496 THE FUR SEALS OP THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



Before beginning the count of Eeef rookery we went over to Sivutcli Eock and 

 counted the dead pups there. A total of 284 was found, and 31 starving pups. Mr. 

 Lucas's area on the slide, which he marked by outlying stones, and which contained 

 33 cows and 4 pups, was measured roughly and found to contain 256 square feet. 



A beginning was made on the Eeef and it was completed in the afternoon. 

 A total of 2,786 dead pups was found on this rookery and 300 starving ones. 



The old bulls were again conspicuous. Many of these animals proved very 

 difficult to move, and some of them could not be moved, discretion on our part being 

 the substitute for valor. 



EFFECT OF DISTURBANCE. 



The return of the seals to the rookery was well illustrated by their action on Eeef 

 rookery. Mr. Bariett-Hamilton and Colonel Murray had driven about half the seals 

 off the Eeef before we got through counting Gorbatch. Instead of beginning at once 

 to count the Eeef we went over to Sivutch Eock. When we got back all the seals 

 and pups were in their places. They were again driven off. We left the rookery for 

 dinner, and on returning an hour afterwards the seals were everywhere in their old 

 positions. They were driven again into the sea as our count progressed, and when we 

 reached the northern end of the rookery, completing the count, the seals for more 

 than two-thirds of the rookery space were settled back on the ground as if nothing 

 had happened. 



In tlie afternoon the seals were back on Gorbatch in as great numbers as ever and 



in their old positions. Even the two long, tongue iike masses which run up the cinder 



, slope were reproduced and one could not tell that the seals had been disturbed. For 



some reason the seals want to be on land just now and are very reluctant to be driven 



away. 



LAGOON. 



After finishing the Eeef we went over in a boat and counted the Lagoon rookery. 

 Here a total of 316 dead pups were found; 78 were counted here in August. The 

 count of starving pups was 51. 



The shank of a pelagic sealing spear was found in three pieces on the Lagoon and 

 brought in. It is probably the handle of one of the spear heads recently found at 

 Zapadni. The seal probably broke loose from the towing shaft in the bay, making 

 her way to Zapadni, the shaft floating in to be thrown up by the surf on Lagoon 

 rookery. 



To-day the watchmen of Southwest Bay brought in the skin of a cow which had 

 been struck with a spear in the left shoulder. The head pierced the shoulder, but 

 pulled out. The cow was alive on the rookery, but helpless. She was killed. The 

 wounded seal probably tries at any cost to get home. 



During the afternoon there were a number of snow squalls, one of considerable 

 violence, lasting for half an hour, which would have put an end to the counting of the 

 day had not the sky cleared and the sun quickly melted the snow. It has resunieil 

 snowing again since dark and it may not be possible for us to continue the count on 

 Northeast Point to-morrow morning, as intended. 



In our count to-day we used the lines and searched the outskirts of the rookeries 

 for stragglers. The count is almost absolutely correct for carcasses identifiable. All 



