DESTRUCTION OF PREGNANT FEMALES. 439 



In the year 1885, six hundred (000) fur-seals were caught during the 

 month of March off the Farallon Islands (Cali- 

 fornia). In subsequent years we have had to go e. W. Littlejohn, p. 457. 

 farther north each year in order to secure a good 



spring catch. My experience has been that fully 90 per cent of all seals 

 taken were females, and of these two thirds (§) were mothers in milk. 



I know that a large proportion of the seals taken were mothers in 

 pup, or mothers giving milk, but I paid no par- 

 ticular attention to the percentage. Wm. H. Long, p. 457. 



On my last trip this year, when hunting seals off the cape, I caught 

 10 seals, 5 of which had pups in them ; the rest of 

 them were from 1 to 2 years old, part male and Thos - Lowe > *■ 37L 

 part female. I think that fully one-half of the seals caught along the 

 coast are full-grown females with pups in them. We sometimes catch 

 a few medium-sized males, the rest being younger ones, both male and 

 female. 



Q. What percentage of the cows you have taken Chas. Lutjens, p. 458. 

 were with pup % — A. About 70 per cent, I should say. 



We went first south as far as Cape Blanco, sealing around there for 

 about two months, when we started north to the 

 Bering Sea. We were sealing all the way up and Thos. Lyons, p. 460. 

 succeeded in capturing 138 seals before entering 



the Bering Sea. The majority of those were cows, the largest portion 

 of which had pups in them. I know that from the fact of seeing them 

 taken out and thrown overboard. 



Most of the seals taken were females with pup. A few male seal 

 were killed, ages ranging from 1 to 5 years. One „ ,, „ . 

 old bull was taken. Geo - McA l *> tne > *■ 2bb ' 



Most of the seals taken by me have been females with pup. The 

 female seals are easier killed than the male, and 

 we aim to get them. A few yearlings have been J ' D - McDonald > P- 266 - 

 killed by me, mostly females. 



Several of the females that we caught in the ocean were in pup, but 

 the pup taken out of the belly was of no use for 

 anything, and we would throw it overboard. Wm - M ° Isaae > P- 461 - 



About all the seal taken are females with young. Very few young 

 male seal are seen on the coast. A few yearlings 

 are caught, mostly females. Jas - McEeen > *' 26 ' ■ 



We had 300 or 400 seals altogether before entering the Bering Sea; 



they were most all females, which had young pups m 



in 4 em> h P Wm. McLaughlin,p. 462. 



Q. What percentage of the females taken are with pup 1 ? — A. That 

 depends on the season you are killing them in. ,, , 

 When they are getting heavy in pup in the latter ^i****** McLea »> P- 

 part of the season, the 1st of June, when you 



