FUR-SEAL, INDUSTRY OP THE COMMANDER ISLANDS 
319 
particularly noticeable. Besides, raiders and pelagic sealers were not troubling the 
rookeries to any extent. 
Unfortunately there is available no reliable or even approximately rational 
census of the increase. The treaty of 1911, it is true, assumes that an official count 
shall be made as a basis for all calculations regarding the permissible number of 
skins to be taken. Accordingly, instructions were given the local authorities to 
count the various classes of seals present on the rookeries at regular intervals through- 
out the season. 
In all previous reports the writer has emphasized the physical difficulties in the 
way of a reliable count of the seals on the Commander Islands. The difficulties en- 
countered on the Pribilof rookeries were multiplied and amplified enormously on the 
Russian islands, and, besides, there were no persons on the islands competent to make 
even an intelligent estimate. The count was placed in the hands of the native over- 
seers of the rookery guards and the results are positively grotesque. There are 
available the certified official counts for Copper Island from 1915 to 1921, inclusive 
(except that of 1917, which was missing), and the counts for Bering Island during 
1914 and 1915, which were extracted from the oi'iginal documents in the archives on 
Bering Island. A glance at these figures demonstrates beyond question the above 
assertion. It would serve no useful purpose to set them forth in detail, but, con- 
sidering the importance of establishing the facts once and for all, there are given 
below the tables for the year 1914 for Bering Island, 1915 for both islands, and 
1916 for Copper Island. 
Count of fur seals on 'Bering Island by rookery guards in 1914 
Date 
Bulls 
Half 
bulls 
May n 
May Ifi 
May 17 
May 23 _ 
May 24 
May 26- 
May 31 
June 1--- 
June 3 - 
June 7 
June 14 
June 16 
June 21 
June 28 
July 1 
July 5 
July 12 
July 16 
July 19 — 
July 26.. 
August 1 - 
August 9 
August 16 
August 23 
August 30 
September 1 . . 
September O.- 
September 13 - 
September 15- 
September 20. 
September 27 . 
October 1 
October 4 
October 11 
October 16 
October 18 
October 25 
6 
10 
18 
18 
31 
32 
32 
32 
45 
45 
45 
45 
36 
27 
23 
20 
14 
17 
15 
12 
11 
11 
8 
7 
5 
5 
1 
Bachelors 
45 
66 
130 
132 
121 
133 
144 
152 
152 
150 
108 
330 
207 
215 
200 
204 
173 
130 
110 
110 
40 
38 
10 
Cows 
3 
3 
5 
16 
13 
20 
25 
88 
144 
450 
880 
754 
994 
1,300 
1, 340 
1, 410 
1, 455 
1, 143 
1, 977 
1, 960 
1, 960 
1, 545 
1, 798 
1,995 
1, 769 
1, 665 
1, 665 
809 
745 
1,069 
633 
85 
230 
104 
Pups 
1 
3 
56 
83 
150 
340 
553 
623 
1,384 
1,384 
1,390 
1,433 
1, 148 
1,713 
2, 093 
2,073 
1,690 
1, 910 
2,000 
1,819 
1,720 
1, 680 
1,033 
861 
1,360 
105 
58 
210 
50 
Seen in 
the sea 
3 
12 
1 
10 
65 
125 
139 
150 
210 
180 
30 
70 
100 
200 
150 
1, 415 
2,955 
2,000 
1,600 
1,100 
1,100 
1, 110 
1,800 
1,200 
1,500 
2,000 
700 
500 
130 
20 
1 
