322 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU Or FISHERIES 
Bulls present on Copper Island, 1915 to 1921 ' 
1915 
1916 
1918 
1919 
1920 
1921 
104 
103 
287 
682 
254 
404 
271 
Maximum count (on various dates before Aue. IS) 
607 
449 
572 
643 
822 
Averasfi of the nounts in Jiilv (not innliifiine half hulls) _ 
230 
197 
469 
343 
365 
477 
• Count for 1917 missing. 
Remembering what has been said aboiit the Copper Island census taker not 
understanding the difference between the categories of bulls, and without attempting 
to account for the glaring inconsistencies and the lack of an even approximately 
orderly increase, the significant fact remains that in 1911 a maximum of 40 bulls 
was counted on Copper Island. This figure, from its very smallness, can not have 
been far from the actual number. We may therefore safely conclude that the 
number of males engaged in reproduction increased from less than 50 in 1911 to not 
less than 250 in 1918 and 300 in 1921. 
It must be admitted that the census of the Bering Island North Rookery is less 
fantastic than that of Copper Island. The maximum of bulls for 1914 and 1915- 
namely, 106 and 145, respectively — may not bo much out of the way, and taken in 
connection with the fact that in 1911 there were said to be only 6 bulls on that rook- 
ery it is fully in agreement with the indications for Copper Island. 
While a certain degree of credibility attaches to the estimates of bulls present 
on the rookeries, the same can not be claimed for the so-called count of cows and pups. 
The figures presented are nothing but wild guesses, and are only less fantastic than 
the figures presented for the seals counted at sea in front of the rookeries. The 
acme of absurdity is reached by the Copper Island census taker who, for instance, 
on August 13, 16, and 23, 1921, reports, respectively, 6,090, 7,162, and 7,150 seals 
sporting in the water off the Glinka rookeries. 
KILLING RESUMED IN 1917 
In 1917 the five-year closed season expired and the question of resuming killing 
and determining the quota of young bachelors to be killed was being takeii up by 
the authorities in St. Petersburg. Mr. Suvorof, who made the last examination of 
the rookeries in 1911, was again sent to the Commander Islands for the purpose of 
looking into conditions on the rookeries and deciding these weighty questions 
accordingly. 
It will be remembered that at the conclusion of the treaty in 1911, Mr. Suvorof, 
on the basis of a combined count and estimate of about 4,800 pups, made by him- 
seff, indulged in the hope that by 1917 the total herd might have grown to 40,000 
seals of all ages. After a combined count and estimate, presumably made upon the 
same principles and according to the same methods employed by him in 1911 (see 
page 315), he came to the conclusion that in 1917 the total number of seals was about 
13,500. Naturally he was disappointed. However, before concluding this discus- 
sion we believe it will be shown that on the one hand his expectation of 40,000 was too 
sanguine and on the other his estimate of the size of the herd, both in 1911 and in 
1917, was too low. 
