SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 19 
on the Pribilof Islands, the returns of the Canadian sealers operating 
in Bering Sea may well be questioned. They report but 14,636 females 
in a catch of 26,341, while the American fleet reports 3,813 females in 
a catch of 5,201—a much greater proportion. Not one American sealer 
reported more males than females. One of them, the Deeahks—captain 
and all hands being Indians—reported only 155 males in a eatch of 
1,023, while seven Canadian sealers reported more males than females, 
One Canadian sealer, the master of the Borealis, apparently without 
guile, has come very near the truth in reporting only 90 males in a catch 
of 1,059 seals. 
IT ascertained upon inquiry at the custom-houses at Port Townsend 
and San Francisco that the catches of but three of the American sealers 
from Bering Sea had been examined by experts in furs to determine 
the proportions of the sexes represented. These were the Therese, 
Jane Grey, and Rose Sparks. The catch of the Louis Olsen, an American 
sealer, landed at Victoria, was examined by my colleague, Mr. A. B. 
Alexander, of the United States Fish Commission. 
None of the others, either American or Canadian, were subjected to 
such an examination, but their returns, as a whole, are still capable of 
correction in the light of depositions by the London furriers, who 
received and inspected the bulk of the pelagic catch. 
The examination of the catches of the four vessels named above 
shows the proportion of females to range from two-thirds to four-fifths 
of theircatch. As to the catches of the Ella Johnson, Deeahks, Stella 
Erland, Ida Etta, Columbia,and Allie Algar, that of the Deeahks has evi- 
dently been faithfully recorded, while the others have at least placed 
themselves on the safe side. Of the Canadian fleet, the Labrador, 
Aurora, Mary Ellen, Walter Earle, San Jose, Beatrice, ete., reporting 
from two-thirds to three-fourths females, are also on the safe side, while 
the Borealis stands unique in reporting almost an entire catch of females 
(only 90 males in a cateh of 1,149). 
As to the Sapphire, Ainoko, Walter Rich, Favorite, Henrietta, etc., 
the less said the better. They are convicted of inaccuracy by their 
own admissions. If there was intention to deceive as to the proportion 
of the sexes in Bering Sea, discrepancies should have been guarded 
against, as comparisons with the returns madeby the Borealis, Deeahks, 
Walter Earle, etc., are damaging. 
The proportion of females in the Canadian catch has not been repre- 
sented in good faith, as it does not correspond with what the fur trade 
know to be the actual conditions; with what nine sealers out of ten say 
about the composition of pelagic catches in general, and with what we 
known by count and observation to have been the loss of young seals 
by starvation. 
ABSENCE OF FEMALES FROM ROOKERIES AFTER AUGUST FIRST, 
AND EASE WITH WHICH THEY MAY BE TAKEN AT SEA. 
On August 1, 1894, just before leaving the Pribilofs on an extended 
cruise on the pelagic sealing grounds, I examined two small rookeries 
very carefully (Ketavie and Lukannoi), for the purpose of ascertaining 
the proportion of females upon the breeding grounds. On that date I 
estimated that about 80 per cent of the seals present consisted of males 
and young, clearly indicating the great extent to which the females 
were feeding at sea. 
The cruising ground of the Albatross for the first week in August was 
far to the northwest of the islands, where very few seals were seen. On 
the 7th, just outside the protected zone and to the northwest of St. 
