A.LASKA INDUSTRIES. 



143 



I think it can safely be said that during the past four or five years 

 especially the conditions under which the driving, killing, and skinning 

 have been done have not materially varied, so that the above compari- 

 son of one year's results with another may be regarded as a fair one. 

 It shows a general increase in the daily rate of killing during the past 

 four years of from 23 to 37 i^er cent over the rate during the first four 

 years of the lease, and, presumably, a greater abundance of killable seals. 



DURATION OF THE STAGEY SEASON. 



It is fortunate that the fall annual catch can be secured in so brief a 

 time as it has required to secure it in recent years, instead of having 

 to extend sealing operations over the entire lawful killing season, viz, 

 from June to October, inclusive (except the brief interval from August 

 15 to 31). As the harassment of the seals and disturbance of their haul- 

 ing grounds are thus confined to the shortest possible period, the effect is 

 necessarily good. Besides, what is more important, it would necessitate 

 a serious waste of skins if the killing under the lease should be extended 

 into the " stagey" season, which commences about the middle of August, 

 is at its height through September and most of October, and does not 

 cease, usually, before the middle of November, sometimes not till later. 



The following table, giving the number of fur seals killed (for food) 

 at St. Paul Island during the stagey seasons of 1877, 1878, 1879, and 

 1880, and the percentage of stagey and of prime skins, respectively, 

 shows, by its ditferent dates and figures, the beginning, progress, 

 height, decline, and disappearance of the stagey season in those years: 



Date of killing. 



1877. 



Aug. 20 

 Aug. 30. 

 Sept. 12. 

 Sept. 21. 

 Sept. 29. 

 Oct. 6... 

 Oct. 16.. 

 Oct. 24.. 

 Nov. 19. 



1878. 



Aug. 22. 

 Sept. 2.. 

 Sept. 14. 

 Sept. 24. 

 Oct. 2... 

 Oct. 10.. 



1879. 



Aug. 11. 

 Aug. 20. 

 Aug. 28. 



Date of killing. 



Number 

 killed. 



185 



16 



185 



211 



109 



263 



260 



172 



1,206 



1,308 



160 

 189 

 195 

 239 

 227 

 260 

 193 

 270 

 270 



Per cent 



of prime 



skins. 



27 

 96 



70* 



87i 



724 



31 



80i 

 99i 



Per cent 



of stagey 



skins. 



100 



100 



100 



100 



100 



100 



73 



4 



29J 



12J 



27§ 

 100 

 100 

 100 

 100 

 100 



69 



19i 

 i 



a The reported reappearance of staginess in December, 1879, is exceptional, and probably an error. 



