80 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
concerning this question continued through a number of years. It can not be too 
often emphasized that there is a great latitude of date in the events of seal life/ and 
assuredly the begimiing of the stagy condition of the skin is no more bound to a 
rigid observation of the calendar than the other phenomena. Moreover, we do not at 
all know the causes which are responsible for these fluctuations; we do not know the 
conditions which accelerate the advent of the stagy season or postpone it. Possibly 
cold and damp weather may retard it. In that case we might expect the skins to 
bec‘onie stagy somewhat later in 1895. The only definite lecord, so far as the Com- 
majider Islands are concerned, that I am aware of is the statement by the British 
Bering Sea Commission (Eep. Behring Sea Comm., 1893, p. 50) that “In 1891 we found 
the ‘stagy’ season was just beginning on the Commander Islands on the 1st of 
September.” In 1895 there were 14 stagj" skins taken in the drive on September 10. 
The “beginning” must, therefore, have been somewhat earlier — enough to show that 
in this respect 1895 is not extravagantly late. 
The lack of reliable information concerning the beginning of the stagy season in 
earlier years is easily explainable by the fact that the killing season was over long 
before there was any suspicion of stagiiiess. The question then was not at all 
“When does the stagy season begin?” but, on the contrary, “ When does it end?” 
The reason of this was that the natives were anxious to begin the aiTtumnal catch as 
early as possible, in order to get fresh meat, which they had been obliged to be without 
since the end of the killing season. Thus I find in the records of Bering Island station 
for 1878 that on October 13 it was contemplated to take a drive in order to get fresh 
meat. The “chief wished first to ascertain how skins looked at present, suiiposiug 
they were too stagy yet,” and accordingly went himself to the rookery, whence on the 
Klh he returned with 9 skins, reporting that “fur was' good.” The drive was 
therefore made and 520 seals taken on October 18.* 
The explanation of the fact that nowadays many phenomena appear to happen 
later is easy enough. During the years of plenty very little attention was paid to 
them except in the most general way. Such a thing as detailed observations and 
records throughout the season for a number of years sufticient to furnish exact data for 
reliable deductions were (and, as a rule, are yet) unknown. This is particularly true 
of phenomena happening after the finishing of the catch. But now, in the days of 
threatened commercial extinction, when the rookeries and the seals are under constant 
and anxious inspection, many things appear unusual and new. The killing season being 
extended in order to fill the recpiired complement of skins, the impression easily takes 
hold that the phenomena particularly noticed during the thus belated season are 
themselves likewise belated. 
•The first arrivals ou Bering Island rookeries are shown in the following statement: 
Date. 
Rookery. 
Arrivals. 
Date. 
Rookery. 
Arrivals. 
1879, Mav 5 
1880, April 27 
1881, May 20 
North 
do 
do 
2 hulls. 
1 bachelor. 
3 bulls. 
2 bulls. 
1882, April 19 
1883, May 23 
1895, Mav 10 
North 
South 
N orth .... 
4 bulls. 
2 bulls. 
1 bull. 
5 The difference from the Prihylof Islands will be noted, as in the latter the natives were allowed 
to take seals for food in the stagy season. (See, for instance. Fur Seal Arb., v, pp. 714, 715.) 
