518 THE PUR SEALS OP THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



JUNE 7. 



Soon after landing I visited North rookery and counted the bulls in place on 

 the rookery ground, finding 180. Twenty others, apparently young fellows, were 

 swimming in the water in front. No cows were present. 



The bulls do not stand their ground well. Among the regular bulls are evidently 

 many young fellows which will undoubtedly be driven out when the cows come. These 

 wander about, shifting their places, without apparent notice to the older bulls. There 

 is an utter absence of fighting and very little of the usual bluffing. Some of the 

 bulls show scars of more or less recent wounds, probably the result of contests on first 

 lauding. 



A dozen bachelors — the only ones on North rookery — are hauled out on a point of 

 rock near the middle of the rookery among the old bulls. They play undisturbed. 

 There are no bachelors on the regular hauling grounds. Mr. Judge reports that a 

 small food drive was made from North rookery on the 22d of May. 



In the afternoon I visited Little East and East rookeries in company with Mr. 

 Morton. About 50 bulls were in position on the former. No bachelors were visible. 



The appearance of East rookery as outlined by the bulls was very similar to that 

 of last year on the main part of the rookery. No bulls could be seen along the beach 

 toward the Sea Lion Point, where were a few scattered harems in 1896. With this 

 exception on East rookery as well as on Little East and North, bulls seem to be 

 occupying places wherever harems were last year. 



At a point thickly covered with harems last year is a pod of about 100 bachelors. 

 Among them are many young bulls. The old bulls about do not pay any attention to 

 them, except to protest mildly whei-i the young fellows come too closely in their play. 

 It is worthy of note that in every instance where bachelors are seen they are within 

 the rookery confines and not in the hauling grounds. Two sea lions are lying on the 

 beach just below the bachelors. 



On this rookery is a harem containing a single cow and her pup, reported as being 

 present on June 3. They were not present on June 1. This seems to be the earliest 

 recorded birth of a pup. 



A food drive was made from East rookery on June 2. The bachelors so far have 

 been scarce on all the rookeries. 



At the Government House Peter Eezanzoff", a native returning from watch on 

 Zapadni, reported about 180 bachelors at that place and many bulls. 



JUNE 8. 



North rookery was again visited this morning. The bulls are more numerous 

 through additions of young fellows, probably those yesterday seen in the water. 

 Some of these are wandering about in the rear. Following along the shore toward 

 Staraya Artel I found that the bulls were hauled out on the beach to a considerable 

 distance beyond the rookery limits. These fellows will probably move to the rookery 

 ground when the cows come. 



Staraya Artel was visited in the afternoon. There are 67 harem bulls in place on 

 the slope. There are no bulls now occupying the ground held by the idle bulls of 

 last year here or on any of the other rookeries. These bulls if present are on the 

 outlying beaches or crowded in among the regular bulls to be driven out when the 

 cows come. 



