Translation 2783

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Largas begin to moult about May 10 and finish rnoultin,; in
July. During that period. the adults and sexually-i:mt:tature. animals
form small, but concentrn.ted, rookeries. The rookeries are, usually
located nca.r the edge of a drift-ice mass.
After the moult the 1ar,;as leave the ice and begin to feed
actively, predominantly on fishes. WhereaU durin& tee period spent
on the ice their diet was quite varied and consisted of several fish
spo'ci.os (ct^•^^el..i.ar, :smelt, herri.nft,, small fl.atfi;jli, navagia, buJ.l.hotuts,
etc.) and also small crustacea.n:ti and cepha.lopocl;;, in the summer an(i
autumn their food cansists chiefly of Salmonidae. While pink,chum,
coho, sockeye, and kin" salmon are ascendin^; the rivers to spawn the
seals congregate in the estuariés, forming temporary rookeries and
sometimes ascending the rivers for severa.l .hundred kilometTes in
pursuit of the fishes. l,ur:i.n„ that period the largas cause heavy
losses to the fishing industry by destroying large numbers of valuable
salmon.
On attaining a high state of nutrition.the seals abandon their
temporary rookeries in the rivers. In late July and _'_uigust the largas
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form stable rookeries on coastal reefs, on small sandy and rocky
islands, and on sandbanks, usually separated by strei;el•ies of wa`t-er
from tiie mainland. In some districts concentrations are also seen.
on river banks. The seals emerge from the water into the rookeries
at low tide. The population of the rookeries rea.ches a pealc in September,
and thenceforward re:aains constant. The largas leave their
rookeries on land only when floating ice be,z;in:; to form; after moving
on to the drift-ice they romain in the coastal zone, continuing to
feed intensively, until the »a.rturi.tion period approaches.
Amon{;- tue largas' natural enemies the i::ost serious predator
is the polar beçtir, which attacks tiie:n during tl.eir periôci of life in
shore roc,keries; wolves, Arctic foxes, and lar,o birds of prey cause
s:naller loss::s. 'ihe most probable preclator-:-, in the water are killer
^'i11^1C'.s and st1aL'iCs, iU^ :. on the ice aea-eaeles, whict: at GElck tll•.: puT):i.
Huma,n expl.oi.tatioji of J.ar,;as in tue seau of tue l'^.cif ic Oc,- an is
--
devclopin,c.;, slo,•tl,y. The l,n.ï',r^as' duration of lifc: is :z'rLi.rly long
about 30 years, and possibly even more.
We e;ive. bel.ot•r fi,")-ux.1-,-s L'or the çihip-baùeu tako of iras in
56 .
tlio
Oea of Ul:hotsk and -utie: ioi•:i.n;; Se,, in 19;)7-01