282 EVIDENCE OF DECREASE 



subject as I might obtain whether or not in my opinion the seals are 

 diminishing on the Pribilof Islands, and, if so, the causes therefor; that 

 as a result of such investigation I found from the statements made tome 

 by the natives on said islands, Government agents, employes of the les- 

 sees, some of whom had been on said islands for many years, that a 

 decrease in number of seals had been gradually going on since 1885, 

 and that in the last three years the decrease had been very rapid. 



A careful and frequent examination of the hauling grounds and breed- 

 ing rookeries by myself and assistant agents during the months of 

 June, July, and August showed that the seals had greatly diminished in 

 number, and we found large vacant spaces on all the rookeries which in 

 former years during these months had been covered by thousands of 

 seals; that prior to 1888 the lessees had been able to take 100,000 skins 

 from male seals, but 1 am clearly of the opinion that not more than 

 one-third of that number of merchantable skins could have been taken 

 during the year 1891. 



ALONG THE COAST. 



Page 169 of The Case. 



I know that the seals are much more scarce this year than they 

 were last year. I do not think it is right to kill 

 H. Andriciu8, p. 314. the mother seals with pups in them. 



When I was a boy, seal were speared among the islands in Sitka 



Sound, but now the few that come along the coast 

 Adam Ayonkee, p. -ob. w& ^ obliged to ff0 far oufc to gea in order to get< 



Q. Has there been any decrease in the quantity of seals as compared 



to previous years'? — A. There has been a decided 



George Ball, p. 483. decrease. Vessels that used to get with experi- 



ienced hunters 3,000 or 4,000 in a season, now get 



with experienced hunters less than half of that number. 



I find the skins in this lot to run much larger in sizes than those 



known as the Northwest seals that are now taken 



Charles J. Behlow, p. 404. on the American side. The greater percentage of 



these 2,170 salted fur-seal skins are of the large 



breeding cows with fully developed teats. 



Some years ago the catch of the Northwest seals taken in the North 

 Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea (on the American side) contained a 

 great number of the large breeding cows as above described; but of 

 late years, on examining the catches,! find very few; and this year 

 hardly any, proving conclusively that the the old stock of productive 

 cows is almost exterminated. 



There has been a great decrease of seals in the last few years from 

 what there was in former years. They are also 



William Bendt, p. 404. getting shy and scared from being hunted so 

 much, and they are now very hard to catch. 



I don't think the seals are as plentiful as they were last year, and the 

 Bernhardt Bleidner, p. hunting of them should be stopped in the North 

 315. Pacific Ocean. 



