70 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION, 
were of a blackisli-brown color and of a very XJenetrating and disagreeable odor, while the drieu ones 
were of a pale drab color. In spile of the humidity of the climate things on the beaches dry up 
remarkably fast and thoroughly, but I suppose it is jiartly due to the perfect drainage of the sandy 
or pebbly beaches. * * * The fact is that the excrements contain com [>aratively few solids and 
are easily dissipated. 
This observation is particularly conclusive because it showed at the well-defined 
stiition of each half-bull (hatiling up much after the fashion of the old bulls) a 
ipiautity of fecal matter in the various stages of disintegration, from that of the 
semifluid, nearly fresh excrement, to the dry and odorless “ chip.” Taken as late as 
August 2, yet a considerable time before the close of the season, it has a very important 
bearing upon the question. 
The third and last entry in my diary iu regard to this matter is dated August 22, 
and relates to what took place during the big drive on that date on the North Eeef 
llookery, Bering Island, which was witnessed by the officers, including the surgeon, 
J)r. Lloyd Thomas, of Her British Majesty’s ship Porpoise. It reads as follows: 
There wa.s another matter to which I called the special attention of the English gentlemen while 
we were on the rookery, viz, the presence — and very offensively smelling presence — of seinitluid excre- 
ments on the rocks, particularly mentioning the opjiosite observation of the British commissioners. 
In fact, the fecal matter was making it very slippery in places. 
The argument derived from the alleged absence of excrementitious matter on the 
rookeries is, consequently, disposed of. It may be well to add the remark that it is 
more than probable that most of the feces are voided at sea before hauling up, and 
that, in conjunction with their fiuid nature, this explanation accounts satisfactorily 
for the fact that its presence on the rookeries is not more obvious. 
As already remarked above, observations on the rookeries are not apt to furnish 
positive data as to the nature of the bulk of the food of the Oommander Islands fur- 
seals. That they eat cephalopods is proven by the occasional presence of the beaks 
in their stomachs, as Avell as by the above-quoted instance on the South Rookery (p. 69). 
It is also possible that Mr. Grebnitski’s suggestion is correct, that the presence of 
pebbles in the stomachs is largely to be accounted for by assuming that they are 
swallowed together with the octopods holding on to them. That they also eat fish, at 
least occasionally, is also unquestionable. But the following facts will as unquestion- 
abl.y show that salmon and cod, at least, do not furnish any portion of the regular 
summer diet of the Oommander Islands seals worth mentioning: 
It may not be very much to the point to observe that three species of salmon 
[Oncorhynclms) abound in all the rivers on Bering Island, and that the fur-seals are 
not observed to feed upon them at the mouths of these rivers; but the fact that the 
largest salmon river of the island, the Saranna Elver, is situated less than 7 miles 
from the largest seal rookery without the seals coming over there to feed upon the 
enormous numbers of salmon ascending that river, is proof conclusive. The river 
and the fishing establishment of the natives at Saranna have been described elsewhere 
in this report, so that it will suffice in the present connection to recall the statement 
that the annual catch in that river alone varies between 20,090 and 100,000 salmon. 
As for the codfish, it is only necessary to state that they are common right off the 
great North Eookery of Bering Island. On September 16, 1895, we were anchored 
in 10 fathoms of water less than a mile from Sivutchi Kamen and within hearing of 
the roar from the rookery. A single cod line over the side of the steamer for a couple 
of hours brought uii three-fourths of a barrel of codfish. 
