SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. Ve 
in Bering Sea, in addition to the North Pacific catch, without such a 
loss being perceptible. 
As stated under the heading referring to the condition of the rook- 
eries in 1894, the beneficial results of the cessation of sealing in May 
and June were apparent on the seal islands in July. This would seem 
to indicate that a respite of two months in addition to such protection 
as was afforded by the modus vivendi, would be sufficient to keep the 
seal herd in its present condition. We may also infer that any addi- 
tional restrictions that might be placed on sealing in the North Pacifie 
would count as a gain, and permit an increase in the herd in proportion 
to the protection atforded, provided, of course, that there be no increase 
in the size of the sealing fleet. 
Accompanying this report are a series of photographs illustrating 
some of the features of sealing with spears, and also a chart showing 
the distribution of the seal herd on its feeding grounds in Bering Sea. 
DATA OBTAINED FROM THE SEALING FLEET. 
The following tables! contain the daily sealing data of the pelagic 
sealing fleet in Bering Sea during August and September, 1894, giv- 
ing the catch of each vessel, sex of seals taken, latitude and longitude 
of each day’s operations, with more or less data on the crew, boats, 
and hunters of each vessel. With exception of one vessel not yet 
returned it is complete for the American portion of the sealing fleet. 
The data for Canadian vessels are given for such vessels as I was able 
to board in Bering Sea, The remainder having turned in their log 
books to the collector at Victoria I could not complete the work when 
{ went there. 
A record of the daily operations of the pelagic sealing fleet, even in 
part, yields new and valuable infurmation. It shows the number of 
males and females at different distances from the Pribilof Islands, the 
portions of Bering Sea most frequented by the seals, the exact number 
of days during the season when the weather permitted of seals being 
taken;? it is data upon which to base an accurate map of seal distribu- 
tion during the breeding season, etc. These records, kept by the seal- 
ers in accordance with the regulations put in force by the Paris award, 
constitute the first accurate information of the kind and supply data 
respecting the seals at sea, of which we have long been in need. 
The daily records of the sealers should have been collected by the 
custom-houses to which they reported, butit was neglected, and I have 
had to search for them, as some of the discharged masters carried their 
log books away with them, making it very difficult to collect the informa- 
tion. 
The eatch of the Canadian portion of the fleet in Bering Sea appears 
to be 26,341. By questioning many of the sealers at Victoria I ascer- 
tained it to be 26,312, which tallies very closely with the figures given 
in the report of the collector at Victoria, 26,541. This number, plus the 
American catch of 5,201, makes the Bering Sea pelagic catch of 1894 
31,542, unless there were vessels sealing in Bering Sea of which we 
have no knowledge, which is very doubtful. 
There were 27 Canadian vessels in Bering Sea and only 11 American 
vessels. The Canadian vessels hunting with Indian spearmen from 
Vancouver and Queen Charlotte islands were very successful, while the 

1 The tables referred to will be found appended to the report for 1895. 
2 This is partly worked out in the tables following for August and September. 
S. Doe. 137, pt. 2 2 

