168 THE ASIATIC PUR-SEAL ISCANDS. 



rookery (pi. 67), the number of which had to be more or less closely estimated. 

 Nevertheless, the average of nine of our best counts may be taken as a fair daily 

 average of the breeding females present at this rookery during our visit in 1897, 

 this average being 449. 



The experience of last year on the Pribilof Islands, where it was found that the 

 number of pups on the rookeries was nearly twice as great as the number of females 

 counted as present in the harems at the height of the season, had prepared us for the 

 above results, viz, a greater number of pups than of cows counted. On the other 

 hand, it would be very erroneous were we to take the above number of females and to 

 that apply a correction derived from the census of St. Paul Island, in order to find 

 out the number of pups which ought to have been on the South Eookery in 1897, for 

 the reason that the above figure of 449 females also includes all the seals that were 

 seen in the sea off the rookery in addition to those in the harems on shore. The 

 average number of females on shore (nine counts') was about 236 (maximum 395, 

 minimum 174). 



Only 2 full-grown bulls attended to this rookery. A young bull, or polusikatch, 

 was observed occasionally on the outskirts of the two harems, but his visits were not 

 regular, and when there he was only attended by a couple of cows. The two bulls 

 were also unevenly matched, for it was evident that the larger and apparently older 

 bull had the greatest attraction in the eyes of the cows, as most of the 500 females 

 belonged to his harem. I do not believe that more than a dozen cows were the 

 legitimate property of the younger bull. One evening (July 28) he was quite alone, 

 separated from the other harem, consisting of 174 females, by a pod of about 300 

 sleeping pups. Astounding as it appears, there can be but little doubt that the 

 single old bull had served the great majority of the 526 females on this rookery and, 

 moreover, was in fit condition to keep the younger bull at a respectful distance as 

 late iu the season as July 30. 



For 526 pups to have been born on this rookery in 1897 the 6 bulls which were 

 there in 1896 must have been suflScient to impregnate probably at least 750 cows, as a 

 number of the latter were undoubtedly killed during the pelagic sealing in the autumn 

 of 1896 and spring of 1897, besides those perishing from other causes during the winter 

 migration. This result sets definitely at rest any fears that may have been entertained 

 respecting the sufficiency of the male element now doing duty on the North Eookery 

 of Bering Island 



CoppBE Island. 



Glinka rookeries. — Owing to the lack of means of transportation, I was unable to 

 reach the Glinka rookeries until August 20. A detailed and conclusive comparison 

 with the conditions of these rookeries in 1896 and 1895 is therefore out of the question. 

 The beaches were now to a great extent occupied by the newly arrived yearlings and 

 2-year-old virgin cows (pi. 64); yet it was quite possible, in places at least, to judge of 

 the exten t of the harems during the earlier part of the season. From such observations 

 as I was enabled to make I have no liesitation in saying that the year 1897 shows some 

 decrease of the seals observed by me in 1895, though not nearly as great in proportion 

 as the falling off" in the breeding areas on Bering Island North Eookery. 



Under the circumstances, it would be useless to go into details, but I may say that 

 the places where I noticed a diminution in the area occupied by the seals were at 



