FUR-SI;AL. INDUSTRY OF THE COMMANDER ISLANDS 
Count of fur seals on Copper Island by rookery guards in 1916 
321 
Date 
Harem 
bulls 
May 5 
May 9 
May 23 
May 29. _ 
Jane 2. 
June 16 
June 29 
July 3„- 
July 16 _.. 
July 25._ 
August 4 
August 15 
August 30 
September 7... 
September 13. 
September 26. 
October 1 
October 10 
October 22 
November 5... 
November 14.. 
November 17.. 
November 22.. 
November 27.. 
271 
149 
Idle 
bulls 
2 
1 
18 
36 
63 
99 
103 
358 
162 
164 
267 
275 
214 
230 
75 
81 
190 
82 
140 
31 
13 
15 
5 
Half 
buUs 
4 
82 
91 
50 
33 
34 
39 
163 
145 
174 
113 
135 
26 
118 
6 
2 
Bache- 
lors 
6 
42 
23 
52 
72 
383 
322 
276 
188 
289 
3, 750 
1, 136 
1,290 
1,300 
2, 100 
1,002 
468 
1,316 
240 
100 
15 
Cows 
1 
257 
672 
978 
595 
2,755 
4,400 
2,600 
2, 360 
2, 178 
2,326 
2, 500 
900 
1, 900 
270 
139 
19 
Pups 
130 
376 
854 
657 
2,678 
2,004 
2,324 
1, 970 
1,605 
1,438 
2.358 
1, 150 
1,220 
560 
294 
15 
3 
Year- 
lings 
Seen in 
the sea 
2 
7 
13 
3 
16 
'147" 
398 
376 
335 
573 
191 
60 
67 
7 
12 
58 
180 
147 
1,710 
431 
846 
4,484 
1, 675 
1,980 
1,715 
2, 863 
1,348 
719 
133 
90 
17 
4 
Certain features of these extraordinary tables which otherwise might seem 
incomprehensible are explained hereafter. 
In the Copper Island count it will be noted that the column designated "harem 
bulls " has been left blank. Evidently tlie official who made the count did not under- 
stand the difference between "harem bulls" and "idle bulls," hence the latter may 
be considered as including both categories. No such distinction was made in the 
Bering Island count. However, in 1916 the Copper Island census taker actually 
counted harem bulls on two dates. Thus we find enumerated on September 7 
no harem bulls but 230 idle bulls; on September 13, 271 harem bulls and 75 idle 
bulls; on September 26, 149 hai'em bulls and 81 idle bulls; and on October 1, again, 
no harem bulls and 190 idle bulls. In 1918 he was evidently better instructed, for 
now we find harem bulls consistently enumerated from June 28 to September 2. 
In 1919, however, according to his figures, the harems lasted from July 2 to October 
11, in 1920 from June 15 to August 30, and in 1921 from July 27 to August 30. 
Another peculiarity of the Copper Island census is the detailed figures repre- 
senting the seals counted' in the sea off the rookeries. Thus the pretense of having 
counted 7,150 seals in the water on August 23, 1921, will be appreciated by anyone 
who has ever attempted a similar task. The Bering Island enumerator, on the 
other hand, shows better judgment in this respect, since his figures, when he deals 
with more than 30, are round number estimates up to 2,000, except on September 4, 
1915j when he counted 341 in the sea. 
Utterly hopeless as these enumerations are, at least one general conclusion may 
be reached, namely, that the bulls have been steadily increasing since 1911. The 
bulls form the only conspicuous class of seals that may be counted with some approxi- 
mation to the actual number present. It is true that even in this regard the tables 
leave much to be desired; nevertheless, the fact of the increase can not well be 
doubted. From the Copper Island tables I have compiled the following significant 
figures : 
