250 ARGUMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 



of North America," published by J. H. Oarmany & Co., San Francisco, 

 1874. He says : 



The certainty that the seals caught in the North Pacific are in fact 

 a portion of the Pribilof herd, and that all are born, and reared for the 

 first few months, upon the islands of that group, naturally leads the 

 observer to regard them as quite domesticated and belonging upon 

 their island home. The more orderly way to describe them, therefore, 

 would be to commence with their birth itjion the island and the beginning 

 of their migrations, rather than at the end of some one of their annual 

 rounds away from home. 



We now quote the language of the Report of the British Commis- 

 sioners: 



The far seal of the North Pacific Ocean is an animal in its nature 

 essentially pelagic, which, during the greater part of each year, has no 

 occasion to seek the land and very rarely does so. For sonic portion of 

 the year, however, it naturally resorts to certain littoral breeding places, 

 where the young are brought forth and suclded on land. It is gregarious 

 in habit, and. though seldom found in defined schools or compact 

 bodies at sea, congregates in large numbers at the breeding places. 

 (Sec. 26.) 



Then they describe the migrations and continue: 



The fur-seal of the North Pacific may thus be said, in each case, to 

 have two habitats or homes between which it migrates, both equally 

 necessary to its existence, under present circumstances, the one fre- 

 quented in summer, the other during the winter. 



Unless the vast expanse of sea between the Aleutian Islands and Cali- 

 fornia may be considered a winter habitat, it is difficult to see upon what 

 foundation these gentlemen have felt justified in making the statement 

 of a double home. The object of such an argumentative assertion is too 

 plain to require consideration, at least in connection with this point. 



The truth upon this question of habitat or home is as stated by the 

 American Commissioners in their report. They use the following 

 language: 



The Pribilof Islands are the home of the Alaskan fur-seal fCallorhi- 

 nus ursinus). They are peculiarly adapted, by reason ol their isolation 

 and climate, for seal life, and because of this peculiar adaptability were 

 undoubtedly chosen by the seals for their habitation. The climatic 

 conditions are especially favorable. The seal, while on land, needs a 

 cool, moist, and cloudy climate, sunshine and warmth producing a very 

 injurious effect upon the animals. These requisite phenomena are 

 found at the Pribilof Islands, and nowhere else in Bering Sea or the 

 North Pacific save at the Commander (Koniandorski) Islands. (Case 

 of the United States, p. 89.) 



