CONDITION OF SEAL LIFE ON THE ROOKERIES OF THE 

 PRIBILOF ISLANDS, 1893-1895. 



The Vice-President presented the following 



LETTER FROM THE ACTING SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, 

 TRANSMITTING, IN RESPONSE TO A RESOLUTION OF THE SEN- 

 ATE OF FEBRUARY 17, 1896, THE REPORTS MADE BY THE 

 AGENTS, OFFICERS, OR PERSONS ACTING UNDER THE AUTHOR- 

 ITY OF THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY IN THE YEARS 

 1894 AND 1895, IN RELATION TO THE CONDITION OF THE FUR 

 SEALS ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS, OR TO THE HUNTING OF 

 SUCH ANIMALS IN BERING SEA OR IN THE NORTH PACIFIC 

 OCEAN, AND THE EFFECT OF SUCH HUNTING UPON THE FUR 

 SEALS THAT RESORT TO THE BERING SEA. 



February 27, 1896. — Kefened to the Coninuttee on Foreign Relations and ordered 



to be printed. 



Treasury Department, 



Office of the Secretary, 

 Washington, D. C, February 26, 1896. 



Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a resolution of 

 the Senate, dated the 17th instant, wherein I am directed to furnish 

 copies of the rei)orts made by the agents, officers, or persons acting 

 under the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury in the years 1894 

 and 1895, in relation to the condition of the fur seals on the Pribilof 

 Islands, or to the hunting of such animals in Bering Sea or in thelSTorth 

 Pacific Ocean, and the effect of such hunting upon the fur seals thai 

 resort to Bering Sea, and, in reply, to state that the preparation of 

 the copies of such papers will involve great labor, and require con- 

 siderable time, owing to the voluminous character of the documents. 

 I therefore transmit the originals, with the request that they be re- 

 turned to the files of the Department without mutilation in case the 

 Senate should order them printed. 



Respectfully, yours, . S. Wike, 



Acting Secretary. 



The President of the Senate. 



447 



