PELAGIC SEALING THE SOLE CAUSE OPINIONS. 309 



manifest themselves about 1885 or 1886 ; that the depletion on both 

 hauling ami breeding grounds is accounted for by the tact that the 

 catch of said pelagic sealers consists of at least 85 per cent cows ; that 

 said cows when taken in the North Pacific are in the majority of cases 

 with pups, and in Bering Sea are so-called milking females; that when- 

 ever a milking cow is killed, her pup on the rookeries dies of starvation. 

 In support of this fact last stated, the number of dead pups during the 

 last four years I was upon the islands increased annually; that the 

 effect of the comparatively few raids upon the rookeries themselves, 

 while injurious, bear but a small ratio to the enormous damage done by 

 the pelagic hunting. 



That those in charge of said islands did not when said decrease on 

 said rookeries commenced know conclusively the cause thereof; that 

 my opinion then that it was caused by pelagic sealing, but had been 

 informed and believed that the United States Government intended to 

 seize all such poaching vessels ; that relying upon such information I 

 authorized the taking of seals as before ; that such protection of seal 

 life was not fully carried out in Bering Sea and the North Pacific by 

 reason of England's interference, and that the rookeries were thus de- 

 pleted. 



From statements made by such personal acquaintances and friends 

 I became aware of a rapid decrease in seal life 



m Alaska, and reports of pelagic sealing,as made H. W. Mtfntyre, p. 138. 

 public through the press, combined with previous 



personal knowledge of affairs as existing prior to 1882, leaves no pos- 

 sible doubt as to the cause of such decrease of seals. Pelagic sealing as 

 practiced prior to the year 1882 had no apparent effect upon seal life, 

 and even when to this was added the taking of a definite number year 

 after year under lease from the United States Government, there was 

 still a constant increase of seals observed ; I am, therefore, fully con- 

 firmed in the belief that the decrease in their numbers is due solely to 

 the indiscriminate killing at sea of all ages, regardless of sex, as prac- 

 ticed since 1884. 



He further stated that the seals had rapidly decreased since sealing 

 vessels had appeared, but that before the inroads 



of these seal hunters there was no trouble in ob- John MalowanaJcy, p. 199. 

 taining the full quota of the best grades of skins, 

 as the herds had previous to that time been noticeably increasing. 



Q. To what do you attribute the decrease in the number of seals on 

 the rookeries"? — A. To the great number of cows 



killed by poachers, and consequently less pups Anton Melovedoff, p. 139. 

 are born on the rookeries. 



Q. How do you know that cows have been killed by poachers'? — A. I 

 have handled and seen a great number of skins captured by the revenue 

 cutters from the poaching vessels, and there were veiy few male skins 

 among them; also have seen among them a great number of unborn 

 pups. Twice upon the rookeries I have seen cows killed and left there 

 by the poachers. 



I know of no other explanation than this: The cows are shot and 



killed when they go into the sea to feed and the , , 1f , rlnW ^ iaa 

 ,. . J * . _ . T . . Anton Melovedoff, p.Wi. 



pups die on the rookeries. This, I think, is the 



true solution of the vexed question, "What has become of the seals'?" 



