86 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



data may be obtained by reference to the Alaska fisheries and fur 

 industries reports for the years since the branding was done. 



In order to add to the data already secured, it is the purpose of the 

 Bureau to kill some of these male seals in each of the years they may 

 continue to exist, but to insure an adequate remainder for observa- 

 tion durino- that period it will probal)ly be necessary to reduce the 

 number to be killed to three or four animals in each season. 



Following the practice of previous years a census of the fur-seal 

 herd was taken in the summer of 1920. Details are contained in the 

 report, printed on paji^es 104 to 120, by Dr. G. Dallas Hanna, who has 

 been in local charo:e of the census w^ork for a series of years be<i;innin<j: 

 in 1915. Edward C Johnston, storekeeper on St. George Island, as- 

 sisted in the actual census work in 1920 on both islands. The growth 

 of the herd from year to year renders it increasinoly difficult to 

 enumerate the animals, but, on the other hand, the observations of 

 each year add to the concrete information available as a basis of com- 

 putation and enable the determination of relatively accurate per- 

 centages of loss for the different a<ie classes. 



The followin<r is a comparative statement of the numerical strength 

 of the various elements of the herd in the years 1912 to 1920, in- 

 clusive : 



General Comp.\rison of Recent Censuses of the Seal Herd. 



specimens for scientific purposes. 



For use in the preparation of a natural history p;roup at the Amer- 

 ican Museum of Natural History in New York, several specimens of 

 fur seals were collected at the Pribilofs during 1920. Thirteen 

 .skins were furnished the museum, one from an adult bull and eight 

 from pups, all found dead on St. Paul Island, and one from a pup 

 found dead and three from cows unintentionally killed in the sealing 

 work on St. George Island. The collection was appraised at $29, 

 which amount was i)aid by the museum and properly deposited in the 

 United States Treasury, 



