426 * THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOP ISLANDS. 



and those recently counted. Between those which died in July and those which died 

 in September there will be a clear line of demarcation. But between those which died 

 about August 1 and those which have died since August 15 no line can be drawn. 

 There will therefore be a considerable area of confusion, which will widen as time goes 

 on. It will not be wise to go over the rookeries to pick up the freshly dead ones, and 

 in event of doing so it can not be certainly said Avhether the freshly dead ones 

 have or have not died since the recent count. The only way is to count everything to 

 be found on the rookeries after October 1, deducting from the number those already 

 counted. This will give a result somewhat less than the facts, as some will 

 undoubtedly disappear, but one which can not therefore be impeached, because it 

 will necessarily be an underestimate. 



Numerous instances of excrement on the rookeries and hauling grounds were 

 seen on Zapadni and Polovina rookeries, voided both by pups and cows. 



On Polovina an immense pod of 400 or 500 pups was rounded up on the level 

 above and allowed to run off gradually, so that a count could be made. They acted 

 just like a pod of grown seals would, only with worse effects on the pups. If they 

 were in any way pressed they piled up on one another two and three deep. They 

 sprawled about, j)anting from their exertions just like the older seals. Some of the 

 pups that had lately nursed vomited up milk. Others, probably also with full 

 stomachs, voided excrement. On the whole, it seems best not to try a count of the 

 live pups except on the thinner and less densely populated rookery patches. 



To date 102 dead pups, taken at random from the rookeries, have been dissected. 

 Of this number 53 have been males, 49 females. The mortality would therefore seem 

 to be evenly distributed between the sexes. 



MR. LUCAS'S NOTES. 



I found the pups going freely into the water on North rookery of St. George. 

 It is wonderful what an amount of pounding in the surf they will stand and seem to 

 enjoy. A pup was noticed at a distance from the rookery swimming across a cove 

 a quarter of a mile away, the first seen to do anything of the kind. 



The grass on the hauling ground is much worn by the trampling, and it is evident 

 that wear and growth must both be rapid. The rookery is almost deserted, and there 

 are about as many seals in the water in front as when we went through on Sunday. 



Two recently dead starved pups were seen. It is evident that many starved pups 

 will be washed away and never seen, as their instinct at this age, as well as their 

 desire to find their mothers, will draw them toward the water. 



Saw to-day a fresh placenta, which was not on the ground Sunday. 



AUGUST 21. 



Mr. Townsend and Mr. Clark went to Northeast Point to count the live pups on 

 the patches in which the cows were counted on July 16 by Dr. Stejneger and Mr. Lucas. 



MORJOVI. 



Mr. Townsend took the east side of the point, beginning to the east of Webster 

 House. In the first large patch, where Dr. Stejneger and Mr. Lucas counted 967 cows, 

 Mr. Townsend found 1,524 pups on land. A large number were in the water which it 



