TESTIMONY OF PELAGIC SEALERS. 423 



My experience in seal hunting is that a much greater number of 

 females are taken at sea than males of the fur- 

 seal species; and of the females, the majority are Andrew Anderson, p. 

 pregnant or milking cows. 218, 



Q. Do you know of what sex the seals were that you have taken in 

 the Pacific and Bering Sea? — A. Yes; I have 

 taken both male and female seals, but I suppose Geo. Ball, p. 482. 

 the greater per cent that I have taken would be 

 about 90 per cent females, or even more. 



Q. What percentage of the skins you have taken were cows? — A. 

 About 90 per cent, for the simple reason that the bulls are not migra- 

 tive. 



Most all the seals taken by me have been cows. I think cows sleep 

 more and are more easily approached. Never 

 killed but seven old bulls on the coast of Wash- _ Wilton c. Bennett, p. 

 ington in my life, but have taken a few pups 3o6 - 

 every year. 



Think the majority of the seals taken are cows. Never killed but two 

 old bulls in my life. Have killed quite a number 

 of yearling seals and some young males 2 or 3 Edward Benson, p. 277. 

 years old. 



We were sealing about three months and got Thos. Brown {No. l), 

 about 400 seals, most all females. * * * v- 319. 



We did not enter Bering Sea, and returned to Victoria in April. 

 Our catch was fully 80 per cent females. 



Q. Do you know of what sex the seals were that you have taken in 

 the Pacific and Bering Sea? — A. Mostly females. 



Q. What percentage of the skins you have Daniel Claussen, p. ill. 

 taken were cows? — A. About 80 per cent. 



From my experience, observation, and conver- 

 sation with seal hunters, I am of the opinion that Leander Cox, p. 417. 

 fully 75 per cent of their catch are females. 



That to the best of his knowledge and belief 

 about eight of every ten seals killed in pelagic John Dohrn, p, 259. 

 sealing are females. 



I saw one schooner's catch examined at Una- 

 laska in 1889, and there were found a large per- M.C.Erskine, p. 122. 

 centage of female seals among them. 



Of those taken probably four out of five are fe- ^ „ „ 

 males. * • eemJ ' v ' °' 



The seals taken by them [the G. H. White and George Fogei, p. 424, 

 the Kate Manning] were nearly all females. 



Have never killed an old bull in my life, nor Luke Frank, p. 294. 

 have I seen one the last few years. 



