214 ORAL ARGUMENT OF SIR RICHARD WEB8TER, Q. C. M. P. 



There may have been a few hidden behind rocks, but certainly not more tlian a 

 dozen in all placing the total number at 100, and allowing twenty cows for each 

 bull, there were enough bulls on this rookery to serve 2,000 cows more than there 

 were. 



I do not think anybody would suggest this is not fairly reported : 



This is assuming that all were of an age and condition that fitted them for service. 

 Many of them showed the grey wig which ]>roved them to be not yet fully grown, 

 while others were without doubt worn-out old bulls no longer fit for service. That 

 the majority of them were in this condition is proved by the fact that though 

 attempts of service by grey wigs were not infrequent I never saw one of these old 

 bulls pay the slightest attention to any females that might pass near them. 



Senator Morgan. — Will you allow me to inquire as to your observa- 

 tion upon the.testimony? Is it a correct description of a seal that is 

 not full grown to call it a grey wig. 



Sir Richard Webster. — I believe so, yes. 



At Zapadnie Rookery 3rd July, Mr. Brown, j\Ir. Townsend and I noticed on several 

 occasions a cow escajie from a harem and lie down at some distance behind it, but 

 in only one instance was any notice paid them by bulls near by. In this one instance 

 the cow endeavoured in many ways to attract an old bull's attention, rubbing her 

 nose against him and striking him playfully with her flippers; he made some faint 

 response, but after a minute or two lay dov»^n and went to sleep again. Two other 

 bulls lying near them raised their heads once or twice to observe what was going 

 on but no attempt was made to serve the female. 



There were in 1892, in my opinion, more old bulls without cows in the vicinity 

 of the rookeries at North-east Point than the combined number on all the other 

 rookeries. 



At Tolstoi rookery (3rd July) but one old bull without a harem could be detected 

 at the south end of the breeding-ground, where a good view can be had of a great 

 part of the rookery. 



On St. George's Island there were, in proportion to the total number of seals even 

 fewer bulls than on St. Paul Island. On the 15tli July there were not a dozen along 

 the whole extent of North rookery, and but two were seen at Little East rookery, 

 and two at East rookery. 



Zapadnie was visited the nest day, and not a dozen were to be seen there so many 

 statements have been published to the effect that old bulls without harems are 

 always to be found in large numbers near breeding-grounds that it would seem that 

 the rookeries on St. Paul Island are nearer their normal condition than those on 

 St. George. 



Now, I ask you only to assume that that Report by Mr. Macoun, which 

 I have referred to many times before, is a fair statement of what he 

 saw. 



Kow, let me call your attention to the year 1890, when there were no 

 less than four Government Agents there, who have all made Reports, 

 besides Mr. Elliott who was sent to make an independent and exhaust- 

 ive Report. Will the Tribunal kindly take Mr. Elliott's Report, 

 which was from actual observation as I shall show you from his diary, 

 and look at xiage 80 tirst. 



The arrival op the Breeding seals, 1872-1890. — In view of the changed condi- 

 tion of the rookeries of St. Paul and St. George last summer, I took great care in 

 noting the daily arrival of the breeding-seals and methods contrasting these notes 

 with those taken eighteen years earlier: I can truthfully assert that they come as 

 they came in 1872, in the same time, same manner, and in every respect comport 

 themselves as they did, save in two characteristics; the old bulls are disproportion- 

 ately scant in number, exceedingly so, and the young male life fit to take their places, 

 is virtually extinct. I reviewed in 1874 my studies of this topic in the following 

 language : 



And then he writes what I need not read at present, except to call 

 attention to the fact that there was a general ratio between bulls cows 

 of from 15 to 20 at the stations nearest the water, and at the back from 

 5 to 12. That is what I read to day. 



Thus in 1872, when the rookeries were carefully observed witb reference to this 

 question, I found a general average of fifteen cows to each bull: (without taking 

 vnto consideration the virgin females ) : in 1«90, a general average of forty to fifty 



