118 



ARGUMENT OP GREAT BRITAIN. 



As to time speut by pup on land : 



\^Tien once in the water the young 

 seals soon appear to delight in it, spending 

 most of their time there in play, tumbling 

 over each other like shoals offish. — (" Mono- 

 graph of North American Pinnipeds," p. 

 387.) 



By the 1st September nearly all the pups 

 have learned to swim, and until the time 

 of their departure from the islands spend 

 their time both on land and in the water, 

 but by far the greater portion of their time 

 is spent on land. — (United States Case, 

 Appendix, vol. ii, p. 5.) 



147 As to slaugliter of pups in 1 870 ; 



Again, during the season of 1870 the 

 u.atives, to purchase supplies and for 

 their own food, killed 85,000, mostly 1- 

 and 2-year-old seals. — ("Monograph of 

 North American Pinnipeds," p. 398.) 



In 1869 about 85,000 seals were taken 

 by the natives. I never stated that any 

 such number were taken in 1870. The 

 full number taken in 1870 was less than 

 25,000. — (United States Counter-Case, 

 Apiiendix, p. 414.) 



As to relation of fur-seals to the breeding islands: 



The fur-seals resort to the Pribyloff 

 Islands during the summer months for 

 the sole purpose of reproduction. Those 

 sharing in these duties necessarily remain 

 on or near the shore until the young are 

 able to take to the water. During this 

 considerable period the old seals are not 

 known to take any food. — ("On Eared 

 Seals," p. 95.) 



Providing the conditions wore the same 

 on the islands the year round as they are 

 in the summer, and jirovidiug the food 

 supply was sufficient in the immediate 

 vicinity of tlie islands, I think the seals 

 would remain on or about the islands 

 during the entire year. The seals evi- 

 dently consider these islands their home, 

 and only leave them by reason of lack of 

 food and inclement weather. — (United 

 States Case, Appendix, vol. ii, p. 5.) 



As to date of fertilization of cows : 



At this stage they [the female pups] 

 leave the island for the winter, and very 

 few appear to return to the island until 

 they are 3 years old, at which age they 

 seek the males for sexual intercourse. — 

 ("Monograph of North American Pinni- 

 peds," p. 401.) 



As to supply of breeding bulls: 



A residence of seven successive seasons 

 on the island in charge of these animals 

 has furnished me with the desired oppor- 

 tunity for determining this surplus 

 product by actual study of their habits 

 and requirements, and the result is, the 

 killing of 100,000 per annum does not 

 leave a sufficient number of males to 

 mature for the wants of the increase in 

 the number of females.— (H. R., 44th 

 Congress, 1st Session, Ex. Doc. No. 83, p. 

 175.) 



The stock of breeding bulls has de- 

 creased by loss from age and other causes 

 80 much faster than there has been young 

 seals grown to replace them, that its 

 present condition is only equal to the 

 present demand, and the stock of half- 

 bulls, or those to mature in the next two 

 years, is not sufficient to meet the wants 

 of the increase in the females. Under 

 these circumstances I feel it my duty to 

 recommend that for the next two years 

 the number of seals to be taken for their 

 skins be limited to 85,000 per annum. — 

 (H. R., 44th Congress, Ist Session, Ex. 

 Doc. No, 83, p. 178.) 



It is probable that the females of this 

 age (2 years) are fertilized by the bulls, 

 and leave the islands in the fall preg- 

 nant. — (United States Case, Appendix, 

 vol. ii, p. 6.) 



The whole time I was there there was 

 an ample supi^ly of full-grown vigorous 

 males sufflcieut for serving all the fe- 

 males on the islands, and every year a 

 surplus of vigorous bulls could always 

 be found about the rookeries awaiting 

 an opportunity to usurp the place of 

 some old or wounded bull unable longer 

 to maintain his place on the breeding- 

 grounds. — (United States Case, Appen- 

 dix, vol. ii, p. 7.) 



