54 



THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



for since the seal herd is for a great portion of the year quite beyond the control 

 of man it will always be necessary to allow a liberal margin of bulls for breeding 

 purposes. 



As to the proportion of the sexes at birth, the result of several counts, made at 

 various times and in various localities, shows that the number of males born appears 

 to be slightly in excess of the number of females. In 1872, during the killing of pups 

 for food, Mr. Elliott found that 855 out of 1,670 young were males, while other parties 

 counting at the same time, though possibly with less care, found 3,945 males out of 

 7,330 pups. 



In 1896, ^"750 pups were examined for sex, and 388 proved to be males, a number 

 in substantial accord with the results obtained by other observers. These results 

 will show a little more closely if put in tabular form : 



The following table shows the age and condition of female seals taken in Bering 

 Sea during the month of August and the early part of September : 



[Examioed by C. H. Townsentl between August 11 and August 21, 1895.] 



Yearlings 14 



Two years old 12 



Over 2 years— all nursing , 78 



Total 104 



Pregnant 2-year-olds 5 



Unimpregnatod 2-year-olds 7 



Pregnant nursing females ' 75 



Unimpregnated nursing females 3 



Total 104 



Age and condition of female seals examined in 1896. 



Examined August 10 and 11 : 



Two years old 3 



Over 2 years old 43 



Nursing, with milk abundant 35 



Little or no milk 8 



Pregnant 45 



Examined September 3 : 



Two years old 1 



Over 2 years old 25 



Nursing, with milk abundant 15 



Not nursing, norailk 5 



Probably not nursing, little milk 6 



Pregnant 26 



'These figures differ slightly from those given in Mr. Townsend's report for 1895, pp. 42-45, 

 because reexamination shows that some marked questionable were pregnant. 



