140 INVESTIGATION OF THE PUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



dead cows were found, one having died very lately, her skin bitten 

 to pieces. Although the natives, who judge from the general aspect 

 of the rookery, say there are more cows there this year than last, the 

 count to-day is 1,229 less than the number given last year. 



August 3, 1902, Sunday. — Counted pups, north rookery. Fol- 

 lowing are the results: Live pups, 4,852; dead pups, 43; dead cows, 3. 



Note by Mr. Chichester: We were able to carry on the counting 

 from one end of the rookery to the other without molestation from 

 the bulls. The count on this rookery, while I feel, satisfied is as 

 accurate as could be made, is far from satisfactory. The greater 

 portion is so filled with large bowlders, beneath which the pups go, 

 where they can not be reached or even seen, and it is quite probable 

 a number were missed in the way. 



August 5, 1902. — Counted pups on east rookery. Found on the 

 east reef 905 live pups and 10 dead. Count satisfactory and as near 

 correct as possible to get. Under cliffs we found 2,040 pups and 42 

 dead. 



August 7, 1902, Thursday. — To Zapadnie for counting pups. Satis- 

 factory count, as follows: Live pups, 3,822; dead, 77; dead cows, 3. 



August 3, 1903, Monday. — Mr. Chichester and self, with 4 men, 

 counted the pups on Zapadnie rookery, finding a total number of 

 3,462. The count was under rather than above and very unsatis- 

 factory. 



Thursday, August 6, 1913. — Mr. Chichester and myself, assisted 

 by George and Joseph Merculief, Nicolai Merculief, and Mike Shane 

 and Gregory Swetzoff, counted the pups on north rookery. The 

 aggregate proves to be 4,662. There were a few dead pups, but the 

 bodies of such were generally devoured or partly devoured by the 

 foxes. We therefore did not attempt to get the census of the dead. 

 Three cows were found dead. One had evidently caught her head 

 between rocks. 



Wednesday, August 17, 1904- — Three boats returned with nice catch 

 of sculpin, cod, and small halibut. 



July 20, 1906. — At a favorable point on north rookery a cow in 

 heat was teasing a bull, biting his neck and lifting up her hind parts, 

 which the bull smelled. Shortly afterwards, he endeavored to copu- 

 late, but soon gave up the attempt, spread out on the rock, and went 

 to sleep. The cow renewed her blandishments from time to time, 

 but the bull had evidently reached his limit. 



Sunday, July 29, 1906. — In afternoon Maj. Clark and I went with 

 a whole gang of natives and counted live pups on north and Starre 

 Arteel rookery. The count on north is far from satisfactory, but it is 

 as good as can be made. Wherever it was possible the pups were 

 hauled out from under the rocks, but in a number of instances it was 

 impossible to do this, so the count is more or less guesswork. 1 Result, 

 north rookeiy live pups, 3,749; dead pups, 105; dead cows, 3; Starre 

 Arteel, live pups, 1,958; dead, 48. 



Monday, July 22, 1907. — Visited north rookery and found the 

 cows very panicky and family discipline all gone. 



1 As an illustration of the curious inaccuracy of these seal estimates made by the agents here, and honestly 

 admitted as above (as well as on St. Paul), here is an entry made on Thursday, the 15th of July, 1909, which 

 follows the work ol the pelagic sealing fleet of the previous year, commencing August 1, and not ending 

 until the middle of October following; in spite of that slaughter and loss of life from the census and count 

 made by these men August 1, 190S, we find this entry: " Counted north rookery as follows, 109 harems, 

 2,777 cows, 13 idle bulls; total bulls, 122. Comparing the foregoing with last year shows a falling off of 100 

 cows and a gain of 7 bulls. But there are some bulls hauled with the bachelors, of which at least 5 should 

 be counted as idle, making a gain of 10 bulls." 



