554 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PKIBILOF ISLANDS. 



breast. As the birds took flight by the thousands, these eggs rolled about in hopeless 

 confusion, many of them breaking, and as the season was advanced the odor of rotten 

 eggs soon became very pronounced. 



The red and black legged kittywakes were nesting on the ledges among the arris 

 and in good fellowship with them. On the grassy area the burgomaster gulls had 

 their nests built of grass and seaweed. The young were hatched and hiding among 

 the tufts of grass. Each of the deserted nests, as a rule, contained an unhatched egg 

 which was probably bad. There seemed to be 2 and sometimes 3 young gulls to a 

 nest. The cormorants occupied nicely built nests on rocky points. The sea parrots 

 and chutchkis were nesting in inaccessible places among the rocks. Each of the 3 

 cormorant nests seen had 3 young ones. In one nest 2 of the young were so 

 pressed upon the third that it had no opportunity to grow and was less than a third 

 the size of its companions. A supply of food consisting of fur-seal placenta near by 

 one^f tlie burgomaster nests suggests the way in which the seeds of the seal grass 

 and wormwood were transferred to Walrus Island. 



Near the southern end of the island the cliff breaks down into a rocky slope. 

 This was the old hauling ground of the walrus. Hundreds of skulls lie scattered 

 about. 



The recently dead carcasses of an adult and pup sea lion lay on a rock at the 

 noithern end. A young bachelor sea lion swam into the bight where the landing was 

 made, but no other living animals were seen. A number of what seemed to be 

 recently occupied fox burrows were seen in the grassy area, but no foxes. 



JULY 13. 

 OTTER ISLAND. 



I was able also to visit Otter Island with the surveying party which were landed 

 there this morning by the Bush. As the vessel'approached the island, though still at 

 a considerable distance and to the leeward of the hauling ground, the bachelors 

 roused up and ran together in a pod a« if rounded up for a drive. The noise or the 

 sight of the white vessel must have scared them. They started in a line slowly down 

 to the rocky reef at their landing place. The pod seemed to number 1,000, as nearly 

 as could be estimated from a distance. On landing 350 were still on the rocks, while 

 the water oifshore was full. Among those still on shore were 50 young bulls, probably 

 6-year olds, and about 20 5-year olds. The others ranged from this age down to 

 yearlings, the ages and sizes corresponding to those to be found on any of the regular 

 hauling grounds of St. Paul. Although this is a much larger showing of bachelors 

 than was seen last year at the time of my visit, no extension of the space occupied as 

 a hauling ground was visible. No trace of any harem of breeding seals was seen. 

 No bulls of the rank of harem masters were present this year, whereas there were 

 several last year. 



The bachelors of Otter Island showed more timidity than those to be seen on St. 

 Paul and at the same time more curiosity. When the surveyors approached their 

 hauling ground to carry on their work the seals hastened into the sea, but only to 

 reappear every few minutes above the head of the slide which forms the passageway 

 to the flat above. When the men moved away they came up in small bands parading 

 about, taking fright easily and rushing off every few minutes in a panic to the water. 



