40 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 
restrictions of the modus vivendi, the destructive operations of the 
pelagic sealing fleet, so long directed chiefly against the American herd, 
were suddenly transferred to the Russian herd, and from that time its 
decimation has been rapid, the slaughter extending annually, from the 
latitude of Yokohama, in winter, to within 30 miles of the Commander 
Islands, in summer. The catch for 25 Canadian vessels in 1895 was 
18,686 skins, as compared with a catch of 56,430 skins in 1894 by the 
same number of Canadian vessels. The total pelagic catch from the 
Russian herd for 1895 was only 33,732 as compared with a catch of 
about 82,000 in 1894, 
A minute inspection of the rookeries on the Commander Islands dur- 
ing the past season revealed such a reduction in the breeding portion 
of the seal herd as to render immediate restrictions on pelagic sealing 
necessary, if anything more than a mere nucleus of the Russian herd is 
to be preserved. 
PROPORTION OF SEXES IN THE PELAGIC CATCH. 
This subject having been commented upon very fully in the report 
for 1894, further discussion as to the proportion of male and female 
- seals killed by pelagic sealing seems unnecessary. Sealers detecting 
the danger of restrictions that might follow a discovery of the great 
preponderance of females in pelagic catches have in numerous cases 
misrepresented the facts. American inspectors of seal skins have found 
the reports made by masters of sealing vessels on this point to be sub- 
ject to correction in cases too numerous to mention. There being no 
official inspection of the Canadian catch, the reports of masters are 
necessarily accepted for record. Canadians are the chief offenders, 
American sealers having in mind the customs inspections that accom- 
pany the landing of their catches. The American catch is reported 
(with custom-house corrections) to consist of three times as many females 
as males, no vessel reporting more males than females. The Canadian 
returns represent the numbers as more nearly equal, no official inspec- 
tion of catches being made, although 11 vessels state their catches as 
chiefly male. 
The following examples illustrate the differences usually found be- 
tween the reports made by masters of vessels and those made by 
inspectors of seal skins: 


Vessel. Males. | Females. 
Schooner Ecrett: 
Mas terisyne pO Gly serraert ener eit aa ost os sie cemie ean doce a eee ceemerarry ae eiaes 65 34 
Official examination sap oe cietsta.ceici< cle aris ats icin s Seis oii warns ote etter eens e Geiser otore 9 90 
Schooner Deeahks: 
MAST GGiSire PON bal ee eo ecle pelea: Hates 4 ajoisicloyel oie a ioisee = siete ee -O SE ee eee eee 39 43 
Oniciallexamin agonist sma ceeien ere seein Seis mave Saiaraieloisiers tawiete etnies eleleope eee | 20 | 62 
Schooner Bering Sea: 
Masters repOnteaqcean\s- cece cee BS eae ein isials ea aye latins sinter efesere eens el wie eis 76 104 
Oficigllexaminationies oes eset eae eee e ce Sone eee oe ae sce chew e peste ceeeinee 35 145 
Schooner Matilda: 
Miastenisire pont s som ses cele, cie me oateeleleisieielects wisio laine eisle Semin speiehtaisince!selnisisie este 13 22 
Oticiahexaminati ones = seis uhtcrslasttemieeive cis swelcen wwiie ¢ womee nee emai eleemateeeeel 5 35 
Schooner Erland: 
IMIASTORISILED OL bis 2 cen stetees aiaice ae lactone ee a cleisisiviow slaiviaisine eielele ae lesen euicieisiawe cee 83 82 
Oificialjexaminationscc.-sacciecwcccmaaccacie temas ncses we cus eee metee eae ees et 33 132 

Discrepancies were found in nearly all the log books in the fleet. 
The skins were identified in the presence of the masters and others, 
who acquiesced in the identification as they were tallied. In all cases 
