ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 113 



tion of Russia, are two other seal islands — one very large, on wliicli 

 the fur seal regularly breeds also; and though from the meager testi- 

 mony in my possession, compared with St. Paul, the fur seal life upon 

 them is small, still, if that land within the pale of the Czar's dominion 

 be as suitable for the reception of the rookeries as is that of St, Paul, 

 then what guarantee have we that the seal life on Coi3j)er and Bering 

 islands, at some future time, may not be greatly augmented by a cor- 

 responding diminution of our own, with no other than natural causes 

 operating? Certainly, if the ground on either Bering or Copper Island, 

 in the Commander group, is as well suited for the wants of the breed- 

 ing fur seal as is that exhibited by the Pribilof Islands, then I say 

 confidently that we may at any time note a diminution here and find 

 a corresponding augmentation there; for I have clearly shown, in my 

 chapter on the habits of these animals, that they are not so particu- 

 larly attached to the respective places of their birth, but that they 

 rather land with an instinctive appreciation of the fitness of that 

 ground as a whole. 



Need of more definite knowledge concerning the Russian 

 SEAL ISLANDS. — If we, liowever, possess all the best suited ground, then 

 we can count upon retaining the seal life as we now have it, by a vast 

 majority, and in no other way; for it is not unlikely that some season 

 may occur when an immense number of the fur seals, which have 

 lived during the last four or five years on the Pribilof Islands, should 

 be deflected from their usual feeding range at sea by the shifting of 

 schools of fish and other abnormal causes, which w^ould bring them 

 around quite close to the Asiatic seal grounds in the spring; and the 

 scent from those rookeries would act as a powerful stimulant and 

 attraction for them to land there, where the conditions for their breed- 

 ing may be just as favorable as they desire. Such being the case, 

 this diminution, therefore, which we would notice on the Pribilof 

 group, might be the great increase observed at the Commander Islands, 

 and not due to any mismanagement on the part of the men in charge 

 of these interests. Thus, it appears to me necessary that definite 

 knowledge concerning the Commander Islands and the Kuriles should 

 be gathered. 



If we find, however, that the character of this Russian seal land is 

 restricted to narrow beach margins, under bluffs, as at St. George, 

 then we shall know that a great body of seals will never attempt to 

 land there when they could not do so without suffering, and in viola- 

 tion of their laws, during the breeding season. Therefore, with this 

 correct understanding to start on, we can then feel alarmed with good 

 reason should we ever observe any diminution, to a note worty degree, 

 on our sea islands of Bering Sea. 



Possible deflection of seals in feeding. — I do not call atten- 

 tion to this subject with the slightest idea in my mind, as I write, of 

 any such contingency arising, even for an indefinite time to come ; 

 but still I am sensible of the fact that it is possible for it to o<^cur any 

 season. But the seals undoubtedly feed on their pelagic fields in sj^s- 

 tematic routine of travel from the time they leave the Pribilof Islands 

 until that of their return. Therefore, in all probability, unless the fish 

 upon which they are nourished suddenly become scarce in our waters 

 and soundings, the seals will not change their base, as matters now pro- 

 gress; but it is possible for the finny shoals and schools to be so de- 

 flected from their migration to and from their spawning beds as to 

 carry this seal life with it, as I have hinted above. Thus it can not 



H. Doc. 92, pt. 3 8 



