THE RUSSIAN FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 
117 
COMPARATIVE CONDITION OF THE BERING ISLAND AND COPPER ISLAND ROOKERIES, 1895. 
In what little there has been said and written about the seal industry on the 
Conmiaiider Islands it has always been assumed that the conditions, aside from the 
dittereuce in the physical aspect of the rookeries, were the same on both islands 
constituting’ the group. And this was actually the case not very long ago, at 
least in 1882-83, and, so far as I could ascertain, up to 1890. In that year, it is said, 
the bachelors were becoming somewhat scarce on Coiiper Island and some active 
work had to be done in order to secure the desired (|uantity, but inasmuch as this 
quantity appears to have been the largest ever shipped from Copper Island, the falling 
oft can not have been excessive, though it may have been apparent on the hauliug- 
grounds. 
In 1892, however, the decrease in the number of females on Copper Island became 
serious enough to cause luiblic comment, while on Bering Island difficulty was 
experienced in obtaining the requisite, though now limited, number of bachelors. 
Whatever the cause of the recent disturbance of the equilibrium of the rookeries 
on the Commander Islands, each island has been affected differently, and the condi- 
tions to-day of the rookeries on Copper Island deviate radically from those of Bering 
Island. It may be useful to compare them point for iioint. 
In Bering Island the number of females in lu'oportion to the mature males is 
very much greater than on Copper Island. This results in an apparent dehciency 
in bulls on Bering Island and a corresponding suiierabundance of them on Copper 
Island. 
In Bering Island the killable males are of great size, as proven by the weight of 
the skins, which in 1895 averaged over 10 iiounds. The greatest dehciency was 
consequently in the younger seals, while yearlings were almost entirely absent. The 
proportion between the ages of the killables was quite reversed on Copper Island, 
where a lack of the older bachelors was seriously felt, while the great bulk of the 
skins taken were from the younger classes, the skins averaging probably less than 
8 pounds. 
As for the pups, it may be stated that they were abundant in proportion to the 
females on both islands, and no difference could be discovered in that respect. On 
Bering Island I found a considerable mortality due to starvation among the pups. 
On Copper Island no such thing was observed, but this negative result must not be 
taken as a proof or even an indication that no such mortality took place. It must be 
remembered that most of the breeding-grounds on Copper Island are inaccessible, and 
that it is almost an impossibility to distinguish the dead bodies of the pups from such 
a distance as it is necessary to watch them on Copper Island. 
It was by the merest accident that I myself discovered the sad state of affairs 
on Bering Island, for if I had not gone over the rookery after the wholesale raid of 
the breeding-ground I should have remained in ignorance of the fact. The natives 
themselves were either concealing it, out of fear that they would be blamed, or, more 
likely, they were ignorant of the extent of the calamity. After the season is over the 
natives keep aloof from the rookeries, as they are strictly enjoined fiom disturbing 
the breeding-grounds Avithout necessity. The simple fact, tlierefore, that I can report 
no unusual mortality on the Glinka or Karabelni rookeries proves nothing one way or 
the other. 
