VIRILITY OF BULLS. 



Measuremenia of two gray pups, taken at north rookery, Bei-ing Island, Octoter ^6, 188S. 



91 



VIRILITY OF BULLS. 



While there is thus shown to be a certain instability in the rookery outlines and 

 quite an uncertainty as to the various classes and stages of the seals, except iu a 

 general way, there is observable a similar lack of strict adherence to the habits as 

 described by many writers, though these may upon the whole be correct. No doubt, 

 for instance, many of the old bulls on the rookery, especially early in the season, stand 

 up bravely without retreating, even against a number of men, but it is also true tha*; 

 a good many of them do not. Lest the more cowardly conduct of some bulls should 

 be charged to an alleged lack of vitality in those of the present generation, I will only 

 quote what I wrote immediately after my visit to the North Eeef Rookery, Bering 

 Island, on June 5, 1883 : 



Between 200 and 300 old bulls were scattered all over the ground, some sleeping, some fighting ; 

 others rose up, somewhat uneasy at our approach; others, again, galloped away as fast as their short 

 i'eet would carry them, plunging headlong into the water. A few would make a hold stand for some 

 moments and roar at us, but they soon turned, seeking to escape. None of those we approached very 

 closely would keep their position. 



I may cite another instance from a date much later in the season, but yet at a 

 time when the females required the full attention of the bulls and on a rookery where 

 the latter were plentiful and vigorous. The observation was made in Sikatchinskaya 

 Bay, Palata rookery, Copper Island. Mr. Grebnitski had landed on a rock in the 

 rookery to take a couple of photographs, while I, with the men, remained in the boat. 

 The following is an abstract from my dairy of August 3, 1895: 



It was a sight never to be forgotten. The females from all around rushed into the water pell 

 mell, while the old bulls were running to and fro trying to keep them back, though in some cases 

 taking the panic themselves and following the example of the females, who made the water fairly 

 boil around the boat by their jumping. On the nearest rocks hundreds of black pups were huddled 

 together as close as they could stand, fearing to go into deep water; but finally driven into it by the 

 advance of the photographing party, they swam with the utmost ease. Of all the many seals covering 

 the rocks around us when we first arrived, only two kept their places. These were an old bull 

 and a matka in heat. Our boat was lying within 20 feet of them, yet they did not mind us, and the 

 courting — the female did the courting— went on, although our presence evidently acted somewhat 

 depressingly on the male, who anxiously kept an eye upon us, while yet unwilling to leave the female. 

 Occasionally he screwed up enough courage to, face us and roar defiantly, but as we approached to 

 within 10 feet and I got up in the boat to lire my camera at him, he suddenly thought that discretion 

 is the better part of valor, and plumped headlong into the water ou the other side of the rock. He 

 came out and up on the rock, however, a few minutes later and shook the water out of his fur, but 

 the female had apparently become disgnsted with him, for, in spite of our retreating, she went into 

 the water shortly after he had returned to her. He then also left for good. 



