264 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



considerably less than formerly, and apparently less than sufficient.^ The 1 and 2 

 year olds are fully represented. 



July 16.— The sealing season is practically over; the remaining skins will be 

 taken for food. 



July 23.— The schooner San Biego was captured off Otter Island by the Treasury 

 agent in a whaleboat. She had 1,660 skins and 15 tons of salt on board, 



July 25.— the Eeef was thoroughly examined, and the bulls on the breeding ground 

 were found diminished^ on account of heat and exhaustion. The reserves had nearly 

 all gone to take their places. The show of half bulls is less than on former years. 

 Most of the females are absent, partly from effect of bright sunshine, but the number 

 of pups affords ample evidence of the regular annual increase, though the average 

 time of the landing of cows this year has been about ten days later than former years. 

 There is a full number of 1 and 2 year olds present, but of the 3-year-olds ^ and 5-year- 

 olds there is a decrease on former years. All the indications are that more have been 

 killed than should have been and allow a sufficient number to escape to make a full 

 supply of breeding males.* 



August 4. — The Eeef rookeries are broken up and many seals of all classes are 

 on the iipland. The bulls have mostly left the breeding grounds. A full supply of 

 1 and 2 year olds, but a scarcity of 3, 4,^ and 5 year olds. 



August 6. — Zapadni rookery is in a good condition, showing a fair i^roportion of 

 killable seals.^ Lukanin rookery is in a fair condition as compared with former years. 



RECORD KEPT BY -WILLIAM J. McINTYRB. 



August 10. — Owing to the heat few killable seals and females are on Lukanin 

 and Kitovi rookeries, 



August 11. — The seals on Eeef rookery are reported in diminished numbers, due 

 to heat. 



August 21. — Two albino pups were brought from Zapadni. The bodies were a 

 rich cream color, the eyes and ilippers pink, but in every other respect they were like 

 the ordinary pup, 



August 24. — Tolstoi, Holm (Middle Hill), and Zapadni rookeries are lessening in 

 population ; few bulls are present. 



August 30, — The hauling ground of Otter Island was found to contain 1,500 

 bachelors. There is no rookery on the island. The island is 4,000 feet long with a 



' If there was an actual scarcity, -whicli the history of the sncceecling years does not bear out it 

 is traceable to the effects of the close killing of 1868, when practically all males were taken. We 

 can not, however, accept as more than mere opinions these statements regarding the scarcity of males. 

 If definite figures had been given it would be diiferent. 



^ This is a regular phenomenon of the breeding grounds. After July' 25 the old bulls begin to 

 withdraw and the idle and young bulls enter the breeding grounds. It will be noted here that there 

 are reserve balls to take the places of the regular beach masters. 



'The scarcity of 3-year-olds is not unnatural after the quota of 100,000 has been taken. 



<See same record for 1896, and compare with that of 1877 showing proportion of bulls rejected 

 in the drives. From the irregular and uncertain movements of the bachelors it is plain that no defi- 

 nite dotermination of their relative condition from year to year can be made. Their movements are 

 governed largely by the state of the weather. The subseiiuent record shows no dearth of breeding 

 males when the reserves of this year came to enter the rookeries in 1880. 



■^See note 2 under date of July 25. 



''Compare statement under date of August 4. 



