64 



ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 

 Fur seals killed on St. Faul Island for the year 1875. 



Skins of seals killed for native food from July 17 to December 



31, 1874, brought forward ■ 



Seals taken for native food from February 10 to May 31 



By Alaska Commercial Company from June 1 to July 22 



Quota full. 



Killed. 



1,850 

 84, 933 



86, 783 



Skins 

 salted. 



3, 223 



1,840 

 84, 860 



Rejected. 



10 

 73 



89, 923 



83 



Seal skins shipped in 1S75. 



May 28, of skins left over from 1874 3,856 



July 8, catch of 1875 39,036 



August 7, catch of 1875 46,974 



Total 89,866 



It will be seen by reference to the foregoing t;ibles that there have 

 been killed annually on St. Paul Island 5,000 seal pups, or young seals 

 4 months old, nominally for winter iood. I can find no precedent for 

 this previous to the transfer of the islands to the United States, only 

 that to the natives the former Eussian Fur Company allowed, as an 

 extra indulgence after the close of the season's sealing, the privilege of 

 taking 500 of these young seals for feasting. This, under the clause in 

 the act providing for the lease that allows the killing of young seals 

 for winter food, has been construed to mean these young pups instead 

 of half-grown seals taken for food at other times. The skins of these 

 pups are of no value as a part of the quota, and these seals yield only 

 8 pounds each of eatable flesh, and are nearly all immediately eaten up 

 as a luxury, and the same number of half-grown seals required. for 

 salting for winter use as before. It seems a great waste. I have there- 

 fore limited the number to betaken on St. Paul Island to 3,000, pro- 

 viding, however, that as a substitute there shall be killed a sufficient 

 number of larger seals whose skins may be salted as a part of the annual 

 quota. In my opinion, this ought not to be allowed, or, if so, the number 

 limited to 500 on St. Paul and 250 on St. George. 



The rule governing the taking of these seals for their skins is to take 

 only such surplus males as are not required for breeding purposes, 

 reserving all the females to be added yearly to increase the original 

 stock. These animals being polygamous in their babits, one male being 

 considered equivalent to ten or more females for breeding purposes, 

 the sexes being produced in equal proportions, always leaves a surplus 

 of males to be taken without loss or decrease in the yearly product. 

 What the number of this surplus was could only be determined by a 

 careful observation of their habits and necessities covering live or six 

 years of the time it takes for tlie animal to mature. At time of writing 

 my detailed report on the habits of these animals, dated November 30, 

 1800, it was stated to be 100,000. This number was based on the best 

 information obtainable at that time from the natives of the island and the 

 few employees of the former Kussian Fur Company remaining in the ter- 

 ritory. Since then a residence of seven successive seasons on the 

 island in charge of these animals has furnished me with the desired 

 opportunity for determining this surplus product by actual study of 

 their habits and requirements, and the result is the killing of 100,000 

 per annum does not leave a sufficient number of males to mature for 

 the wants of the increase in number of females. And as it is desirable 

 to state some of the methods by which these conclusions have been 

 reached by me, a brief restatement of the habits of these animals and 

 the effect of the killing of 100,000 per year for the past five years seems 

 necessary. 



