TESTIMONY OF AMERICAN FURRIERS. 417 



The first consignment was placed in cold storage at the Central Stores 

 in New York City. A short time since I con- 

 sented, at the request of the United States Gov- Geo. H. Treadwell, p. 52i. 

 eminent, that this consignment be examined, in 



order to determine how many female skins it contained. To perform 

 the examination I detailed John J. Phelan. This man has been in the 

 employ of my father or of myself since the year 1868. I regard him as 

 one of the most competent and trustworthy men in our service. I have 

 read an affidavit verified by him on the 18th of June. I agree entirely 

 with what he says concerning his experience in the handling and 

 dressing of skins, and from what I kuow of his character and ability I 

 believe that everything stated by him in this affidavit is correct. 



That the skins of the Northwest catch are, deponent would say, 

 at least nine-tenths of them, skins of female seals. 

 The skins of the female seals are as readily distin- Henry Tread%cell,p. 525. 

 guishable, before being dressed and dyed, from the 



skins of male seals as the skin of a bitch and the skin of a dog, or the 

 skin of any other female animal from that of the male of the same family. 

 The females always have narrower heads than the males, and the breasts 

 afford another ready means of identification of female seals. 



It is true that the Northwest Coast catches have of late years placed 

 upon the market a certain number of good skins 



which could be purchased at prices far belowthose Samuel Ullmann,p, 527. 

 for which skins of the Alaska catch were sold. But 



I realize that this can not continue to be the case, for it is a matter of 

 common knowledge amongst furriers that these Northwest Coast 

 catches are composed mainly of the skins of female animals, and I under- 

 stand that the killing of female seals is rapidly impairing the value of 

 the herd. 



I have for many years personally examined numerous shipments of 

 Northwest Coast skins purchased at Victoria. I 



have had such experience in handling fur-seal Samuel Ullmann, p. 533. 

 skins as enables me, readily in most cases, but 



always upon careful examination, to distinguish a female skin from a 

 male skin, and I know it to be a fact that a very large proportion of 

 the skins in such shipments are those taken from female animals. It 

 is also true that a large number of skins in many of these shipments 

 are rendered alinnst valueless through the numerous bullet holes which 

 they contain. 



I have observed that by far the larger portion of skins purchased 

 by me were taken from female seals. Not less 

 than eight out of every ten were from cows with C. T. Wagner, p. 211. 

 pup or in milk. 



During the past two years I have handled large numbers of North- 

 west Coast skins (i. e., skins of animals taken in 

 the Pacific Ocean or in Bering Sea). I have as- Wm. Wiepert, p. 535. 

 sorted all of them, and in doing so have specially 



noticed the fact that a very large proportion were skins of female ani- 

 mals. To determine this fact iu the case of dressed skins I see whether 

 there are any teat holes. I never call a skin a female skin unless I can 

 find two such holes on either side. These holes can be easily distin- 

 guished from bullet or buckshot holes, of which there are generally a 

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