326 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOP ISLANDS. 



The pups to be branded were driven back in herds from the rookeries to the flat 

 grassy plains in the rear and at a convenient distance. Here the larger droves were 

 broken up into smaller pods and herded separately. The Aleuts then examined the 

 pups, and sorting out the males allowed them to go back to the rookeries, leaving only 

 the females, which were then ready for branding. 



As no thought had been given to this subject prior to our starting forthe islands 

 in the spring of 1896 no special preparation was made. It was therefore necessary for 

 Colonel Murray to improvise a set of irons and other necessaries for carrying out the 

 experiments. The brands were made of pieces of iron about 8 inches long by 1 inch 

 wide and thick. These were welded to iron handles about 4 feet long. A small 

 portable forge furnisbed the necessary heat. A home-made salve composed of ingre- 

 dients designed to promote healing was also prepared for application to the wounds. 

 This constituted the original apparatus for branding. 



During the season of 1896 377 pups and 11 adult cows in all were branded. Of 

 these, 124 pups on Lukanin rookery were marked on the back with the following 

 brand: ^=. Two young cows on this same rookery were branded with two marks 



asross the shoulders, thus :^=. Ou Kitovi rookery 191 pups were branded thus , 



with a single mark across the shoulders. On North rookery of St. Greorge 62 pups 

 were branded thus, -=^ ; and 9 cows thus, . 



The branding of the cows was attended with great difficulty. It was necessary to 

 lasso them by means of a loop afBixed to the end of a pole, by which they could be 

 .pinned to the ground. The experiments clearly enough showed that any general 

 branding of the adult females would be impossible. 



With the pups the matter was comparatively simple. The little animals could be 

 easily held down by placing one hand on the neck and holding the hind flippers with 

 the other. While held in this position the red-hot iron was applied to their backs, 

 burning through the fur the width of the iron. With the edge of the iron a deeper 

 burn into the skin was made, which was destined to produce a scar. It was expected 

 that the fur would replace itself on the bare space on either side of the scar, thus 

 affording protection to the pup by the overlapping of the fur. As a matter of fact, 

 however, while this replacement of the fur did, as a rule, take place, it was more or 

 less imperfect, and left the skin marred throughout the entire extent of the burning. 



The mere mechanical features of the work of branding, involving the handling of 

 the pups and the application of the irons, was entirely successful from the start. It 

 only remained to be seen what effect the operation would have on the pups themselves. 

 With a view to determining this the pups were closely watched during the months of 

 September and October, 1896. 



For a week but little change could be seen in their condition. The wound showed 

 only the dull scar of the burning. In some cases suppuration •set in at the angles 

 made by the crossing of the brands on the pups branded first on Lukanin. The skin 

 curled slightly at the corners in these cases, and made apparent the inadvisability of 

 putting on a brand so that two scars crossed each other. 



After a week or ten days the wounds appeared raw and apparently inflamed. 

 The cause of this was not at once apparent, but later on, when opportunity was afforded 

 for closely examining the skin of a branded pup which had been drowned, it was found 

 that, instead of being raw and sensitive, the salt water had merely washed out the 



