The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-06-09
Life and Habits of the Seal.

i ne l6lands OF Ot. faui anu Ot.
George in Behring sea, known as
the Pribyloff Islands, are a part
Of the Alaska purchase from Rus
sia in 1867 These islands are the
only places inhabited by the seal
in the Alaskan Territory. Across
Bering sea, near the Siberian coast,
and distant 750 miles due west
from the Pribyloff Islands, are the
Commander Islands, belonging to
Russia, which are also inhabited
by seals. No other seal colony Of
any size exists in the North Pacific.
The two herds inhabiting these
widely separated groups of Islands
never migle with each other on land
or in the water adjacent to the is
lands, but the herd maintains, and
always has maintained its separate
and distinct existence. There is
no record of the killing Of seal
belonging TO the Commander is.
lands upon the isles of Pribylof.
The members Of the two herds are
readily distinguished by their
skins, that of the American seal
being of finer quality and worth
about twenty-five per cent more
in the market. The difference is
we'll established and fully recog-
nized, although its cause has never
been ascertained. But whatever
the cause, it must have operated
for many generations to produce
the marked difference in the ami
mails, which is conclusive evidence
Of the absolute separation of the
two herds, and ice serves to identify
members of each herd beyond pos
sible question.
Why the American seal should
have selected these two remote is
lands for its home, and no others,
is not positively known. Delight
ing in fog, but unable to endure ice
or sun, the animals have doubtless
been influenced in their choice by
the fact that the islands are almost
continuously enveloped in foe
from May to November; that they
, are free from ice during the breed
Ing season; that a large portion Of
their surface is covered by ledges
Of smooth, bare rock; and that
their shores consist ofgentle slopes,
giving easy access from the water
and making beach on which the
young can live while learning to
: swim. The American seal has
never been known to breed on any
other land, and they occupy these
islands for about eight months
each year.
The fur seal is sui generis. Il
lisa warm-b -blooded, highly organized
animal, classified with bears, dogs
cats, and other carniverous mann
mails. 1t il essentially a land ami
NAL. 1t can and does at times
live in the water, but it is not |
nsn and has none of the character
istics Of the fish. Among fishes i
5 most nearly allied to the whale
Which also belongs to the family 0
j mammals; but unlike the whale
begotten, born and reared il
the water, and which perishes whel
removed from its native element
the seal is begotten, born, an
reared on land, and but for it
life ON the land the species woul
become extinct. The period {
land habitation lasts from six t
eight months continuously. Dur
ing this time the seals only Wis
the sea for short periods for foot
Some of them do not leave the il
land at all, even for this purpos'
The seal may, therefore, be ac
Curately described as a land an
NAL, whose food is found in th
sea.
Summer is the breeding seaso
of the seal. The animals are the
..at Their. home on the islands. Hel
tion takes place. The pc,
CESSATION is between cleve
twelve months, during th
.pnd half of which the herds al
+ sea. The approach of its con
pletion finds the mothers again r,
turning to the lands ready to Civ
birth to their young as soon as the
reach their summer home. Shortl
after the birth, and while sti
nursing their offspring, they agai
become pregnant with the youn
that will be born in the followir
season, and this process of repr,
duction goes on year after yeI
with unvarying regularity.
During the winter months Il
seals of the Pribyloff Islands, ma
and female, old and young, NAL
an annual excursion into the Nor
Pacific Ocean south of Dering Sc
and from this point they disper
widely to the south and eas
Neither the extent nor cause
this annual dispersion is know
But we know that it takes pla
each winter, and lasts until II
late spring. Then the scattsr'
animals, by an invariable instin,
converge from all directions, al
gathering in one vast herd in 4
waters Of the North Pacific sou
Of the Aleutian Islands, pa