NOTES ON THE FUR SEALS OF GUADALUPE, THE GALAPAGOS, AND LOBOS ISLANDS. 



ACCOUNT OF THE WRITER'S EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF THE FUR SEAL OF 



GUADALUPE ISLAND IN 1892. 



I was detached from the United States Fish Commission steamer Albatross at 

 Seattle, Wash., on May 5, 1892, by the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisher- 

 ies, and directed to charter a small vessel at San Diego, Cal., for a trip to Guadalupe 

 and San Benita islands, lying off the coast of Lower California, for the purpose of secur- 

 ing specimens of the Guadalupe fur seal, for the use of the Department of State in 

 connection with the Bering Sea Tribunal of Arbitration about to convene at Paris, 

 it having become necessary during the pj-ogress of the Bering Sea controversy to 

 identify the species of seal inhabiting these islands. I first visited Guadalupe Island 

 in October, 1884,' when in charge of the schooner Laura on a voyage in search of 

 specimens of the elephant seal, for the United States National Museum. At that time 

 stormy weather prevented us from examining the windward side of the island — where 

 the animals were said to haul out — on account of the danger of keeping the schooner 

 lying off a lee shore. After looking over the eastern shores in a hurried manner and 

 shooting some goats to add to our stock of provisions, we sailed for the mainland of 

 Lower California, which promised better results, and where we finally obtained, at 

 San Cristobal Bay, 15 specimens of the elephant seal. 



My second visit was made in February, 1889, in the Fish Commission steamer 

 Albatross, but "we spent only one day, and that at the southern end of the island, 

 where we observed at a distance 3 seals, which appeared to be Phoca vitulina. 



It was not until the present visit that I was able to examine the entire shore line 

 of the island. According to Findlay's North Pacific Directory, Guadalupe Island is 

 140 miles off the coast of Lower California, its northern end being in latitude 29° 10' 

 50" north and longitude 118° 18' 30" west. It can be seen at a distance of 60 miles, 

 and has near its northern end an elevation of 4,523 feet. It is very imperfectly 

 represented on the charts. In 1880 and 1881 Capt. H. E. Nichols, U. S, N., commanding 

 the Coast Survey steamer Sassier, made a reconnoissanco of it "sufficient to give its 

 general outlines and topography." The results of the Hassler^s voyage have not been 

 published, but according to Captain Nichols' chart in the archives of the United States 

 Coast Survey, Guadalupe Island is 21f miles long by 5J to 6 miles in general width. 

 Upon the northern end of the island grow scattered tracts of conifers, oaks, and palms. 

 The southern part is treeless, but generally covered with a low sage brush. 



According to Mr. J. N. Eose, United States Department of Agriculture, there are 

 145 ^species of plants known to the island, of which 29 are peculiar to it. Its flora is 

 more closely related to that of California than to the adjoining region of Mexico. 

 Many of the trees and plants once known to be abundant are now disappearing, 

 chiefly on account of the presence of large numbers of goats. 



Of the 36 species of birds known to Guadalupe, 9 are .peculiar to the island, some 



iProc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1885, pp. 90-93 (Recent captures of the sea elephant. — C. H. Townsend). 



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