226 THE SEALS. 



On some occasions a considerable number of bulls, nearly large 



enough for rookery service, and rarely a barren 



n. II. Mclntyre, p. 49. cow, were unavoidably gathered up from the beach 



and started inland with the herd. The greater 



part of these at first opportunity were segregated from the drove and 



sent back to the water. * * * 



Female seals were very rarely ineluded in the driven herd, and never 

 killed except by accident. 



There are many fines imposed at the Commander Islands for killing 



female seals, even by accident, and I am quite 



Jno.Malowansky, p.198 certain that the decrease in the number of seals 



(Commander Islands). thereon is not owing to the methods employed in 



killing. When a female is discovered in a herd 



while being driven to the killing ground she is carefully turned back 



and slowly driven to the water's edge, sometimes the work of several 



hours. 



Since about 1835 the female seals have been invariably spared, and 

 if the sealeries are to yield the best returns in 

 E. R. Mclntyre, p. 58. future, the wise system under which they have 

 been heretofore protected must be rigidly main- 

 tained. The habits of the animals are such, in the separation of 

 breeders from non breeders when on shore, that this can be easily 

 accomplished. 



Q. Have you ever known the lessees to take female skins? — A. No. 

 Any employe killing a female either intentionally 

 Anion Mel ovedoff, p. 130. or accidentally would be liable to a fine. 



The killing of females is a crime on St. Paul Island, and our church 

 teaches that it is a sin to kill one, and our people 



AntonMelovedoff,p.li2. know that the death of a cow seal means one pup 

 less for meat in years to come. Never since I 

 came here in 1869 have I known of a cow to be killed unless by acci- 

 dent, and I think there has not been 10 cows killed out of every 85,000 

 seals killed every year from 1870 to 1880. 



The bulls and cows being on the breeding rookeries all through June 

 and July, while the killing of the bachelors for skins is taking place, 

 there is no reason why a cow should be driven or killed in the two 

 months named, and it is a very rare case to see a cow on the killing 

 grounds at this time and still rarer to have one killed. 



After the killing season is ended and the breeding season is over 

 the cows do mix up with the bachelors on the hauling grounds, and 

 they are often driven when we make a drive of seals to kill for food, 

 and sometimes one or two is (dubbed by accident. With this exception 

 there are no cows or females ever killed on the seal islands. 



On my first arrival in the Priblof Islands in 1868 several other ves- 

 sel-., representatives of different interests, were 

 T. F. Morgan, p. 63. there for the purpose of killing seals; and the 

 natives of these islands, called Aleuts, were nearly 

 all employed by one or other of the vessels in the business of killing 

 seals. I noticed that the natives always remonstrated whenever any 

 female was killed and stated that that was forbidden, and J am in- 



