TOLSTOI EOOKEEY. 439 



Only a few holostiaki are to be seen on Middle Hill hauling ground. These 

 animals are largely in the water. An occasional pup is seen swimming along in the 

 surf of English Bay. Evidently not so frequent interchange occurs here as between 

 Kitovi and Eeef rookeries. 



TOLSTOI SAND FLAT. 



The sandy flat of Tolstoi is deserted except for stragglers crossing it to and from 

 the water. The rooky bowlders on the beach are black with pups, as is the water for 

 some distance out. A few pups are under the edge of the cliff. Many are on the 

 bowlders above. The number of dead pups has noticeably increased on the sandy 

 flat, and there is a large number of starving pups. No other place apparently shows 

 so many. Now that the sand flat is deserted, one can appreciate what a graveyard 

 it is. 



Not many of the oldest carcasses will be lost in the final count. A few bodies 

 will be washed away by the higher surf of the approaching winter storms, but most 

 of these it may be possible to catch on the sand beaches. It will, however, be 

 absolutely necessary to count all bodies and deduct the earlier dead. 



Bulls that drag their hind flippers must do it for convenience or amusement, as 

 the small boy limps. Two bulls have dragged themselves across the sandy tract in 

 this way and as soon as they came to the bowlders of the beach they straightened up 

 in as good form as you could ask. A bull was seen to push himself down into the 

 surf of English Bay on his throat and breast, not using his fore flippers. It was a 

 peculiar performance. There was no way to determine whether anything was the 

 matter with the animal or not. In the water he acted about as other seals would act- 

 Many yearlings are in the water playing with the pups. One extremely small 

 one (probably a female) is seen. She is smaller than the 2 pups with which she is 

 playing — a trifle slimmer and no longer. She has the proj)er color of the yearling, 

 however. 



Many fine bulls, in good condition, are still along the water front guarding young 

 cows. Several are at the back of the sandy tract. It is strange if these cows 

 are not yet to be fertilized. The bulls are quite as attentive as at the height of the 

 season, and they are not young ones, either. 



Passing through the harems on the rocky slope the seals show little fear and no 

 tendency to stampede; they simply move out of the way. 



One genuine case of copulation is seen. The bull is a young one and has a harem 

 of three or four small cows. The cow is a 2-year-old. He is apparently entirely 

 successful. 



Another "prehistoric" burying ground lies at the back of Tolstoi, very much like 

 the one above Zoltoi. Many bones scattered about. They cannot be carcasses from 

 drives. They are probably dead bulls that have hauled out there to die. A number 

 of bulls on English Bay this afternoon are seen lying in out-of-the-way places sleeping. 

 That they in some cases crawl away to die is evidenced by the fact that there are now 

 2 dead ones of this year. The sand has drifted over them, but the gulls are unearthing 

 them. In a similar position are the bones of other animals in the spaces around the 

 sand dunes where the wind has swept away the loose sand and laid them bare. 



