220 THE SEALS. 



of ilif young' pups driven for the customary food supply before their 

 firsl migration is picked up by the hind flippers to determine the sex. 

 females even at this age being spared, and when thus in the hands of 

 the hunters could be as readily marked or branded as any thoroughly 

 domesticated animal. In fact, a large number were thus marked in 

 1S72, by Special Treasury Agent Charles Bryant, by clipping the ear 

 as a means of further identification. Every seal upon the islands has 

 in this way been, or might have been, if we had so elected, within our 

 very grasp, to kill or nol to kill, to brand or not to brand, as we thought 

 best, its skin having at the same time commercial value. 1 conceive 

 that no further act of domestication is required to constitute under 

 common law complete and absolute ownership, coupled, of course, with 

 the right of protection of the property wherever found. 



In respect to the propagation and perpetuation of the species, they 

 are as controllable and amenable to good man age- 

 11. H. Mclntyre, p. 5S. meiit upon the islands as sheep or cattle: yet the 

 fact should not be lost sight of that both breeders 

 and nonbreeders are. in the course of every season, completely in the 

 power of the occupants of The islands, and the entire herd may be 

 slaughtered to the immediate advantage of their possessors, if, by rea- 

 son of international complications or any other cause, it is found desir- 

 able to exterminate them. 



It was the custom each year just prior to the migration of the young 

 seals to lake a certain number, under supervision 



H.W.Mi "i tin United States Treasury agent, for food of 



the natives during the \\ inter, ami as females were 

 in no cast' killed a selection of male ••paps'" had to hi' made. This was 

 done rapidly by catching each '-pup*' by the flipper, and upon releasing 

 the animal, after examination, to send it with the males for slaughter 

 or with the females for return to the sea. On such and on other occa- 

 sions, seals were often marked or were noted as being marked by scars 

 from fighting among the males: such marks were used to obtain data 

 relative to their return to the island, and during the latter portion of 

 my stay on St. Paul Island such marked animals were seen and identi- 

 fied in the herd or on breeding grounds. 



These cases were sufficiently numerous to warrant my present belief 

 that if such marking hail been constantly practiced extensively, as 

 might easily have been done precisely as in ease of a baud o\' cattle on 

 the plains with all the young, ii would have established their identity 

 and completely shown that the seals i\o not find a home at anyplace 

 other than that of their birth. 



It is usually supposed that seals are like wild animals. This is not 



so. They are used to the natives and will not run 



A. Melovedoff, p. 145. far from them. The little pups will come to them. 



ami even in the fall when they are older we can 



take them up in our hands and see whether they are males or females. 



We can drive the seals about in little or large bands just as we want 



them to go. and they are easy to manage. 



1 do not think it is any more trouble to manage the seal herd than it 



is to manage some of thehei ds of cattle 1 have seen 



S. Melovidov, />. 117. in California, and of the two the sealsseem to me 



tamer and less afraid of the natives, to whom they 



are accustomed. 



