156 THE ASIATIC FUE-SEAL ISLANDS. 



Arriving at the "806 feet" station, I took photographs of Palata and Zapadni, 

 and then climbed down several hundred feet to the right to get a view similar to 

 Voloshinof's view of Palata (Russ Pur Seal Vol., pi. 53a). 



At Palata there .was evidently a very great shrinkage since last year. The harem 

 runway up the gully was not continuous any more, but consisted of a small upper 

 patch and a larger one at the lower end (pi. 70). The patches of seals along the beach 

 between Palata and Sabatcha Dira were now entirely disconnected, and the nearer one 

 at the mouth of a little stream from the killing ground is now known as Dopalata. 



Zapadni, viewed from the same standpoint, shows also considerable falling off, 

 the eastern end having shrunk considerably. Owing to the distance at which these 

 rookeries have to be viewed it is difficult to express an opinion as to their condition, 

 but it seemed to me as if there were fewer idle bulls than last year (pi. 71). 



Zapalata seems to have suffered less than the others and looked very much like 

 last year. In fact, there were a few more harems on the large flat rock and there 

 appeared also more on the beach. On the other hand, there were less seals in the 

 water than last year (pi. 14). 



From Zapalata we went down to where the waterfall runs over the edge of the 

 bluff into Gravarushkaya, or rather into "Vodopad," as the portion of this rookery 

 is called, and found it much the same as last year. The conditions are similar to those 

 at Zapalata. 



During 1896 bachelors have been taken at this place from among the breeding 

 seals, access having been gained partly by boat and also by means of a rope located 

 at this point, by which the men have let themselves down and up. 



Looking east (pi. 12), a few harems were seen pn the rocks this side (west) of 

 Gavarushki Stolp. At Babinskaya only half a dozen idle bulls and half bulls can be 

 seen, consequently fewer than last year. 



I think it might be possible to count the breeding seals in these two places, viz, 

 Sikatchinskaya and Gavarushkaya (Vodopad). 



The latter place is also the most favorable for viewing the Commander Island 

 seals more closely, and I have convinced myself that the color of the cows is consid- 

 erably and appreciably darker than in the Pribilof Island cows. 



It was quite noticeable at this point that the sunshine alone did not affect the 

 seals disagreeably. They were stretched out at full length, allowing themselves to 

 be baked through without any attempt at getting into the shade or into the water off 

 the rookery and nearly all the cows seen had dry fur. 



The Albatross arrived off Glinka that same evening, and as I had been over the 

 whole rookery ground and the surf had gone down sufficiently to allow the launching 

 of a boat, I at once boarded her. 



Before closing this chapter on Glinka rookeries I may mention an occurrence 

 which Mr. Wachsmuth related to me. On June 30 (new style) 1896, a large flock of 

 bachelors, probably as many as 2,000, had been observed hauled out on the east side 

 of the peninsula near southeast cape of Copper Island, but as the surf was too heavy 

 at the time they could not be captured, A few days later, when the people came to 

 take them, they had already disappeared. 



This goes to show that a flock of bachelors may occasionally, by reason or stress 

 of weather or other conditions, haul out temporarily in a place not habitually visited 



