1 74 ORAL ARGUMENT OF SIR RICHARD WEBSTER, Q. C. M. P. 



That is a present opinion formed by Mr. Stanley Brown after one year's 

 experience of tlie Islands. It obviously affords no aftirniative testimony 

 in favour of the idea; and, on page IG of the same book, he says: 



Up to the 20th of July the breeding grounds present a compact, orderly arrange- 

 ment of harems, but under the combined iuHuence of the completiou of the serving 

 of the females and the wandering of the pups, disintegration begun at that date 

 rapidly progresses. 



I wish I bad remembered that paragraph when I referred to the pups 

 leaving the Eookeries. 



It is at this time that the virgin cows of 2 years of age, and not older than 3 mingle 

 more freely with the females and probably enter the maternal ranks, for the unsuc- 

 cessful males and maturer bachelors, no longer deterred by the old males, also freely 

 wander over the breeding grounds. 



Well, of course the statement of what m^iy probably happen is not of 

 any great value for the purpose of forming a definite conclusion. 



But now having called attention to tliat matter the fact of no virgin 

 cows going at all — I now desire to show that there is very strong evi- 

 dence that a large number of seals never go to the island at all. 



Lo]"d Hannen. — I suppose you mean there is a large number of them 

 that do not go to the island in a particular year? 



Sir EiCHARD Webster. — Exactly. 



Lord Hannen. — They go at some time or another. 



Sir KiCHARD Webster. — It is not a matter of necessity that every 

 seal goes to the island every year — that is what I meant, my Lord, 

 exactly. 



Now the first matter whicb I will discuss in this connection, is that 

 which has more tlian once called forth questions from the Tribunal with 

 regard to what " Stagey" seals mean, and when they are found. Now 

 the "Stagey" period is perfectly well known — it is from the 1st of 

 August to the end of September; and in the 10th Census Report, at 

 page 40 — the Standard book of the United States upon Seal Life, prior 

 to the 1890 Report, it is mentioned in this way : 



Mr. Phelps. — This is Elliott's report. 



Sir Richard Webster. — Yes. Elliott's 10th Census Report, pub- 

 lished again in 1881. 



About the 15th and 20th of every August, they have become. 



That is speaking of the seals on the laud. 



They have become perceptibly " stagey ", or, in other words, their hair is well under 

 way in shedding. All classes, with the exception of the pups, go through this proc- 

 ess at this time every year. The process requires about six weeks Itetween the first 

 dropping or falling out of the old overhair, and its full substitution bj' the new. 

 This takes place, as a rule, between August and September 28. 



Now having fixed the date — I am going to fix it by other evidence as 

 well — I ask the Tribunal to understand that my case is that during that 

 period seals are continuously taken at sea, showing that it is not 

 required for the animals to be out on land during such a i^eriod; and, 

 further than that, upon the evidence, prior to the year 1892 there is no 

 suggestion of a "stagey" seal ever being found in the pelagic catch. 

 The United States in their Counter Case have endeavoured to give 

 some evidence with regard to the year 1892, to which I will call atten- 

 tion before I leave this branch of the subject; but my case is that the 

 "stagey" season is from the 1st of August to the end of September — 

 the 28th September; and that during that time seals are continuously 

 taken at sea in the non-stagey condition. 



