There  are  always  a  few  dead  pups  to  be  found  on  the  rookeries  whose  death  is  not
due  to  that  of  their  mothers;  but  during  the  last  year  or  two  a  greater  number  of
dead  pups  have  been  actually  noticed  than  heretofore,  and  have  attracted  the  atten-
tion of  all  persons  on  the  islands  who  are  at  all  familiar  with  seal  life.  It  can  not
be  successfully  contended  that  they  all  died  of  natural  causes.  There  is  no  disease
among  the  Commander  Island  seals,  and  while  a  certain  number  of  young  pups  are
always  exposed  to  the  danger  of  being  crushed  to  death  (but  not  as  a  result  of  the
drives  which  are  made  to  collect  seals  for  killing)  or  of  being  drowned  by  the  surf,
yet  these  causes  of  death  will  not  account  for  the  greater  mortal ity  of  pups  which
t  ok  place  during  the  past  summer.  Besides,  the  bodies  of  the  dead  pups  1  refer  to
are  those  of  starved  animals,  being  greatly  emaciated.
It  is  chiefly  during  the  next  few  years  that  the  effects  of  the  recent  killing  of
females  will  become  most  noticeable,  because  many  of  the  pups  which  in  those  years
would  have  become  bachelors  or  holluschickie  have  never  been  born  or  died  soon
alter  birth.
