438 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



fiercely, cows teasing and stamijediiig, with idle bulls roaring on the sides and at the 

 rear of the harems. It really seems like Sunday in a big city. 



I note a patch of excrement on the sand, and from its appearance infer that this 

 oily, dark excrement plays an important part in the black slime so characteristic of 

 old deserted hauling grounds. 



Mr. Macoun has a huge male sea lion shot. He bleeds quarts of blood and the 

 water is stained far around. The pup seals swim in it with indifference and the other 

 seals do not seem aft'ected. They are naturally alarmed by the two shots, but not 

 very badly. All seals are now very timid and restless. The bulls and bachelors 

 wander for long distances. 



The day is warm and sunny and the seals enjoy it very much, sprawling around 

 asleep or now and then "fanning" with their hand flippers. Do so many fan because 

 they need to or simply because they are imitative? 



MR. CLARK'S NOTES. 



I walked out over the drives and hauling grounds of Tolstoi, Middle Hill, and 

 English Bay. There are no dead bodies on the drives. Bones were scattered over 

 some of the ground, but these were probably brought up by the foxes, as similar 

 scattering bones are to be seen on all parts of the island. 



It is a superb day. The sea is as smooth as glass. Probably between 800 and 

 1,000 old and half bulls, with a sprinkling of bachelors, are hauled out on the sands 

 of English Bay, extending from the little angle of the hauling ground, just below the 

 reef of Zapadni, to the very angle of the flat sandy area at the north end of Tolstoi. 

 I have never seen the whole beach covered before. 



About 200 small bachelors are on English Bay hauling ground. This, like 

 Lukanin, seems to be a favorite place for the yearlings and 2-year-olds. Three pups 

 are among them. Many bachelors are playing in the immense bed of kelp washed up 

 here. It has been rooted over much as if pigs had been in it. One might easily 

 credit the pups and bachelors with having done the rooting if it were not for a flock 

 of gulls which are hovering about. 



THE seal's power OF SCENT. 



A few hundred yards down the sands of EngUsh Bay lies the blind gru,j bull 

 which we saw on Upper Zapadni several weeks ago. He is blind in both eyes. They 

 are completely gone and the lids shrunken in. It is not a case of "moon-eyed" 

 blindness. The injury is not of recent date. The bull is in good physical condition. 

 I approach very near to him ou the windward side. Eaises his head, but shows no 

 fear or alarm. He simply knows that some object is near him. It seems to me that 

 this is the final test of the powers of scent possessed by the fur seal. If this animal 

 had eyes he would go into hysterics. As it is, he does not distinguish between a man 

 and a seal. After passing him he shuffles oft' leisurely to the water. He holds his 

 head down in the water for a long time, keeping his back out. Afterwards he rolls 

 over and strikes out much as other seals do. Mr. Redpath says he will not die; that 

 he will come back in the spring fat and healthy. He says the seals go by instinct 

 and sense anyhow, not by sight, and he will get along all right. Will he? 



