354 THE FUR SEALS OP THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS, 



Nothiug was seen of sea otters in 1890 by Mr. Palmer. In 1892 Mr. Townsend 

 picked up a skull from tlie beach at St. Paul, and this is now in the Nati.onal Museum. 

 There is also another skull in the Museum from the Pribilofs, without definite record. 

 In 1896 Mr. Lucas learned that a sea otter had been found on the beach near Eocky 

 Point, St. Paul, in the spring of that year. 



Walrus. — Walrus formerly occurred on the Pribilof Islands, and in large numbers 

 at first, if we may believe the Eussian agent, Sarytschew (quoted by Elliott and 

 Allen), who stated that they " formerly resorted in summer in large numbers to St. 

 Paul and St. George islands, where 28,000 pounds of their teeth were obtained in a 

 single year." ' He reports, however, that they were all gone from these islands in 

 1805. 



Veniaminof in 1840 includes "a few walrus" among the animals belonging to the 

 Pribilof Islands. These were presumably on W alrua Island, where they still occurred 

 as late as 1890. In that year Mr. William Palmer went to Walrus Island in the hope 

 of getting specimens for the National Museum. He saw eight then, but obtained none, 

 and they were reported all killed the following season. 



During my sojourn on St. Paul in 1895 I noted that the bones were very abun- 

 dant, especially at Northeast Point, and in 1890 Mr. Palmer found the natives digging 

 in the low sand bluff near Webster House, as opportunity occurred, for the sake of 

 the tusks, which they sold to the company for about 20 ceuts per pound. I dug 

 about there a good deal myself in 1895, but found no skulls with tusks. 



I saw a pair of tusks, however, in the possession of Dr. Voss, which were obtained 

 there, and a few others were procured in 1897. 



Red Fox and Polar Bear. — These animals are said to be occasionally brought to 

 the islands on the ice in winter. I saw nothing of the red fox in 1895, and Mr. Palmer 

 reported in 1890 that not more than six or seven had been taken in twenty years. 



' Allen, J. A., North Amerioau Pinnipeds, 1880, p. 176. 



