FEEDING GROUNDS OF THE BERING ISLAND SEALS. 113 



The season of 1892 failed to throw much light upon the question where the 

 Bering Island seals go to feed during the same months. The Vancouver Belle made 

 a reconnoissance to the northeast and north of Bering Island, at a distance varying 

 between 20 and 100 miles, but obtained only a few (13) stray seals, and hastened back 

 to the Copper Island grounds. The Maud S. made a similar trip of exploration 

 around Bering Island with a similar result (27 seals). The experience of the fleet, 

 however, demonstrated pretty clearly that the Bering Island seals do not go to the 

 Copper Island grounds to feed. It seems that the Henry Dennis was on or near the 

 Bering Island feeding grounds, for between August 1 and 7 she took 189 seals in a 

 restricted area a little more than 100 miles due northeast of the Bering Island north 

 rookery. 



The experience of 1895 and 1896 shows that the Bering Island feeding grounds 

 are more distant and more extensive than the Copper Island ones, being located to 

 the north and northwest of Bering Island. A glance at the maps showing the catches 

 made on the Commander Islands feeding grounds (pis. 87 and 88) must convince 

 anyone that the seals breeding on the two islands also go to feed in separate parts of 

 the sea. Where the fur seals living at the Bering Island south rookery go to feed, 

 whether with those of north rookery or those of the Copper Island rookeries, or 

 whether they have feeding grounds of their own to the west of their own beach, is 

 impossible to say, though the latter alternative seems the most probable, judging 

 from the maps just quoted. 

 15183— PT 4 8 



