ORAL ARGUMENT OF SIR RICHARD WEBSTER, Q. C. M. P. 175 



Kow Allen, at page 404 of the JMoiiograpli of North American Pinni- 

 peds, says: 



A diversity of opinion exists on the i-sl:ind as to whether or not the fur is shed with 

 the overhair. I have j;iven close attention to the suUjcct and lind that all the evi- 

 dence is aojainst the opinion that tlie fur is shcil. The <;Teat quantity of overhair 

 annually shed by this innuonse number of animals cover the ground like dead leaves 

 in a forest. It is blown by the winds around the rocks, and becomes trodden into 

 the soil. 80 that when the earth is dry if a piece be taken and broken the whole nuiss 

 is found to be permeated with it like the hair in dried plaster. The difference 

 between the fibres of the overhair and the fur is plainly api)arent to the eye. I 

 have, however, gathered parcels of it at all times during the shedding season and 

 subj< cted it to microscopic examination, but have alwa,\s failed to detect the pres- 

 ence of fur in suflicieut quantity to warrant the belief that any of it is shed natur- 

 ally. The shedding of tbe overhair begins about the middle of August, and the 

 Seals are not fully clothed with the new coat until the end of September, and it 

 does not attain its full length before the end of October. The hrst indications of 

 she-dding are noticed around the eyes and fore llippers and in the wrinkles or folds 

 of the skins. 



General Foster. — That is Bryant qnoted by Allen. 



Sir Richard Webster. — I really was not snre, General Foster; I 

 am very much obliged for the correction. 



General Foster. — It is very important. 



Sir Kic'HARD Weester. — It makes no difference from the point of 

 view of anthority. It is quoted by Allen — I thiuh (xeneral Foster is 

 right. It is Bryant's language but it is qnoted in Allen's book. It is 

 quoted as an authority to which Allen has given his approval. 



I am not quite sure that it has not been suggested by tlie Tribunal, 

 but it seems to me tliere may be not a natural solution of this matter. 

 It seems to me it is quite possible that the coat may change while the 

 seals are in the water more gradually without the seal actually becom- 

 ing " Stagey" or in that condition; because it is clear that there does 

 occur a difference in the appearance of the coat when the seal has been 

 out sometime upon the land. 



Now the British Commissioners Report upon this contains some state- 

 ments which will be of assistance to the Tribunal; and I call attention, 

 first, to Paragraph 134, where they say: 



With seals killed at sea, the skins are never found to be in a '' Stagey" condition 

 as has been ascertained by imiuiries specially made on this point, and there is. there- 

 fore, no naturally delinite close to the time of profitable killing, such as occur.s on 

 the islands. The markedly "stagey" character of the skins at a particular season 

 appears to be confined to those seals which have remained for a considerable time on 

 the land. 



I also call attention to paragraph 281. 



About the middle of August, most of the seals found upon the Pribiloff Islands 

 become what is known as "stagey", in consequence of the shedding of the hair and 

 under-fur. This condition apjiears to coiitiiuui, more or less deiinitely, for about six 

 weeks. The fact, elsewhere mentioned, that practically no " stagey" skins are ever 

 taken at sea, appears not only to sliow that the change in pelage is rendered deHnite 

 and well marked by prolonged resort to the land, but also that during this jieriod 

 the seal.': frequenting the islands do not go to any great distance from their shores. 



I also call attention to paragraj^hs 031 and 632. 



631. No loss occurs at sea from the taking of seals with "stagey" or unmerchant- 

 able skins. All those familiar with pelagic sealing who were questioned upon this 

 point agreed as to the fact that " stagey " skins are practically never got at sea, not 

 even in Behring Sea at the season at which the seals upon the islands are distinctly 

 "stagey". The skins taken in the earliest part of the sealing season, in Deceinlier 

 and January, are sometimes rather inferior, but they do not fall into the general 

 category of "stagey " skins. 



632- It would tluis appear that the distinctly "stagey" or "shedding" condition 

 of the fur-st'al supervenes after a sojourn of some length on shore, and that such 

 sojourn results in a general change of pelage which does not occur in the same 



