356 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



probably accident that determines which horn shall be impregnated first, but after 

 the first pup is born impregnation occurs each year in the unused horn. While the 

 horn which has just borne the pup is recovering from gestation the other is made 

 ready for impregnation. 



The silvery cow belonged to the old black bull. The Graafian follicle showed no 

 trace of rupture in the right ovary. The follicle in the left was about to rupture. 

 The ovaries in this case were a little larger than in the first cow, but showed no trace 

 of having yet been fertilized. This cow was somewhat fatter than the other and a 

 little larger. 



Secretions of the outer part of the vaginal tube in both cows proved acid; those 

 of the uterus alkaline; mammary glands normally developed in both. No corpus 

 luteum appeared in either ovary of either cow. Both stomachs were wholly empty 

 except for a few nematode worms. The fat was yellow in its color. The intestines of 

 both contained excrement. 



THE YEARLING MALE. 



Near by were two small seals in charge of a young half bull. The smaller one 

 was shot and proved to be a yearling bull. It had all the appearances of a female, 

 and Jacob said it was one. The bull showed it all the attention which could have 

 been expected in the case of a cow. It showed tremendous tenacity of life; had to 

 be shot twice in the head and neck, and yet had strength enough to bite and scream. 

 If it had been in the sea it would probably have swam a mile, perhaps many miles, 

 though from the loss of blood it must eventually have succumbed. It defied all of 

 us, even after the second shot, and continued to fight till struck with a knife. It is 

 simply impossible to believe that pelagic sealers do not lose a large percentage of 

 those they shoot. No other animal shows the tenacity of life that a seal does, and 

 no animal is more free from sickness or defective parts. When first shot the little 

 yearling screamed like an angry pup. 



The sacrifice of this yearling was valuable in showing how easy it is to be 

 deceived. This animal was watched closely at a distance of not more than 10 feet 

 by several persons, all of whom pronounced it a female as far as appearance went. 



The yearling male is about the size of the 2-year-old female. Jacob and the 

 other natives say they can tell the female by the sharper snout and narrower head. 

 But while the head of one female killed seemed to bear out this view, the other 

 most decidedly did not, and there was no essential difference between the head of the 

 yearling and that of the female. There does not seem to be any characteristics that 

 will surely determine the sex of the young animals other than those of the sexual 

 organs themselves. 



It is evident from our experience with this and other animals shot for scientific 

 purposes that the suggestion that rifles should be substituted for clubs on the killing 

 grounds is not a wise one. The amount of suffering would be greatly increased by 

 such a change.' 



1 In 1897, while securing bulls for museum purposes, Jsicol) Kocliuten shot a bull twelve times 

 before he finally killed it. To require the natives to shoot the seals in the land killings would bi' 

 nonsense. 



