B. C. SEA-LIOy lyVESTIGATION 7 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38a 



feel constrained to say that, in our judgment, the evidence against the destruc- 

 tiveness of the fur seal is very far from being sufficient to warrant the Cali- 

 fornia Fish Commission in asking the United States Government to permit 

 the destruction on its reservations." He blames the California Commission 

 for condemning the sea-lion on what he considers unsatisfactory evidence. 

 His reasons are summarized as follows: — 



"First. — We have good reason to believe that the estimated number of 

 sea-lions on the Pacific coast (10,000) is very greatly in excess of the actual 

 number. 



" Second.— The estimate of the amount of fish consumed uaily by the sea- 

 lion herds (500,000 pounds) we consider to be preposterous and absurd. This 

 presupposes that each sea-lion consumes 50 pounds of fish per day, whereas, 

 the full ration of an adult male sea-lion in captivity amounts to only 12 pounds 

 or less per day. 



" Third.— In the absence of statistics based on detailed scientific obser- 

 vation of known reliability, the assumption that the sea-lions are responsible 

 for a marked decrease in the fish supply of the Pacific coast is unwarranted. 



" Fourth. — The people of the whole United States have proprietary rights 

 in all the living creatures \7hich inhabit the waters of the coast of California, 

 as well as all other states, and particularly the sea-lion herds which breed on 

 tlie public domain; and the people of California have no right, either in law 

 or equity, to wantonly destroy the sea-lion herds until the justification of such 

 a course has been clearly and satisfactorily proven, 



"Fifth. — The sea-lion has been condemned by the California Fish Com- 

 mission without having had the benefit of counsel or witness for the defence, 

 a proceeding so thoroughly un-American that the findings based thereon are 

 unworthy of serious consideration." 



In view of these reasons he asked for the preservation of " the very interesting 

 and valuable sea-lion herds of the Pacific coast." 



Mr. Vogelsang, in direct reply to Mr. Hornaday, says that the fifth reason is 

 entirely untrue, as he has shown in his correspondence that all evidence available 

 was considered, some of this evidence from scientists of repute. He objects to the 

 statement that sea-lions are valuable, and as far as the interest goes, they cannot be 

 considered more interesting than other liarmful animals, the '^oyote for instance. He 

 indicat-es the weight of such remonstrance by saying : " It seems to me remarkable 

 that your society is not aware of the fact that the fur seal does not frequent the 

 rookeries of the California coast, and the varieties against which our activities have 

 been chiefly directed are the barking sea-lion (Zaiophus) and. incidentally, the grey 

 sea-lion (Eumetopias)." 



The commission was so confident of the correctness of their stand that they 

 published all this coiTespondence in the matter and left the public to judge. 



Before going further it should be stated that throughout this California report 

 reference is made to two species of sea-lion, the barking sea-lion (Zaiophus calif ornia- 

 nus) and the grey, or Steller's sea-lion (Eumetopias stelleri), but the general state- 

 ments apply to both of these. There is evidence that both are found in British 

 Columbia waters, but although Zaiophus has been reported, it may be only an 

 occasional visitor (see further evidence in this report). The grey sea-lion is the 

 common one on the British Columbia coast and northward. 



While the controversy was going on between the California State Commission 

 and the Treasury Department, in the summer of 1899, Prof. L. L. Dyche, of the 

 University of Kansas, made examination of the stomachs of several sea-lions killed 



.38a— 2i 



