ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1923 



119 



ing with branding irons 5,000 seals and for shearing a patch of 

 fur from the top of the heads of 5,000 others, a total of 10,000 to be 

 marked. The work of marking the seals was taken up at the be- 

 ginning of the regular sealing season and was brought to a con- 

 clusion as rapidly as practicable. 



On St. Paul Island iron branding was begun on June 14 and was 

 finished on July 1, when a total of 4.235 seals had been branded. 

 Thirty-five seals were known to have died after being branded, 

 leaving 4,200 reserved seals that had been marked Avith the branding 

 iron. A demonstration branding on July 16 increased the number by 

 11, making a total of 4.211. All seals thus branded were also marked 

 by liaving a patch of fur sheared from the top of the head in order 

 that they might be more easily recognized when they appeared in 

 drives made for killing operations. From July 1 to August 5, 

 inclusive, 4,208 additional reserved seals were marked by shearing 

 a i^atch of fur from the top of the head. Three of these animals 

 are known to have died subsequently, thus leaving 4,205 marked by 

 shearing only. 



On St. George Island, from June 19 to July 5, Inclusive, 801 

 reserved seals were marked both by the branding iron and by 

 shearing a patch of fur from the top of the head. From July 7 to 

 July 12, inclusive, 801 additional reserved seals, one of which died sub- 

 sequently, were marked bj'^ shearing alone. The marking operations 

 for the season are summarized in the following tabular statement: 



Reserved 3-year-old male seals marked on PriMlof Islands, 1923 



Mark used 



St. Paul 

 Island 



St. Oeorge 

 Island 



Total 



Seals marked by branding iron and also by shearing 

 Seals that subsequently died 



Number remaining _ 



Seals marked by shearing only 



Seals that subsequently died _.. 



Number remaining 



Net total seals marked 



4,246 

 35 



4,208 

 3 



4,205 



8,416 



801 

 



801 



801 

 1 



800 



1,601 



5,047 

 35 



5,012 



5,009 

 4 



5,005 

 10, 017 



On most of the seals marked with the branding iron the brand 

 was placed on the back; on some, however, it was placed at the 

 back of the head. 



WASHING AND BLL'BBEIilNG SEALSKINS 



The Fouke Fur Co. continued in 1923 its work of washing and 

 blubbering sealskins on St. Paul Island, a total of 11,115 skins being 

 lumdled during the yer.r. Some additional equipipr^nt was provided, 

 and improvements Averc made in raspct to the ari-ingciiient of that 

 already on hand. In order to supplement the pumping facilities 

 previously installed, a 20-horsepower Fairbanks-Morse combined 

 type Y. engine and pump was purchased and shipped to St. Paul 

 Island. A building 14 feet by 48 feet was erected to house the entire 

 pumping equipment for the' washing and blubbering work. The 



