ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 273 



COWS June 10, pups June 13. The records for the last twenty years 

 show that the first bulls appear upon the rookeries from April 26 to 

 May 17, first cows May 24 to June IG, and first pups May 31 to June 

 25. The cows this year came very slowly upon the rookeries until the 

 evening of June 27, and from that time until July 13 they came in much 

 greater numbers. A few arrived as late as July 20. In nearly every 

 instance they gave birth to their young soon after arrival. The harems 

 commenced to lose their compact form about July 18, and to break up 

 a few days later, so that by August 1 cows, pups, and bachelors were 

 mingling together, and it was about this time that we first noticed the 

 young cows on the rookeries in any considerable numbers. 



The habits, numbers, and condition of the seals, the perpetuation of 

 seal life, and the causes which have led to the depleted state of the 

 rookeries and hauling grounds are subjects to which I have given par- 

 ticular attention. 



The Pribilof Islands, isolated in the midst of the waters of the Ber- 

 ing Sea, appear to be especially adapted by situation and climatic 

 surroundings to be the natural home of the fur seals, which, with an 

 instinct bordering on intelligence, frequent this locality where they 

 may be free from the disturbing influences of human civilization, and 

 it would seem that too much care can not be taken that they be not 

 unnecessarily disturbed or driven from their breeding grounds. It was 

 in relation to this latter point that I directed careful examinations of 

 the rookeries and ''hauling" grounds to be made at intervals during the 

 past season by the assistant special agents on the islands, with a view 

 to learn, if possible, whether the seals were decreasing and, if so, the 

 causes thereof. 



On comparing their notes at the end of the season I found that they 

 all agreed that the seals were decreasing very rapidly and that the 

 cause of the decrease was pelagic, or deep-sea, hunting. I am con- 

 vinced that the conclusion arrived at is the correct one, and any attempt 

 to make it appear to be due to other causes is not warranted by the 

 facts. That the seals are not so numerous as formerly is evident to 

 all who view the rookeries and '' hauling" grounds now vacant, and 

 which in years past were covered by vast herds of seals. In addition 

 to this latter evidence the unanimous testimony of the natives, com- 

 pany and Government agents, who have been on the islands for many 

 seasons, is so positive that this decrease has taken place in the last few 

 years that no unprejudiced person can doubt it. For nearly twenty 

 years prior to 1889 the lessees were able to kill 100,000 male seals, and 

 several of the special agents during that period were of the opinion 

 that there could often have been taken 200,000 without injury to the 

 herds. 



The rapid decrease in seal life from year to year was first noticed by 

 those best competent to judge between 1884 and 1889, which was the 

 period when the sealing fleet increased so enormously and perfected 

 tlie system of taking seals in the open sea. 



During the season of 1890 the lessees secured only 21,000 skins, and 

 the Government agents reported that they could not have obtained 

 many more had they been permitted to continue the killing to the end 

 of the season. This year the lessees were limited to 7,500, and I am of 

 the opinion that had they been i)ermitted to kill every male seal on the 

 rookeries, other than old bulls, yearlings, and young pups, it is ques- 

 tionable whether they could have secured over 35,000 skins, and not all 

 of these, by any means, would have been merchantable. I have no 

 hesitation in saying that the decrease of seal life is due to the pelagic, 



H. Doc. 92 18 



