546 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



One hundred skins weighed in lots of 10 each in the salt house gave an average 

 of 7.8 pounds per skin for the killing. 



I visited Lukanin and Kitovi in the afternoon. Under the cliffs at the former 

 rookery a young water bull made a dash up through the harems as if to gain the rear 

 of the rookery. He was attacked by all- the bulls within reach, but was not stopped 

 until he came among the idle bulls in the rear. He nearly escaped through these, but 

 his courage failed and he turned again for the water, getting torn and bitten by all the 

 bulls in the way. At the water he was hardly able to stand. This thing occurs nearly 

 every day on some rookery. The peculiar thing about it is the stupidity of these 

 young bulls, not only in attempting to break through in this way but also in not seeing 

 that half the exertion necessary to retrace their course would carry them to safety. 

 They seem to start out with an utter disregard for consequences and becoming 

 discouraged they know nothing but to return the way they came. 



During the excitement occasioned by an episode like the above the harems are 

 more or less disorganized. Several cows have left their own harems to enter others. 

 A small harem of 2 cows, behind a large one, loses 1. She probably goes back to the 

 place from which she was stolen. The bull seems to be much excited about her loss 

 and in a few minutes makes a raid on the big harem, carrying off a cow. The owner 

 attacks him, catching him under the fore flipper and tearing him frightfully. He 

 holds to the cow and gets her safely to his harem. The blood runs down his fore 

 flipper in a stream and in a few minutes he has made the rocks for a space of 6 feet 

 square red with his blood. 



DEPAUTUEE OP COWS. 



Many cows in all the harems to-day are restless and plainly desirous of going 

 into the water. The bulls are constantly rushing about to prevent them. They are 

 gaunt and thin. When anything engrosses the bull's attention elsewhere they slip 

 away. One has just gone in. She spends a few minutes looking about and playing 

 in the water, then swims off along down shore. 



A cow left the same harem, but passed into the adjoining one to avoid a young 

 bull on the water's edge. She passed into a third harem, neither bull paying any 

 attention to her. Finally she went into the sea. 



During a fight, in which the master of the large harem from which these 2 cows 

 left was engaged, 3 other cows started off together. One got off to sea without 

 difficulty. The second took refuge in a small harem near the water to escape a water 

 bull and has been held a prisoner by the bull. The third was caught by a vigorous 

 young bull without cows and held in an angle between two rocks. She is flghtiug 

 hard but not making much progress. The bull has torn her in several places. He is 

 bound she shall not escape. After flghtiug with her for half an hour and completely 

 tiring her out he is now copulating with her. This would seem to be a case of rape, 

 pure and simple. The cow still continues to struggle but it is impossible for her to 

 get away. Yesterday Mr. Lucas and I witnessed a case of copulation where the cow 

 seemed wholly unwilling but could not escape. 



A wet cow comes in from the sea calling, as if looking for her pup. She does not 

 find the pup during the time she is watched. She is not gravid, and must be one of 

 the earlier cows returning from her first trip to sea. 



