The end near the village had but few seals upon it, but further down was a large group of bachelor seals and just below these was a large breeding ground quite thickly covered. At this place the bluff is less abrupt and the seals were able to occupy considerable space on the mesa above the cliff. Not over of the area, however, which has been 138 occupied is occupied now.

The families were nearly all broken up, and the pups are far more numerous than the cows and are gathered into large pods here and there.

The seals are thickest upon the west end of this rookery. Just beyond the extreme end of the breeding ground was a large bunch of bachelors, but they covered only a small portion of that hauling ground.

East Rookery, July 27, p. m.

This rookery occupies a narrow strip of rocky shore at the foot of a high rocky bluff, this strip being narrowest at the east end and widest on the low rocky flat between the pool and the shore at the west end. A good many sea lions were scattered along this narrow strip. At the foot of this bluff towards the west end and near where the sea lions are thickest is quite a large area that has been used quite recently, but has no seals upon it now. Westward from this the space along the shore that was formerly used is not now more than filled up.

The pups on this rookery were very much more numerous than the cows; quite evidently the families are nearly all broken up and the rookery has passed the zenith of the season. A great many cows or bachelors were seen playing about in the water and many are evidently out at their feeding grounds.

Very few of the bulls were on the qui vive, as they were seen to be a week earlier on St. Paul, but most of them were lying down apparently sleeping.

Starry Arteel Rookery, July 28, p. m.

This rookery is a very compact one, situated chiefly upon the east slope of a high hill, the north end of which is cut square off by the sea. This hillside is comparatively free of loose rocks, and is grassy except where it is or has been covered by seals. Along the upper edge of the rookery the bulls are smaller, and there are fewer pups in proportion to the number of cows, and the families seem better defined than lower down where seals are more numerous.

Down towards the pool, at the east end of the rookery, was a small bunch of bachelors, and on the hillside to the left of these were two or three bunches of bachelors; but the number of seals upon this rookery at this time was certainly much fewer than what it has been within the past few years.

Zapadnie rookery, July 29.

I spent the time from 9 a. m. to about 1:30 p. m. at this rookery, which somewhat resembles Starry Arteel, in that it is situated in great part upon a hillside; unlike Starry Arteel, however, it extends well up the hillside toward the top at the end toward the cliff and extends farther along the shore than does Starry Arteel. Comparing the present condition of this rookery with that shown in Mr. Elliott's report, it appears that the rookery has shifted more toward the hillside, as the seals do

not seem to extend so far toward the shallow creek. (See Elliott, p. 58.) On the whole, I imagine that this rookery has not decreased much, if any, in size recently, but it has apparently shifted somewhat. Bulls, cows, and pups cover the steep hillside and along the shore, except, perhaps, 200 feet at the north end, where there is a large bunch of bachelors; at the crest of the hill was a band of some 150 bachelors. The families here also have begun to lose their integrity, the bulls no longer watched their harems carefully, and the cows and pups wander about at will.

Little East rookery, July 29, p. m.

The west end of this rookery occupies a narrow strip at the base of a basalt cliff about 30 feet high. On this part I saw but one old bull, but counted at least 30 cows and 60 pups, about 45 of the latter were lying upon the flat surface of a very large detached mass of basalt about 10 feet high. To the right of this place the strip widens out to about 100 feet and the bluff becomes a gentle but rocky slope. This strip is 500 to 600 feet long and the part occupied by seals will average less than 50 feet wide. This is pretty thickly covered with cows and pups, except a narrow strip nearly 20 feet wide running along through the middle, upon which there were but few seals and these mostly pups. Bulls were rather scarce here, as shown by the fact that from the bluff at the west end I could count but 21. I do not think there were over 25 or 30 upon this rookery. At this rookery I have seen for the first time the bulls enter the water. The number of cows in sight from the same point was about 400, while the number of pups was very much greater, probably as many as 1,000.

I visited this rookery again on the afternoon of July 30, and made further observations.

The large basalt rock upon which I counted 45 pups yesterday has 70 pups and one cow upon it to-day. This is the position which yesterday showed but one bull, 30 cows, and 90 pups. This would show that the pups are wandering about a good deal, and that there were seen here a good many pups and probably several cows that did not belong to the one bull found here.

B. W. EVERMANN.

I certify that the document hereto annexed, which was transmitted to the Secretary of State on September 28, 1892, is a true copy of certain notes on the fur-seal rookeries of the Pribilof Islands on file in this bureau. Professor B. W. Evermann, who prepared the same, is an expert naturalist in the employ of the United States Fish Commission, and he accompanied the Fish Commission steamer Albatross in that capacity during her cruises in the year 1892.

MARSHALL MCDONALD, U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. WASHINGTON, D. C., December 16th, 1892.

12364- -18

EXTRACTS FROM VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS.

