COMMANDEK ISLAND NOTES. 449 



On Medni Island conditions are very different from those on Bering. The 

 rookeries here are so nearly inaccessible that many bulls escape, no matter how 

 closely they are sought. This, with the reduction of females by pelagic sealing, gives 

 a large surplus of bulls on Medni in spite of the close killing, every one that can be 

 secured being taken. 



It is not necessary to put forward the theory of different feeding grounds to 

 account for this, though such a theory would be necessary to explain the alleged fact 

 that Medni has declined much more rapidly than Bering, as shown by Stejneger's 

 tables. 



STAKVING PUPS. 



Mr. Barrett-Hamilton states that 172 surplus bulls have been killed this season 

 for food and leather for the natives of Medni. He has noticed a number of weak pups 

 with Mack feces, evidently starving ones, but he thinks there are few or no starving 

 pups. Many are said to be killed by the surf. It is probable that if the rookeries can 

 be got at starving jjups will be found here as on St. Paul. 



The authorities deny that the pups are dying. They do not seem to have tried to 

 find out, however, and Mr. Grebnitzi says that Dr. Stejneger was mistaken in his 

 observations on this subject. He says that the starving pups Stejneger saw were 

 weak ones trampled or drowned,. In any case, the number reported by him, in 

 Grebnitzi's estimation, is greatly exaggerated. 



Evidently the local directors have no interest in the truth and no knowledge of 

 methods of finding out. So what they have not noticed or do not wish to notice does 

 not exist. For this reason it is important that the rookeries should be closely 

 inspected. 



Mr. Barrett-Hamilton reports finding fish bones and squid beaks on the rookeries, 

 and he is doubtless right in considering them the spe wings of seals. 



GLINKA. 



We land at the village of Glinka at 1 p. m. qn August 24. Met Maj. N. S. 

 Wachsmuth, the intelligent and hospitable governor of Medni. A start was at once 

 made for the rookeries with Mr. Barrett-Hamilton, Professor Thompson, Dr, Jerome 

 Barry, ship's surgeon, and Sidney G. Haddock, chief engineer, Mr, Marrett, the . 

 photographer, a marine, and several Aleuts. Oapt. Albert C. Allen and Major 

 Wachsmuth accompanied us to the top of the hill. 



We follow the Zapadni drive in reverse direction toward Zapadni rookery. 

 We are ordered by the Aleut watchman to keep off the rookery, but a letter of 

 explanation is sent by me to Major Wachsmuth, who gives permission to go on and 

 we visit Zapadni rookery. We walk along the beach past Sabatcha Dira to Palata; 

 then climb the slide of the Palata drive to the cliffs above Zapalata, Sikatchinskaya, 

 and Gavarushkaya. We then walk along the beach over the Palata drive to Glinka, 

 which we reach about 6 p. m. Immediately on our arrival the Satellite sails for 

 Unalaska. 



The waters of Bering Sea are full of small phosphorescent animals, to such a 

 degree as to make it luminous at night. 



