334 THE FUR SEALS OP THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



large and 4 small ones. The rookery does not now go more than two-fifths of the 

 distance from the shore to Townsend's cross of last year. Distant patches also seem 

 smaller and do not extend up to the bank. Twenty bulls are now visible in one part 

 of the mass where 30 were shown in 1892. There were 23 idle bulls in sight in 1892, 

 where there are now some 30 ; but this is not worth much. The chief change is in the 

 thinness and narrowness of the entire mass. 



In another view from a photograph of 1892 a line from point to point would cut 

 off 40 harems and COO seals from the mass. At the present time the mass falls 40 feet 

 short of this line, and only 5 small isolated harems on the rocks above would be cut 

 off. Along the seashore no great change is evident, but from the sand all harems 

 are gone. One-third of the whole great mass west of the foot of Hutchinson Hill 

 is gone. 



Looking north there is less change visible. Hine bulls are to-day about equidistant 

 in a straight line running obliquely across the sands from the foot of Hutchinson Hill 

 toward the east, but all are idle except 2. In the photograph of 1892 there is shown 

 a similar line of bulls in the sandy tract, all occuijied and in the very midst of the 

 rookery, 10 to 20 feet west of its outer edge. 



About 200 harems are west of Hutchinson Hill; 200 more in the large patches 

 south of it. All the rookery masses are everywhere 30 to 50 feet short of Townsend's 

 crosses. 



One old bull, far above the others on the slope of Hutchinson Hill, had two cows 

 which were stampeded. One got away to the harem below. The bull followed the 

 second one down the hill, seized her, and finally succeeded in getting her back. 

 Meanwhile he roared and fairly wept, his voice telling as plainly as could be his 

 feelings. Another bull attacked him and the rescued cow ran away to join the other 

 in the large harem-below, leaving the old fellow alone and swearing. He climbs back 

 to his rock disconsolate. When a bull chases another bull, or a man, he goes only 

 about 10 feet and then looks back instinctively to see what has become of his cows. 

 Then the object of pursuit can get away. 



There is an enormous mass of seals under Hutchinson Hill, the largest on the 

 island. Yostochni is a noble rookery, though far short of its former greatness. 



A WOUNDED BULL. 



One 5-year old bull, blind of one eye and hurt in the other, is ordered killed. 

 Before he can be secured 3 other bulls attack him and nearly kiJl him. Nowhere has 

 been seen such a ferocious lot of idle bulls, some of them old and brown. Fierce 

 quarrels are in progress all along the rookery line. 



The blind bull is probably 6 years old instead of 5. He is a noble fellow, but 

 badly used and getting thin. His left eye is nearly gone on account of a cataract-like 

 thickening. Eight eye entirely gone. On closer examination the eyes are found to 

 have been destroyed by buckshot. We find more buckshot under the skin. The skin 

 is taken for museum purposes. The coarse gray wigs have little of sealskin beauty, 

 but the brown and black ones are handsome. 



There is great commotion on the rookery when we move about, but no attention 

 is paid to the shooting of the bull, and when we are quiet all the idle bulls settle down 

 to watch us and fan themselves in the sunshine. 



