TABLE OF CONTENTS, 
Page. 
I. Introduction 3 
Scope of the "Work 3 
Itinerary 4 
Acknowledgments 5 
II. The Pussian Seal Islands 7 
1. The Commander Islands 7 
Hydrographic Notes 8 
Meteorology 12 
Fauna and Flora of the Commander Islands. . . 19 
Native Population 26 
a. Bering Island 36 
General Description 36 
Seal Eookeries 39 
Nortli Eookery 40 
South Eookery 42 
!>. Copper Island 43 
General Description 43 
Seal Eookeries 45 
Narabelni 45 
Glinka 48 
2. Eohhen Island 52 
Description 52 
History 54 
3. Other Islands 58 
III. Seal Life on Commander Islands 60 
Historical .and General 60 
Latitude in the Phenomena of Seal Life 62 
Proportionate Number of Sexes and Ages on Eook- 
eries 63 
Virility of Bulls 66 
Do all Bachelors haul out ! 67 
Food of Seals at the Isl.ands, and Excrements on 
the Eookeries 69 
Page. 
III. Seal Life on Commander Islands— Continued. 
Effect of Driving 71 
Description of a Drive on Pribylof Islands 71 
Description of Drives on Commander Islands. 72 
Does the Female Seal nurse her own Pup only ? . . . 77 
Mortality of Pups 78 
Alleged Changes of Habits 82 
Feeding-grounds 87 
IV. The Eussian Sealing Industry 88 
Historical 88 
Eighteenth Century 88 
Eussi.an- American Company 89 
Interregnum 90 
Hutchinson, Kohl, Philippeus & Co 91 
Eussian Seal Skin Company 93 
Statistics 95 
Administration 102 
Condition of the CommanderTslands Eookeries. . - 104 
Preliminary remarks 104 
Comp.arison between the Condition of the 
Eookeries in 1882-83 and 1895 106 
Bering Island 106 
Copper Island 112 
Comparative Condition of the Bering Island 
and Copper Island Eookeries, in 1895 117 
Eaiding of Commander Islands Eookeries 118 
Pelagic Sealing at Commander Islands 122 
V. Conclusions 134 
Summary 134 
Cause of the Decline 134 
Future Prospects on Commander Islands 136 
Eecommendations 136 
List of Maps and Illustrations 138-140 
Index 141-148 
2 
