seals, while the shores were shaded a dun brown by the thousands which still occupied their slop- 

 ing sides. 



When the seals leave these islands they pass south through the Aleutian chain aud n portion 

 of them straggle aloug the coast southward to California. Ouly a comparatively small number are 

 found there, however, and as they certainly do not winter about the Aleutian Islands their maiu 

 wintering ground is still unknown. This uncertainty has led some sailors familiar with the ani- 

 mal's habits to imagine that they go to some unknown island in the middle of the North Pacific. 

 Vessels have eveu cruised there iu search of such an island, but it has never been found. The 

 iutelligeuce exhibited by these animals iu returning each spring from their wide-spread roaming 

 over thousands of miles of the stormy Pacific is marvelous. 



On the first of May, 1877, as we steamed northward, aud while over 100 miles from the nearest 

 of the Aleutiau Islands, quite a number of Fur Seals were seen heading for the nearest pass and 

 almost in a direct line for the two small islands where they make their summer home. The damp, 

 cloudy, aud foggy weather, which is almost unbroken about the seal islands in summer, is con- 

 genial to the seals and a sunshiny day causes them great discomfort. About the seal islands their 

 natural enemies are confined to au occasional Killer Whale. 



On these islands the animals are surrounded and driven back from the shore iu droves or 

 "])ods" by the Aleuts, and at a designated spot are brained with clubs and their skins removed, 

 packed in salt, and in the course of time shipped to the London market by way of San Fi'ancisco. 



The skins when taken from the animals are thick aud have a heavy layer of blubber on the 

 inner side. On the outer side they are covered with coarse hairs, which conceals the fine inner fur 

 aud give it an appearance entirely unlike the fur when ready for the fashionable wearer. In the 

 hands of the manufacturer the fat is removed, and the skin shaved down uutil the I'oots of the 

 heavy outer hairs are cut so that these hairs can be readily removed, leaving the soft under fur. 

 This fur is then cleaned and dyed, when it is ready to be made up. 



The males weigh about 400 pounds and the females from 75 to 100. 



EuMETOPiAS .STELLEKi (Lessou). StcUer's Sea-lion (Esk. Wi'-nulj. 



Biogrdpliiml notes. — The only i)lace in Alaska where this fine sea-lion is found iu abundance at 

 present is about the Fur Seal Islands. Elliott estimated that iu 1873 some twenty-five thousand of 

 these animals were occupying the beaches on Saint Paul and about one-third of that number on 

 Saint George Island. 



