Sar U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
AGE CLASSES OF SEALS 
The age class of a male seal belonging to the Pribilof Islands herd 
is determined from the length of its body. The classification was 
derived from measurements of a large number of pups branded in 
1912 and killed in subsequent years. The limits of the various age 
‘classes are shown in the table following: 
Age classes of male seals, Pribilof Islands 









ee Length of Length of Roe | Length of Length of 
AB summer seals fall seals aS summer Seals fall seals 
3 1 Pe en Se es a | = STS 2 u 
Inches Inches Inches Inches 
SYiGAT ings eee o eee ee Up to 36.75 Up to 38. 75 || 4-year-olds____________ 46 to 5). 75 48 to 53.75 
2-VeaT-OldS 22 es 3 37 to 40.75 39 to 42. 75 || 5-year-olds___._______- 52 to 57.75 54 to 59. 75 
ssyeaT-olds 2225-2 2 41 to 45. 75 43 to 47.75 || 6-year-olds____________ 58 to 63.75 60 to 65. 75 

Ages of seals killed on Pribilof Islands, calendar year 1926 
[On basis of classification shown in preceding table| 










Sera lto ee to Total for year 
Age = 
St. St. St. Sacer St. St. ‘ 
| Paul | George Total | paul | George) Tt@l | paul George| Total 
i a es Been. | yk, ant 
Mearhng malest te 242s eet oie ee 9 7 ee es 2 1d (42 11 
2-year-old males. ___________- 852 | 33 885 Si See | 31 883 33 916 
3-year-Old males) = __ =. 222 | 14,285 | 5,492 | 19,777 498 | 282 780 | 14,783 | 5,774 20, 557 
4-year-old males_.-_---------- 480 | 59 539 | OC) eee 11 491 59 550 
5-year-old males_-___._-___._- | 1 Neeson i ae jz re (Se Sees A | gee eed 1 
(CO wai eek anaes ee 58 | 34 92 ra leer ea 4 | 62 34 | 96 
FE ii | | | 
Motalick aleve %s Seg. 8 es! | 15, 685 | 5,618 | 21,303 546 | 282 | 828 | 16, 231 | 5, 900 22, 131 
: | } | } 




1 Cows unavoidably and accidentally killed and found dead. 
It should be stated that some of the seals recorded in the above 
tabulation as 2-year-olds and 4-year-olds probably were 3-year-olds. 
The killings were confined, as far as possible, to 3-year-old males. 
Not all of the male seals of this age fall within the length limits 
assigned for the 3-year-old class. 
RESERVING OPERATIONS 
In order to make the annual provision for the future breeding 
stock of male seals, 9,565 3-year-olds were marked by shearing a 
patch of fur. On St. Paul Island 7,558 animals and on St. George 
Island 2,007 were marked. On each island the marking operations 
were begun on June 14 and ended on July 31. The following tabu- 
lation gives further details in regard to the marking operations: : 
