34 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



CAUSE OF DEATH OF PUPS. 



Q. Did yon see any dead pups on the rookeries this season? — A. Yes; my attention 

 was called to the matter by J. Stanley-Brown, who requested me to examine them 

 with a view to determining the cause of their death. I examined a number which 

 had api)arently recently died. Their bodies were entirely destitute of fat, and no 

 food to be found in their stomachs. After a careful examination I found no evidence 

 of disease. 



Q. What do you assign as the cause of their death? — A. I believe them to have 

 died of starvation. 



Q. Why do you think they died of starvation? — A. From the fact that nearly all 

 the dead on the rookery were pups, and from absence of all signs of disease, emaciated 

 condition of their bodies, and absence of food from their stomachs. (J. C. S. Akerly, 

 M. D.) 



There were a great many dead pups on the rookeries during my last three years on 

 St. Paul Island. Many of them wandered helplessly about, away from the groups 

 or pods where they were accustomed to lie, and finally starved to death. We knew 

 at the time what killed them, for the vessels and boats were several times plainly in 

 sight from the island shooting seals in water, and the revenue cutters and company's 

 vessels arriving at the island frequently reported their presence in Bering Sea, and 

 sometimes the capture of these maraudiuji crews. If all had been captured and the 

 business broken up the seal rookeries would be healthy and prosperous to-day, instead 

 of being depleted and broken up. I speak positively about it, because no other cause 

 can be assigned for their depiction upon any reasonable hypothesis. (W. C. Allis, 

 lessees' agent. 



Dr. Akerly, the lessees' physician at the time, made an autopsy of some of the 

 carcasses aud reported that he could find no traces of any diseased condition what- 

 ever, but there was an entire absence of food or any signs of nourishment in the 

 stomach. Before Dr. Dawson left I called his attention to what Dr. Akerly had 

 done, but whether he saw him on the subject I can not tell. (Milton Barnes, Treas- 

 ury agent.) 



I procured a number of these pups, and Dr. Akerly, at my request, made autop- 

 sies, not only at the village, but later on upon the rookeries themselves. The lungs 

 of these dead pups fioated in water. There was no organic disease of heart, liver, 

 lungs, stomach, or alimentary canal. In the latter there was but little and often no 

 fecal matter, and the stomach was entirely empty. Pups in the last stage of emacia- 

 tion were seen by me upon the rookeries, and their condition, as well as that of the 

 dead ones, left no room to doubt that their death was caused by starvation. (J. 

 Stanley-Brown.) 



The pups on the rookeries were fat and healthy, and while I was on the islands no 

 epidemic disease ever appeared among them, nor did the natives have stories of 

 an epidemic ever destroying them. (Charles Bryant, Treasury agent, 1869-1877.) 



I was informed at the time (November, 1891) that the stomachs of dead pups had 

 been examined by the medical officers at the island and no traces of food found 

 therein. From personal observation I am of the opinion that fully 90 per cent of 

 them died of starvation, great emaciation being apparent. (John C. Cantwell, 

 revenue marine.) 



I have never known of any sickness or epidemic among the seals, and I am of the 

 opinion that the thousands of dead pups on the rookeries last year died of starva- 

 tion on account of their mothers being shot and killed while feeding at the fishing 

 banks in the sea. I was present last year and saw some of the dead pups examined. 

 Their stomachs were empty, and they presented all the appearances of starvation. 

 I also noticed on the rookeries a great many emaciated pups, which on a later visit 

 would be dead. It has always been the practice prior to 1891 for the natives to kill 

 3,000 to 4,000 pups in November for food, and we always find their stomachs filled 

 with milk. (C. L. Fowler, lessees' agent.) 



It is my opinion that the cows are killed by the hunters when they go out in the 

 sea to feed, aud the pups are left to die and do die on the island. (John Fratis, native 

 sealer.) 



They were thin, poor, and appeared to have starved to death. (Alex. Hanssen, 

 sealer.) 



It is a well-known fact that the female seals leave the islands and go great dis- 

 tances for food, and it is clearly proven that many of them do not return, as the 

 number of pups starved to death on the rookeries demonstrates. (W. S. Hereford, 

 M. D.) 



