LACK OF MALE LIFE NOT THE CAUSE. 293 



and feeble, or badly wounded ones. I have seen hundreds of idle vig- 

 orous bulls upon the rookeries, and there were no cows for them. 1 

 saw many such bulls last year. 



During these years there was always a sufficiency of vigorous male 

 life to serve all the female seals which came to 

 the islands, and certainly during this period seal S.N. Glidden,p.l09. 

 life was not affected by any deficiency of males. 



The orders of the " boss " of the gang, in which I worked in 1888 and 

 1881), under the management of the Alaska Com- 

 mercial Company, were not to kill the five-year old Alex. Hansson, p. no. 

 bulls, because they were, he said, needed on the 

 rookeries. 



We noticed idle vigorous bulls on the breeding rookeries, because ol 

 the scarcity of cows, and I have noticed that the 

 cows have decreased steadily every year since Aggci Kuslwn, p.vis. 

 1880, but more particularly so in L888, 1889, 1890, 

 and 1891. 



And I am satisfied a sufficient number of males 

 was always reserved for future breeding purposes. Alnal F - Loud ' p - 38 - 



That during the twenty years I was upon said Pribilof Islands, as 

 general agent of said Alaska Commercial Com- 

 pany there were reserved upon the breeding H.R.Mciniyre,pAo. 

 rookeries upon said islands sufficient vigorous 



bulls to serve the number of females upon said rookeries; that while 1 

 was located upon said islands there was at all times a greater number 

 of adult male seals than was necessary to fertilize the females who 

 hauled upon said rookeries and that there was no time when there 

 were not vigorous bulls on the rookeries who were unable to obtain fe- 

 male consorts. 



So well was this necessity for reserving sufficient mature male life 

 recognized that when in 1887, 1888, and 1889 the depleted rookeries 

 (depleted from causes that will be explained further on) would not fur- 

 nish the quota of 100,000 large skins, two and three years old male 

 seals were taken to make up the quota in preference to trenching upon 

 this reserve of maturer male life. 



The policy of the Alaska Commercial Company, during the whole 

 period of its lease, was, as might be naturally ex- 

 pected, to obtain the best possible skins for market S. H. Mclntyre, p. 52. 

 and at the same time preserve the rookeriesagainst 



injury, for it was not only in their interests to be able to secure every 

 year, until the expiration of the lease, the full quota allowed by law, 

 but they confidently expected, by reason of their good management of 

 the business, and faithful fulfillment of every obligation to the Govern- 

 ment, to obtain the franchise for a second term. I was, therefore, 

 always alert to see that the due proportion of breeding males of serv- 

 iceable age was allowed to return to the rookeries. This was a com- 

 paratively easy task prior to 1882, but became from year to year more 

 difficult as the seals decreased. No very explicit orders were given to 

 the "bosses" upon this point until 1888, because the bulls seemed to 

 be plentiful enough, and because it was easier to kill and skin a small 

 seal than a large one, and the natives were inclined for this reason to 



