430 THE FUR SEALS OP THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



A cow was seen to come in out of the water with a gash across the top of her head 

 as if chipped out by a glancing blow from an ax or knife. The wound was not fresh. 

 It might have been made by a spear point. 



ISTear the foot of an incline at the end of the cliff is a little pup, doubtless recently 

 dead from starvation. Four other pups were seen in the course of half an hour to 

 approach the little fellow and smell him over in a critical way. 



cows AND PUPS. 



Wet cows were watched with reference to the recognition of pups. ISTearly every 

 one was followed for a few feet from the water by pups waiting there. The cows 

 snapped and snarled at the pups. The pups kept at a safe distance. 



One wet cow was seen to come up to the edge of the cliff, snapping at every pup in 

 her way and calling all the time for her own pup. She followed along the cliff to its 

 end, stopping at intervals and calling. No pup appeared, and going down to the 

 water from the other end of the cliff she swam out to sea beyond the belt of swimming 

 seals. Then she turned about, playing along in the water, rolling over and over, 

 moving down toward the place where she first landed. She then came slowly toward 

 the shore, but was lost when she came again into the belt of swimming seals. 



Four cows were watched come in from the water and either pick up their pups or 

 go to them. Two were seen followed from near the water's edge by pups which after- 

 wards proved to be their own, though the cows apparently paid no attention to them 

 until they reached their places under the cliffs. The little fellows trudged along 

 behind, answering the mother's call. One of the cows routed out four pups sleeping 

 on a flat stone, apparently that she might take their place. Her own pup came up and 

 put its nose to her throat, calling and shaking its little head. She answered, also 

 shaking her head. 



Two cows were seen to make their way up the incline nearly to the top. Both 

 were calling for their pups. ISTeither seemed for some time to attract attention. At 

 last a little pup was seen to enter the bottom of the slide. It was wet and struggled 

 up, calling in response. Though over a hundred feet below and scores of calling 

 cows and pups between, it was plain that the pup knew its mother's voice and was 

 following it. After much hinderance by quarrelsome pups and snarling cows, it at 

 last reached the mother and was received with the usual tokens of recognition. 



The other cow had gone in the meantime to the very uppermost edge of the slide. 

 She sat for some time pruning herself, calling at intervals. No pup seemed to hear 

 her. At last she started down through the sleeping pups to a stone and routed up a 

 pup, who got up responding to the cry she made. She went back to the position she 

 had first chosen, the pup following her. 



Considering these cases one can not help believing that the pup recognizes its 

 mother's voice and can follow it a considerable distance; that if the mother really 

 wants her pup right away and it does not respond at once she hunts it up herself; 

 otherwise she may wait. 



MR. LUOAS'S NOTES. 



I went with Mr. Townsend and Mr. Maooun to Polovina. A further examination 

 of 186 pups was made with a view to determining the proportion of the sexes. Of 

 these 89 proved to be males and 97 females. 



