(fig. B-8), and weighed on a graduated beam 

 scale (fig. B-9). The metric system of meas- 

 urement is used. 



The sex of each animal is recorded and, for 

 pregnant females, the weight, length, and sex 

 of the fetus are recorded. The genital tract of 

 each female is tagged and placed in 10 percent 

 formalin for examinations in the laboratory. 



Both upper canine teeth are collected by 

 cutting off the snout with a meat cleaver (fig. 

 B-10). The snout is placed in a cloth bag with 



Figure B-8.--Calibratecl board for measuring seals on 

 vessel. 



Figure B-9. — Weighing fur seal wich a graduated beam 

 scale. 



Figure B-10. — Cutting off snout to preserve upper canine 

 teeth for age determination. 



an identifying tag. Subsequent work on the 

 snouts is done at the field station laboratory. 



Stomachs are tagged, tied, cut off above the 

 cardiac sphincter and below the pyloric sphinc- 

 ter, and placed in barrels containing 1 percent 

 formalin. (Formalin is not injected into the 

 stomach to stop digestion, as is done aboard 

 U.S. research vessels.) 



When fur seals are skinned aboard the ves- 

 sels, the animals are first slit open along the 

 ventral surface from the lower jaw to the anus 

 and a cut is made around each flipper. The 

 skins are then carefully removed with a knife. 

 The skins are washed and cooled by towing 

 them alongside the vessel for 15 to 20 minutes 

 while hunting is continued. They are soaked in 

 a concentrated brine solution overnight and 

 salted down in bins the following morning, for 

 a minimum of 2 weeks. The crew unloads the 

 skins on the dock whenever a shipment is 

 made; workers hired by the processing firm 

 fold and pack the salted skins in burlap bags 

 for shipment (figs. B-11 to B-13). The bundled 

 skins are shipped by truck to a Tokyo factory 

 where they are fleshed and processed. 



In February 1965, the North Pacific Fur 

 Seal Commission approved a plan to standard- 

 ize preliminary processing of sealskins (skin- 

 ning, washing, fleshing, curing, packing, ship- 

 ping, and storage) to be used for research on 

 quality by each member nation. The summary 

 of instructions for preliminary processing of 

 sealskins was as follows: 



1. Remove skins without cuts or flay marks. 



2. Wash and soak in sea water 4 hours. 



3. Scrape blubber from the skin within 2 

 hours after washing. If there is a delay of 24 

 hours or more between soaking and fleshing. 



37 