EXTRACT FROM THE REPORT OF CAPT. CHARLES BRYANT TO THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.

FAIRHAVEN, MASS., November 30, 1869.

SIR: Having returned from Alaska, where I was ordered as special agent of the Treasury Department in September, 1865, to examine into the resources of the territory and the character and habits of its various tribes, I have the honor to submit the following report:

On account of the great diversity in the physical features of the territory, the widely varying nature of the products of the different sections, and the very marked difference in the character and habits of the various tribes, I have deemed it necessary to describe each portion of the country in detail in order that a proper idea of the whole territory may be gained; and, as my attention was more particularly called to the interests of the fur-seal trade in Behring Sea, I will begin with the islands of St. Paul and St. George. [Here follows a geographical description of the same.]

THE FUR-SEAL.

The seals resort to the Pribilov Islands, during the summer months, apparently for the sole purpose of reproducing their species. To this end each age or class contributes its share of labor or care, remaining on shore or in the water, as may be necessary. In order to fully understand the duties of the various classes, a description of the animal seems to be necessary at this point.

The male seal attains its full growth at the age of six years, when it measures from seven to eight feet in length and from six to seven in circumference. Its color is a dark brown with a gray over-hair on the neck and shoulders, and its weight is from six to twelve hundred pounds. These alone occupy the rookeries with the females.

A full-grown female measures from four to five feet in length and three feet in circumference and weighs from one to three hundred pounds. It differs in shape somewhat from the male in having a shorter neck and greater fullness of body in the posterior parts. Its color when it first leaves the water is a dark "steel-mixed" on the back and lighter about the breast and sides. After being on shore a few days its color gradually changes to a dark brown on the back and assumes an orange hue on the breast and throat, and is, therefore, easily distinguished from the male. The female attains its full size and brings forth young about the third or fourth year. The yearling seals weigh from forty to sixty pounds, and are of a dark-brown color, with a lighter shade about the throat. The intermediate ages from one to

1 Senate Ex. Docs. Nos. 1 to 39, 1869-'70.

six are readily distinguished by their difference in size and form. The reproductive organs of the male are developed in the fourth year of its age, but it has not yet acquired sufficient strength to maintain its place in the breeding rookeries, which are occupied exclusively by the old males and females with their pups. These rookeries are located on the belt of loose rock between the high-water mark and the base of the cliffs, and vary in width from five to forty rods. The stretches of sand beach between the rookeries are occupied by the young seals as temporary resting places or by the sick and wounded as neutral ground, on which they may remain undisturbed. The old males return each year to the same rock as long as they are able to maintain their position. It is vouched for by the natives that one seal came for seventeen successive seasons to the same point.

The male seals under six years of age are not allowed on the breeding rookeries and they are generally found in the water swimming along the shore during the day and at night on the uplands above the rookeries, where they rest scattered about like a flock of sheep. Where a long, continuous shore line is occupied by the rookeries narrow passages are left at convenient intervals, through which the young seals may pass unmolested to and from the uplands. At times a line of seals may be seen for hours passing in single file through these open spaces. If at any time, from sudden fright, they attempt to cross the rookeries at any other point a general engagement ensues, resulting in the killing and wounding of large numbers, and if the females with their pups are on the rookeries many of the latter are crushed by being trampled upon. Constant care is necessary, therefore, on the part of the officer in charge or of the native chiefs to prevent any unusual demonstration to alarm the rookeries.

The special duty of the old males, or wigs, as they are commonly called, is to receive the females on their arrival and to watch over and protect their young until large enough to be left to the care of their mothers and the younger males or bachelors, as the latter are termed. From the first to the middle of April, when the snow has melted from the shore and the drift-ice from the north ceased running, a few old male seals make their appearance in the water around the islands and, after two or three days' reconnoissance, venture on shore and examine the rookeries, carefully smelling them. If everything is satisfactory thus far, after a day or two a few climb the slopes and lie with their heads erect, listening. At this time, if the wind blows in the direction of the rookeries, all fires are extinguished and all unnecessary noises. suppressed. These scouts soon depart, and after a few days return with large numbers of the male seals of all ages. The rookeries are taken possession of by the old males, who drive the younger ones into the water or to the uplands inside the rookeries. In locating for the season, the old males each reserve about one square rod of ground for the convenience of their future families and that they may have sufficient room in which to execute their awkward movements in defending themselves against the attacks of their neighbors. Male seals continue to arrive daily for some time, the greater part of whom are old wigs, who fight their way to their old places or prepare to defend some newly selected ground against any former occupant that may claim it. They acknowledge no right save might, so that the quarrel is incessant day and night, and the continual growling sounds like the approach of a distant railroad train.

About the middle of June the males have all arrived and the ground is fully occupied by them. Soon after this the females begin to come,