158 



THE ASIATIC FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 



Arrivals of fur seals at GlinJca, Copper Island, 1896, as shown hy their nutiibers on the rookeries on certain 



dates. 



North Rookery, Bering Island. 



Anchor was dropped off SivutcM Kamen, north rookery, at 8 a. m. August 8, but 

 it was blowing so hard from shore that we deemed it impossible to pull a boat ashore 

 against it. By 4 o'clock in the afternoon it had moderated somewhat, and as there 

 were no signs of any speedy improvement in the weather I determined to go ashore in 

 spite of the rain. 



We were met on the beach by the Kossak, Alexander Selivanof, and the former 

 Starshena, Peter Burdukovski, and learned that Mr. Barrett-Hamilton was then in 

 Nikolski. 



I inspected both the Eeef rookery and Kishotchnaya, and in spite of the weather 

 made an attempt at photography, a somewhat useless proceedure, however first 

 because there was nothing but empty beaches to photograph, and second, the plates 

 in that light would hardly receive any impression of the empty beaches themselves. 



Selivanof told me that there had been the usual lack of old bulls, but that there 

 were plenty of females. As to the correctness of this latter statement I had no means 

 of satisfying myself, for the rookery— except the rocks— was nearly deserted, most of 

 the females having been driven into the water by the rain, and even a great number 

 of the pups were in swimming. On the rocks, however, there were a great many even 

 on some of the nearer eastern ones, where no harems ever locate. Bachelors were not 

 in evidence. The conditions at Kishotchnaya were similar. The harems were long 

 since disorganized, and it was evidently too late to make any effective comparison 

 especially by photography. I am inclined to believe, however, that, so far as-fhe cows 

 are concerned, the conditions are not appreciably different from what they were last 

 year, and I have no doubt that Selivanof was correct in stating that there were no 

 more bulls than usual. 



As for the bachelors, it will be seen that up to date (August 8) nearly 3,400 had 

 been obtained. Last year 5,139 had been killed by August 8, so that the outlook for 

 a catch even as large as last year's is extremely slim. As a matter of fact, the total 

 when the season closed in August 31, 1896, was only 6,098 as against 8,370 in 1895. 



I append a table showing the drives and numbers killed up to the time of my visit 

 kindly furnished by Mr. Grebnitski, also tables of detaUs of all the drives and the 

 weights of the skins taken. 



