276 THE FUK SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



Followiug tlie iustructioas giveu in the letter above, we left San Francisco on 

 June 16 on the steamer Gedney and reached Guadalupe Island on the morning" of 

 June 21. We remained eleven days, and during this time we carefully studied the 50 

 miles of coast line, landing when it was possible or running the steamer or launch so 

 close inshore that every detail could be closely observed. Nearly the entire eastern 

 and southern shores were explored on foot and about half of the western shore. The 

 northwestern shore, where most of the caves are located, could not be reached on 

 account of the heavy surf, but it was possible to run the steamer within 500 feet of 

 the surf line and carefully observe every point by means of the glasses. 



The interior of the island was thoroughly explored and nearly every form of bird 

 and insect and plant life seen was collected. A list of these forms is appended to this 

 report. No reptiles were found.' A list of the fish collected is given below. 



To Professors Green and Wing fell the very difficult and often dangerous work ot 

 exploring the interior of tlie island, while I gave most of my attention to the coast line. 

 Lieut. Commander A. P. Osboru, commanding the Gedney, put his ship and crew at 

 our disposal, and from him and his officers we received most efficient help. A 

 conii)lete survey of the shore line and a sketch of the island was made by the officers 

 of the (iedney. A copy of this sketch map is transmitted with this report. 



The shore line is everywhere composed of ragged masses of rock freshly fallen 

 from the clifis above and seems too unstable to allow the growth of marine foi-ms or 

 of tide-pool life. There is, for these tropical waters, very little life, and the inverte- 

 brates that were found were small in size and not very numerous. 



There are no kelp beds about the island, and everywhere but in a little cove on 

 the S(mth side of the island, where it is comparatively shallow, the water is very deep 

 a short distance from the shore. This may be the explanation of the small number of 

 water birds. During the ten days I saw but two shags and eight gulls. The only 

 water bird that seemed (juitc common was a night flying petrel. On the northwestern 

 coast are numerous caves into which the waves break. It was in these caves that the 

 fur seal was formerly found in large numbers. 



A very careful study of the 50 miles of coast line was made with special reference 

 to the present or past occui>ation by the fur seal. In some places it was impossible to 

 larul on account of the high surf. In thes(^ cases the boat was run as close insliore 

 as i)ossible and every object visible was examined with glasses. Unfortunately, the 

 sea was too rough to make a complete and minute examination of all the caves. But 

 in the repeated trips around the island and six trips along the northwest shore, where 

 most of the caves are hxtated, no fur seal or bones other than the bones of goats were 

 seen. Two sea. lions (Zalophtis calif ornianm) were seen on an outlying rock off 

 Steamer Point (see map). From the bluffs, which on the west coast are from r»(K) to 1,000 

 feet high above the shore, the coast line was carefully studied, but no seal were noted 

 on the rocks or in the water. On the south side of the outer island (see map) is a 

 rookery of sea lions [Zaloijhus caUfornianus). A countmade at 8 o'clock a. m. showed 10 

 bulls, 50 cows, and 31 jiups. This rookery was repeatedly examined in hopes of finding- 

 fur seal among the sea lions, but none were seen. One day was spent on the rookery 

 sketching and photographing the sea lions. The adults were ([uite timid and took to 

 the water if we approached within 40 feet of them. Though the bulls tried to herd 

 the cows ba(;k on to the rocks and frequently succeeded, none of them would come 

 near us, nor did any of the bulls come ashore while we were on the rookery. The 



' In Hull. Cal. Acad. Sci., Vol. I, p. 220, Prof. E. L. Greene speaks of seeing two or three small lizards. 



