270 THE FUR SEALS OP THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



November 8. — A final drive of 571 pups was made from Zoltoi and Keef. The 

 total number of pups killed was 6,206, the increase over last year being allowed 

 because of the absence of bachelors. 



November 9. — A few cows and pups are still to be seen on the several rookeries. 



November 30. — The month of November has been warm. A few thousand seals 

 are to be seen on the islands at various points; 300 or 400 are hauled out on Sea Lion 

 Rock. 



December 17. — Seals in large numbers are to be seen daily on the islands and in 

 the water. 



December 31. — A few hundred seals are hauled out on Sea Lion Eock and 

 hundreds are in the water on all sides of the island. 



1879. 



January 21. — A few hundred seals are hauled out on Sea Lion Eock, and a few 

 are seen nearly every day on all sides of the island in the water. 



April 29. — One seal is out on Zoltoi and 1 on Eeef rookery; a number are in the 

 water on both sides of the village. 



May 3. — Chief reports bulls on all rookeries except Tolstoi and Polovina. 



May 9. — Bulls are arrivingin large numbers daily; 16 are already on Lukanin; 15 

 bachelors are hauled out near Tolstoi, and quite a number can be seen on Sea Lion 

 Eock. 



May 15. — The chief reports many bulls on all the rookeries; about 50 bachelors 

 are at Southwest Bay. 



May 16. — The chief reports many bulls at Northeast Point. 



RECORD KEPT BY J. 'W. BEAMAN. 



May 31.— The quota is fixed for the year at 80,000 from St. Paul, 20,000 from St. 

 George. 



June 2. — The first regular drive was made to-day from Eeef, 162 skins. Seals are 

 appearing in considerable numbers on all the rookeries. A visit to Village rookery 

 (Spilki) showed numerous bulls. 



June 7. — Of the seals driven yesterday from 25 to 33^ per cent were released, 

 being under or over size, or choice individuals for breeders. 



June 10. — The rookery at Halfway Point (Polovina) shows a couple of thousand 

 bulls hauled out waiting for cows, which begin to come up in small numbers.' The 

 bulls are fearless, and passing along the herd within 40 paces failed to create any 

 considerable alarm. Bachelors, cows, and yearlings are mingled with the bulls in the 

 proportion of not more than 1 to 10 on the breeding rookery. 



June 12. — The Eeef is well covered with bulls for this time of the year; they 

 maintain their positions with obstinacy. 



June 18. — A pup was seen near the village. 



June 20. — There are 23 bulls^ on Nah Speel (Spilki) rookery, 2 cows, and 1 pup. 

 The first cow was seen ou the 16th; its pup was noticed on the morning of the 18th. 



I This statemont is significant. At this date certainly the fiill quota of haiera masters were 

 present, and we are informed tliat there are 2,000 of them. Mr. Elliott in 1874 ascribed fully 10,000 

 bulls to this area, or 300,000 "breeding seals and young.'' 



^This figure should be contrastp^ with Elliott's estimate for 1874 of 260 breeding families for 

 this rookery. 



