272 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PEIBILOF ISLANDS. 



MEASUREMENTS OF SALTED SKIN OF ELEPHANT SEAL. 



Following are the measurements of the largest of the male elephant seals killed 

 on May 23, the salted skin being greatly shrunken : 



Length, nose to end of tail 8 ^0 



Length, nose to end of flipper ^^ 



Length, nose to end of eye 1 3 



Length, nose to end of upper lip ^ 



Length, tail * 



Length, bare part of fore flipper 1 3 



Width, bare part of fore flipper 7 



Length, longest whiskers 6^ 



Length, longest bristles over eye - 4 



Length, onter claw, longest 14 



Length, inner claw, shortest li 



Width across back to end of fore flipper 6 



Width across tips of hind flipper 2 3 



Width between eyes - ^ 



Whiskers, 48 on each side. 



Bristles over eye, 8 each side (their positions opposite to back of eye). 



Rear and lower whiskers longest (front one-half inch long) grading back to longest. 



No trace of claws on hind flippers ; claws black and broad. 



Outer claw (width) i 



Inner claw (width) J 



Spread of claws 6J 



Space between first and second claws i 



Space between second and third claws i 



Space between third and fourth claws IJ 



Space between fourth and fifth claws 2 



NOTES ON THE FUR SEALS OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS. 



The history of the extermination of the Galapagos fur seal {Arctocephalus philippii) 

 is similar to that of the Guadalupe seal j an unrestricted slaughter of male and female, 

 old and young alike, whenever and wherever found. The notes relating to its capture 

 in recent years were furnished me by sealers who were engaged in hunting it. 



During the voyage of the Albatross to the Galapagos Islands in 1891 we were 

 informed that a scattered remnant of the herd still frequented the more inaccessible 

 rocks of the archipelago. 



The Galapagos fur seal was usually found on beaches overhung with cliffs, and 

 sought caves during the day to avoid the heat. The young were usually born in 

 caves, and were observed at all times during the summer. The species was found 

 present at the islands all the year round and does not appear to have migrated at all. 



The history of the Galapagos seal furnishes additional proof of the fact that fur 

 seals cling to their ancient and accustomed breeding places with the greatest persist- 

 ence. So certain are they of returning to their old breeding ground, that the reestab- 

 lishment of the different species would undoubtedly result from a complete protection 

 of these places, and the result would be the building up of valuable seal fisheries for 

 the future. The later sealing voyages to the Galapagos, from 1880 to 1887, resulted 

 in the killing of all the seals that could be found. The log book of Captain Harit- 

 wen's voyage in 1880, now in my possession, shows that seals taken at that time fre- 

 quented certain localities on Culpepper, Albemarle, Narborough, Tower, Wenman, and 



