38 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 
Twenty dead bulls and 101 dead females were found on St. Paul 
Island during the season of 1895, 3 of the latter having spear points 
and lines attached. 
The total number of seals taken in Bering Sea during the season by 
the pelagic sealing fleet was 45,697. There can be no doubt that at 
least 75 per cent of those were breeding females, the death of which 
would necessarily involve the loss of over 32,000 young. The pro- 
portion of the sexes represented in the season’s catch, as reported by 
the sealing fleet, is untrustworthy, judging from our experience with 
reports of this kind in the past and from what we know at present of 
the actual conditions. 
RECOMMENDATIONS RESPECTING THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 
Having already questioned the propriety of the driving and culling 
of seals by the lessees upon the islands, it is unnecessary to repeat the 
arguments against the practice. No further culling should be permit- 
ted. It would be preferable to kill a larger quota consisting of several 
grades of skins, taking all that might be driven, rather than to continue 
the selection of a single grade necessitating the excessive handling of 
the animals now practiced. 
Should a sealing fleet be present in Bering Sea during the season of 
1896, the removal of all surplus males, except yearlings and large bulls, 
would be desirable. While increasing the quota of Government skins 
and lowering the value of the pelagic catch, it would also have the 
effect of limiting the pelagic catch entirely to females. The number of 
females is now so limited that no profit will be found in taking them at 
sea, where they will be so scattered as to discourage pelagic sealers and 
to some extent shorten the season of their operations. 
Another method, suggested by Mr. F. W. True, of reducing the pelagic 
catch to an appreciable degree might be found in retaining all non- 
breeding males upon the islands after August 1. Commencing about 
the 20th of July, all males appearing upon the hauling grounds, and 
rejected from the drives, could be placed in the larger inland lakes and 
held captive there for six weeks or more. A solution of the pelagic 
sealing question might be found in the branding of nursing females in 
such a manner as wouid destroy the value of skins, while the question 
of property recognition upon the high seas might be well worth raising. 
Any action on the part of the authorities directed toward the killing 
of female seals on the rookeries, for any purpose whatsoever, would be 
deplorable. Nothing can justify the destruction of the source of supply 
of anything useful to mankind. 
REPORT ON PELAGIC SEALING IN 1895. 
The following report embraces the results of observations made at sea 
between August 9 and 30, 1895, in connection with the fishery investi- 
gations of the Fish Commission steamer Albatross, and subsequently at 
Victoria, British Columbia, Seattle and Port Townsend, Wash., between 
September 25 and October 18. The work at sea consisted in boarding 
such vessels as were inet with for the purpose of making inquiries as to 
the number of seals taken, the positions where taken, their sex, age, 
food, ete. 
The perfecting of United States customs regulations providing for 
the collecting of sealing data by American vessels left comparatively 
little work to be done at sea. The examination of a considerable num- 
