i 
6 Gero. 5 ProvINcIAL Museum Report. N 13 



this matter during the summer, and that to this end a special committee had been formed. 
Dr, A. B. McCallum, who is Secretary of the Board, arrived in Victoria towards the end of 
July to make arrangements for a meeting of this special committee, which is composed of 
C. F. Newcombe, M.D., Chairman; Dr. McLean Fraser, of the Biological Station at Departure 
Bay ; and W. Hamar Greenwood, Esq., of Vancouver, Secretary ; to carry on investigations 
for the Biological Board throughout the summer. Until this special committee hands in a 
report of their findings it is impossible to say what will be done in the matter. 
It will be seen by the following data received from Mr. F. H. Cunningham, Chief 
Inspector of Dominion Fisheries, New Westminster, dated August 10th, the amount of 
damage and the ruthless destruction that has been carried on at the sea-lion rookeries on the 
Coast :— 
Bounties paid. 










HAIR-SEALS. SEA-LIONS. 
Year. ae a Pann Year. 
No. Amount. No. Amount. 
NOS cert te crak eg Sarera syne seis aie « tate TIS Sinarore Wits he wtraaihos eas oie 
SEL AR Ans Ree any ee 2,237 EPPA aa a a ere Om Eee safe AA 
LL ee Sete ee 750 POUR | PRL Die cteiiccisaiacvae =< aversi ue:6ys'6 2,875 $5,750.00 
Gtaler ats cesses ess 2,978 $8,579.50 To bale eis SLSR E AIS cliee's 2,875 $5,750.00 

Further information was received from Mr. J. A. Pauline at Bella Bella, to whom the 
Director wrote, having heard of certain persons in that vicinity killing large numbers for 
bounty. Quoting from Mr. Pauline’s letter: ‘The largest lot we received here were shot by 
Jno. Wootten and Lorne Williams (the last man is an Indian), they-shot three days and 
brought to Bella Bella over 1,600 noses, and killed easily half that amount to get on the 
islands, which were lost in deep sea and not recovered. Below is a list of those who worked 
seals and sea-lions this year :— 
« Sea-lions.—Killed outside of Price Island, on rocks, Indian of China Hat killed to show 
noses 123, and half the number sunk. 
“ Hair-seals.—Bella Bella Indians were after hair-seals, and killed for money about 639 ; 
number killed would be easily 1,000. 
“J. Wootten and Indian shot at Queen Charlotte Sound, in the groups you name (Sea 
Otter Group, Pearl Rocks, and Watch Reef), and in three trips, costing $78 in launch got 
cheques as follows: $40, $684, $98, $2,348 ; total $3,170.” 
On making further inquiries, I find that one man presented a claim for 1,173 sea-lions 
from one rookery ; of this number, 800 representing about 75 per cent. were pups probably 
not more than a few days old. The pups are born about the middle of June. There are only 
three main rookeries along the Coast, all north of Vancouver Island and south of the southern 
end of the Queen Charlotte Islands—namely, Cape St. James Group, Sea Otter Group, and 
the Cape Scott Islands. (See Report of Commissioner of Fisheries of British Columbia, 1913, 
page 151, ‘“Sea-lions on the Coast of British Columbia,” by Dr. C. F. and W. A. Newcombe.) 
I am thoroughly convinced that placing a bounty of $2 per lip on each sea-lion taken will 
in a very short time rid our Coast of this life entirely, as they are mammals which do not 
migrate far north and south along the Coast, but are to be found on hauling-out and feeding 
grounds not far distant from the main rookeries. I know from personal experience, having 
visited some of these rookeries, that if a man or men go there with the intention of killing 
these mammals for bounties, that for every matured specimen they shoot and secure they will 
lose at least six, as the animals when shot fall off the rocks and disappear almost immediately 
beneath the surface of the water and seldom float. Further, they are easily frightened off the 
rocks and come within 30 or 40 yards of the boat, roaring constantly, and are an easy mark 
for an ordinary shot. Landings can be made on almost all of the rookeries in moderate 
weather and the poor puppies slaughtered indiscriminately. If it is found that the sea-lions 
do the damage which the canners say, it would be far better for their numbers to be kept 
