292 THE SEAS 



fisheries, which passed into the hands of the United States 

 of America through the sale of Alaska by the Russians, 

 are now controlled by the American Bureau of Fisheries. 

 Killing is confined only to three year old males and a large 

 number of this class are conserved for breeding purposes. 

 When the seals are all assembled on the land for breeding 

 each male gathers round him a harem, averaging about 

 thirty wives (Plate 104). When all the harems are collected 

 the remaining superfluous males or bachelors are kept 

 away from the breeding grounds by the married males 

 and so can be easily herded together and driven off to the 

 killing grounds by the sealers. The killing grounds are 

 situated some distance from the breeding area so as to 

 prevent disturbance there. WTien the seals have been 

 chosen for slaughter they are knocked unconscious by a 

 blow on the head with a heavy club and rapidly bleed to 

 death while in this condition. 



Towards the end of the nineteenth century these seal 

 herds ran great risk of extermination from the practice 

 of pelagic sealing. Advantage was taken of the migratory 

 habits of the seal and, when in the spring the herds were 

 returning northwards along the Californian coast, to the 

 Pribylov Islands, men went out in sailing ships to shoot 

 them. In this way great harm was done, for not only 

 was there wanton destruction of females, but the death 

 of every female meant the death of at least one pup for 

 future years. After protracted discussions this pelagic 

 method of sealing was prohibited in 191 1, and it is satis- 

 factory to see that under the care of the American Govern- 

 ment the latest census of the seal population shows a large 

 increase. 



