74 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



cargoes, both IVlr. Townscnd and Mr. Alexander taking part in tliat 

 examination, and by their familiarity with the strnctnre of the .seals 

 iusnring greater precision in the results. 



The customary examination of the rookeries on St. Paul and St. 

 George islands, including the delineation of their outlines and the pho- 

 tographing of characteristic areas, was made between July 12 and 

 August 1, 1804, by Mr. C. H. Townsend, naturalist of the Albatross, 

 assisted by Mr. N. B. Miller in the photographic work. Mr. Townsend 

 and jMr. ]Miller again visited these islands between September and 

 13, for the purpose of ascertaining the extent of mortality among the 

 seal pups, caused by the destruction of the females in connection with 

 pelagic sealing, and succeeded in obtaining a very fair count of the loss 

 by that means. 



In planning for the sealing investigations during the season of 1895, 

 arrangements were made for much more extensive operations than had 

 previously been undertaken in anyone year, and before the close of the 

 fiscal year the work was well under way. Besides the regular annual 

 examination of the rookeries by Mr. Townsend and the detailing of Mr. 

 Alexander to a seciond cruise on board one of the pelagic sealers, two 

 additional series of inquiries have been pi"ovided for, one on the Pribilof 

 Islands, the other on the Commander Islands. These are designed 

 esi^ecially to cover the natural history of the seals as exemplified under 

 the conditions now existing, with the object of affording the means for 

 comparison with the results of earlier researches, and of establishing 

 more clearly the relations of the different practices connected with 

 their killing, both on land and at sea, to the depletion of the seal herds. 



To carry on these special investigations it was fortunately possible to 

 secure the services of two accomplished and experienced naturalists, 

 Mr. F. W. True and Mr. Leonhard Stejneger, the former curator of 

 mammals, the latter of reptiles, in the United States National Museum. 

 Mr. True was assigned to the Pribilof Islands and took with him as 

 assistant Mr. I). Webster Prentiss, jr., also detailed by the National 

 Museum. 



They proceeded with the Albatross from Port Townsend to Alaska in 

 June, 1895, being landed upon the Pribilof Islands in the latter part of 

 the month. ]\Ir. Stejneger had had a previous aucpiaintance with the 

 Commander Islands, where he was stationed during eighteen months 

 in 1882-83, under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution, and in 

 the course of his observations at that time he i)aid considerable atten- 

 tion to the habits of the fur-seals, as well as to the condition of the 

 rookeries. He is, therefore, especially well qualified to pass upon the 

 changes which have taken place during the past twelve years, cover- 

 ing the entire i)eriod of extensive pelagic sealing; and the study of 

 this i^roblem has therefore been assigned to him. The accomplishment 

 of this part of the investigation has been rendered possible through 

 the courtesy of the Russian (lovernment, which not only granted per- 

 mission for Mr. Stejneger to reside uj)on th3 islands and make the 



