5l4 THE FUK SEALS OF THE PBIBILOF ISLANDS. 



The intestines of this pup were full of fecal matter of the color of that seen 

 thrown on the beach. The rectum contained cylindrical feces hard like that on the 

 sands. This one specimen is probably too slight a basis on which to establish the 

 matter, but it seems that these pups, which spend so much time in the water, are the 

 well-fed pups. Those killed on the rocks at the Point Warehouse just after coming 

 ashore, the one killed by Mr. Macoun and Judge Crowley while coming out of the 

 water, and several others were all full of milk. For the most part, on the other hand, 

 the pups killed on shore have been empty — waiting for their mothers. 



The presence of these well-fed pups in the water in contrast to the empty ones 

 on shore, considered in the light of the fact that the stomachs of the bachelors taken 

 from Zoltoi the other day immediately after coming in from the sea, seems to suggest 

 that the fur seal naturally digests its food in the water. The adult waits offshore to 

 finish digestion if it arrives before it is completed, and the pup, when he has a 

 stomach full of milk, takes to the water and sleeps and plays there while it is being 

 digested. 



There are a score of bachelors off' Zoltoi sleeping and playing with the pups. 

 There has been a band of seals all summer off the rookery fronts. There is mingled 

 with the pup excrement on the sands of Zoltoi the feces of adult seals. In this 

 digestion of the food before coming on shore we have the explanation of the fact that 

 seals are not seen during the summer to land directly from the sea, but always from 

 the band of swimming seals. 



In further investigation of the question of the feeding of pups, Judge Crowley 

 will kill pups at intervals as late as they remain on the rookeries. Up to this time 

 there is absolutely no evidence whatever to favor the idea of the pup's ability or 

 inclination to obtain other food than mother's milk. 



OCTOBER 21. 



Spent the forenoon in packing preparatory to leaving the island. The Bear came 

 in from the direction of St. George and anchored off Lukanin Bay, the only landing 

 place, and we got away early in the afternoon. The ship had picked up Mr. Barrett- 

 Hamilton and Lieutenant Hoover and his boat's crew from St. George. An unsuccessful 

 attempt was made to land mail on St. George in the night, and the Bear sailed for 

 Unalaska. Mr. Barrett- Hamilton reports that killers were seen almost daily about 

 St. George during his stay there. A food killing of 59 seals was made from North 

 rookery on October 20, and another of 18 on the 21st at Zapadni. He reports counting 

 70 bulls on Zapadni. 



The Bear arrived in Unalaska on the morning of the 24th of October and sailed 

 for Seattle at noon on the 25th, arriving in Port Townsend at midnight of November 2. 



