94 THE ALASKAN SEAL HERD. 



I can easily distinguish the Copper Island fur-seal skin in its un- 

 dressed state from that of the Alaskan and north- 

 Jolm N. Lofstad, p. 516. west coast skins. They are of an entirely dis- 

 tinct and separate herd, while those of the north- 

 west coast and Pribilof Islands are of the same variety. 



The skins belonging to these several catches are catalogued sepa- 

 rately, sold separately, and are of different values, 

 Walter E.Martin, p. 569. and necessarily, therefore, bring different prices 



in the market. 

 The differences between these several classes of skins are so 

 marked as to enable any person skilled in the business to readily dis- 

 tinguish one from the other. * * * 



The differences between the Copper Island catch and the Alaska catch 

 are marked and enable anyone experienced in handling skins to dis- 

 tinguished the one from the other. The Copper Island skins show that 

 the animal is narrower in the neck and at the tail than the Alaska seal 

 and the fur is shorter, particularly under the dippers, and the hair has 

 a yellower tinge than have the hairs of the Alaska seals, so that before 

 the skins are dressed the two may be readily distinguished from each 

 oilier, and while deponent has made no such attempt he believes that it 

 would be reasonable to say that if 1,000 Copper Island skins were 

 mingled among 09,000 Alaska skins it would be possible for anyone 

 skilled in the business to extract 950 of the 1,000 Copper Island skins 

 and to separate them from the 99,050 of the Alaska catch, and vice 

 versa. Both the Copper Island skins and the Alaska skins are the skins 

 of male seals almost exclusively, although occasionally female skins are 

 found among the Copper Island catch and less often among the Alaska 

 catch. 



The seals of the Commander Islands appeared to me slightly differ- 

 ent from the Pribilof fur-seals. They are grayer 

 N. B. Miller, p. 201. in color, and of a slighter build throughout the 

 body. The bulls have not such heavy manes, or 

 fur capes, the hair on the shoulders being much shorter and not nearly 

 so thick. The younger seals have longer and more slender necks ap- 

 parently. I noticed this difference between the seals at once. 



During the season of 1891 I was the agent of the Russian Seal-skin 



m Company, of St. Petersburg; that I was on Bering 



1. 1. Morgan, p. 201. Isl . md ^ ^ time that gir George Baden-Powell 



and Dr. George M. Dawson, the British representatives of the Bering 

 Sea Joint Commission, were upon said island investigating the Bussian 

 sealeries upon the Komandorski Islands, that I was present at an exam- 

 ination, which said Commissioners held, of Sniegeroff, the Chief of the 

 natives on Bering Island, who, prior to the cession of the Pribilof Islands 

 by Russia to the United States, had resided on St. Paul, one of said Prib- 

 ilof Islands, and that since that time had been a resident on said Bering- 

 Island, and during the latter part of said residence had occupied the 

 position of native chief and as such superintended the taking and kill- 

 ing of fur-seals on said Bering Island; that during said examination 

 the Commissioners, through an interpreter, asked said Sniegeroff if there 

 was any difference between the seals found on the Pribilof Islands and 



