TESTIMONY OF AMERICAN FURRIERS. 419 



Co., of San Francisco, and others; the majority, however, from Herman 

 Liebes & Co. The skins received from the latter sources are from each 

 of the three catches known to the trade as the "Copper," "Alaska," and 

 "Northwest" catch, although the major part thereof belong to what is 

 known as the "Northwest" catch, and are, as in the case of the skins 

 received from London of that catch, all skins of the female seal. 



I dress and dye fur-seal skins of the Alaska, Copper, and Northwest 

 Coast catches. I can readily distinguish the skins 



belonging to each of them. I can also readily tell ' 7os - - 0, Williams, p. 

 a female skin from a male skin. The predomi- °' 

 nance of the former over the latter in the Northwest Coast catch is one 

 of its most distinguishing features. I can not state exactly what the 

 percentage is of each sex, but I am sure that as a rule there are found 

 in the Northwest Coast catches at least ten times as many female skins 

 as male skins. There are various ways of determining the sex of the 

 animal from which seal-skins are taken. Some of them are the follow- 

 ing: (1) Female skins have teats, which, are easily found even in the 

 salted skin, especially when the animal is over two years of age. (2) The 

 shape of a female skin is narrower at the head and on the shoulders. 

 (3) There is a perceptible difference in the character of the hair of the 

 skins of the two sexes. 



In examining and purchasing seal-skins from the schooners in their 

 raw state I have observed that 90 per cent of their 



catcli are females. I know that to be a fact, be- Maurice Windmiller p. 

 cause the heads of the females are smaller, the 

 bellies larger, and the teats can be plainly seen. The teats show more 

 plainly when the skin is dressed and dyed. 



In examining the skins taken by sealing schooners I have found most 

 of them perforated with shot, making them much less valuable thereby. 

 Formerly more of them used to be killed with a rifle, which did not in- 

 jure the skin as much. 



The destruction of seals in the North Pacific Ocean, as well as in the 

 Bering Sea is largely confined to females. This 

 fact can not be disputed successfully. I made an Aq ^ heo ' T ' Williams > P- 

 examination of the reports of the gentlemen who ' 

 handled the North Pacific collection, up to and including the year 

 1889, and all agreed that the skins were nearly all from females. 



It may not be out of place to explain that the smaller value of the 

 female seal, especially after the birth of her pup, is in a measure due 

 to the wearing of the fur around the teats. The amount of merchant- 

 able fur being reduced to that extent, makes it necessary for the han- 

 dlers of skins to observe carefully whether pelts are male or female, as 

 well as their general condition. They make a complete classification, 

 and being experts in their business, are not likely to make mistakes. 



DESTRUCTION OF FEMALE SEALS. 



EXAMINATION OF PELAGIC CATCH OF 1892. 



Page 203 of The Case. 



On May 7 of this year I examined 355 salted fur-seal skins, ex-staamer 

 Umatilla from Victoria, and found the same to 



be fresh skins taken off the animal within three chas. J. Behlow, p. 401. 

 months. They were killed in the North Pacific. 

 On examination I found they were the skins known as the Northwest 



