MAMMALS. 265 



seal is found with its parent oif her guard or absent it has little chance for its life. A little later the 

 ravens are joined by the Glaucous Gull, and at all times the White Bears hunt the seals, both young 

 and old, with success. 



When the ice leaves the coast the Eskimo hunt the seals in their kyaiis, using a light spear, 

 until toward midsummer, when the seals move offshore or go to far-outlying reefs and points. 

 When the cold storms begin in September they return along .shore again and enter the inner bays 

 and sheltered coves. At this time many rawhide nets, with large meshes, are set off the rocky 

 points, and large numbers of the various species of hair seals are taken. Later, when the sea is 

 frozen over, nets are set about the breathing holes with some success. These breathing holes are 

 usually made by the seals when the ice is formed or is but a foot or so thick. At first it is a cir- 

 cular opening, a foot or more across, but the spray and vapor thrown up by the seal as it rises to 

 breathe soon builds a dome of frostwork over the hole with a small orifice in the center. The 

 hunters go out and search for these openings, and when one is found they push a long straw down 

 into the water, with one end projecting through the top of the hole, and then, spear in hand, wait 

 for the seal. The latter pushes up the straw when he rises to breathe, and the spear is driven 

 through the frail roof and into his head. Then, holding the victim by a strong cord attached to 

 the spear-head, the hunter breaks the ice and drags out his victim. 



Next to Phoca fatida this is the commonest hair seal in Alaska, and is of great value to the 

 Eskimo. This species, with P. fcetida, furnish most of the Eskimo with food and material. 

 From their skins they make all of their fine rawhide lines and net-twine, most of their kyak covers, 

 their waterproof boots, trowsers, mittens, and clothing bags, besides other articles. Their flesh 

 and oil fill out the coast hunter's scanty store and carry him through the terrible northern winters. 



They arepartly migratory, a portion of them following the ice-pack through t he straits in spring, 

 and returning with it in fall, but the majority of the individuals are resident wherever found. 

 The young are about 3J feet long in fall and weigh about 50 pounds. They are very pretty ani- 

 mals at this age, their large soft eyes and handsomely shaped heads, with their beautiful coat 

 of dark, silvery-gray hair, indistinctly mottled and spotted with darker color, forming a very 

 attractive combination. 



With P. fcetida, this species ascends the Yukon in summer, and several instances are known 

 to me of their being taken over 300 miles above tide- water in this stream. They also go far up 

 the Kuskoquim Eiver at this season. The seals reported as occurring in the fresh-water lake of 

 Iliamna, back of Bristol Bay, and also in another lake south of the Yukon, are undoubtedly 

 either this species or Phoca fcetida. 



Calloehinus uesinxjs (Linn.). Fur Seal (Bsk. A-taU). 



Biographical notes. — This is by far the most valuable fur-bearing animal of Alaska, and prob- 

 ably of the world. The annual catch of 100,000 skins on the Alaskan Fur Seal Islands of Saint 

 Paul and Saint George yields from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 in the London market, according to 

 the demand, and for some years past the sum has closely approached the latter figures. From 

 forty to fifty thousand skins are taken on Copper and Bering Islands, on the Siberian coast, each 

 year, and a few thousand more are taken by native and white hunters along the coasts of the 

 Pacific during the migrations. 



The range of this seal is becoming more and more restricted in Bering Sea. Formerly it was 

 taken every summer along the coast of Norton Sound and sometimes about the southern entrance 

 to Bering Straits. 



The old Eskimo along the eastern coast of Bering Sea know it well an d recognize a piece of 

 its skin on sight, while it has a distinctive name in all the coast dialects north to the vicinity of the 

 straits. 



In July, 1877, a male Fur Seal hauled up on the rocks within 200 yards of Saint Michaels 

 and remained some time. It became frightened and took to the water, where I shot and killed it. 

 This was the only one seen during my stay there, but the Eskimo said that formerly they were regular 

 but iiire summer visitors to that vicinity. At present they sometimes wander to the vicinity of 



S. Mis. 156 34 



