ALASKA FISHERY Al^D FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1921. 



61 



AGE CLASSES OF SEALS. 



As in previous years the s&als killed were classified in accordance 

 with the standards of sizes obtained from measurements of seals 

 branded in 1912. The limits for the various a^e classes determined 

 from measurements of such animals of definitely known ages are as 

 follows : 



Age standards of body lengths of seals, Pribilof Islands. 



Age. 



Yearlings., 

 2-year-olds 

 3-ycar-oIds 



Lengths of 



summer 



seals. 



Inches. 

 Up to 36.75 

 37 to 40.75 

 41 to 45.75 



Lengths of 



fall 



seals. 



Inches. 

 Up to 3S.75 

 39 to 42.75 

 43 to 47.75 



Age. 



Lengths of 



summer 



seals. 



Inches. 



4-year-olds | 46 to 51.75 



5-year-olds ■ 52 to 57.75 



6-year-olds | 58 to 63.75 



Lengths of 



fall 



seals. 



Inches. 

 48 to 53. 75 

 54 to 59.75 

 60 to 65.75 



Ages of seals killed on Pribilof Islands, calendar year 1921. 



Age. 



Summer 

 (Jan. 1 to Aug. 5). 



Fall 

 (Aug. 6 to Dec. 31). 



St. 

 Paul. 



Yearlings 10 



2-year-olds 222 



3-year-olds 16, 1 



4-year-olds [ 1, 795 



5-year-olds i 243 



6-year-olds 



7-year-olds and over 2 



Cows 1 48 



Total. 



18,512 



St. 

 George. 



21 



3,347 



£09 



47 



2 



2 



20 



4,048 



TotaL 



St. 

 Paul. 



10 



243 



19,530 



2,404 



290 



11 



4 



68 



38 



672 



2 



22,560 



718 



St. 

 George. 



13 



365 



13 



10 



Total. 



51 



1,037 



15 



10 



Grand 

 total. 



10 



294 



20,567 



2,419 



300 



11 



4 



76 



23,681 



1 The few cows reported above, about one-third of 1 per cent of the total taken, were accidentally and 

 unavoidably killed. Every possible elfort is made to avoid the killing of cows, but persons familiar with 

 conditions at the islands will readily appreciate that once in a great while a cow is killed. 



BRAXDED SEALS. 



This class of seals has furnished and will continue to furnish a large 

 amount of valuable data concerning seals of known ages. Sufficient 

 numbers have been killed each year so that the limits of the body 

 lengths of yearlings, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 year old seals have been de- 

 termined. While occasionally seals will be found whose length 

 will exceed the limits established, the data secured fulfill all practical 

 purposes. Two of the seals branded as pups in 1912 were killed on 

 St. George Island in the calendar year 1921. They were, of course, 

 9 years old. A record of those killed in each year is published in 

 the Annual Report of the Alaska Fisheries and Fur Industries for 

 that year. 



Records of branded 9-year-old male fur seals killed on Pribilof Islands, calendar year 1921. 



' Seals were bled before being weighed. 



