FUR-SEAL. FISHERIES OF ALASKA, 1909. 41 
other half hanging about the rookeries worrying the cows. This indi- 
cates that the number of half bulls appearing in the drives should be 
doubled in endeavoring to arrive at the whole number. If we double 
those seen in the drives in 1909 we would have 3,550 as an estimate of 
the young males in the herd too young to hold positions on the breed- 
ing rookeries, but too old to be killed for skins. 
ESTIMATE OF YOUNG SEALS. 
In 1907 the census of seals gave the number of new-born pups as 
50,825. Of these one half were males and the other half females. 
These pups of 1907 would be 2-year-olds in 1909. 
By the usual process of estimation the 25,000 male pups in 1907 
would return to the islands in 1909 to the number of 10,165. Approxi- 
mately 8,000 of these were killed by the lessee in 1909, leaving 2,165 
surviving at the close of the season. 
The female 2-year-olds by this process would number 10,165 in 
•1909. 
The yearlings in 1909 would number approximately 12,000, divided 
equally between the sexes. 
Of the 3-year-old bachelors, 1,000 were reserved for breeding in 
1909. In addition to these some few escaped driving. A fair 
estimate of the number of this class would be 1,200. 
STATISTICS OF SEAL LIFE IN 1909. 
From the foregoing we may construct the following census of 
seal life at the close of the sealing season of 1909: 
Bulls, active with harems 1, 132 
Bulls, idle and quitters 256 
Half bulls 3,550 
3-year-old bachelors : 1, 200 
2-year-old bachelors 2, 165 
Y earling bachelors 12, 000 
Male pups 22, 882 
Breeding cows 45,765 
2-year-old cows 10, 165 
Yearling cows 12,000 
Female pups 22, 882 
Total 133,997 
This total is an approximation, based upon such limited knowledge 
of the numbers of the seal herd as we possess. There are certain 
classes of seals which it is highly impracticable to count accurately, 
as, for instance, the entire body of the new-born pups. There are 
other classes impossible to count, as the yearlings, half bulls, and 
adult cows, some of which are always in the water. These facts all 
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