FUR-SEAL HERD OF ALASKA. 17 



In 1898 tliey return again as 3-year-old cows, or "primipares," 

 less 2 per cent of their number from natural death rate, or 4,327 new 

 cows, and each one bears one pup. They are again served and leave. 



In 1899 they return again, less 2 per cent from natural death rate, 

 or as 4,241 ''multipar?s/' and bear their pups — 4,241 of them. In 

 the meantime th3 4,327 pups born in 1898 have returned to the haul- 

 ing grounds as ''yearlings," less 50 per cent of their number, or 2,163 

 of them. 



In 1900 these cows return again, less 2 per cent natural death rate 

 or 4,157 of them, and bear 4,157 pups; their number is now increased 

 by the "nubiles," or their own daughters, which come out with them 

 as 2-year-old cows from the yearlings of 1899, or 1,000 "nubiles," 

 making 5,238 cows as breeders this year. 



In 1901 these cows return exactly as in 1900, bear their pups, and 

 are again increased in numbers by the "nubiles," or "yearlings," of 

 1900, making 6,106 cows as breeders this year; in the meantime the 

 4,327 pups born in 1898 have returned, less 50 per cent of their nmn- 

 ber in 1899, as 2,163 "yearlings," and in 1900 these "yearlings" have 

 returned, less 2 per cent of their number from natural death rate, as 

 2-year-olds; one-half of them being females are "nubiles" (1,030 of 

 them), and have gone upon the breeding grounds, never to be on the 

 hauling grounds again, wdth the young males. 



The foregoing table, showing the annual increase of those 4,500 

 yearling cows if not disturbed by man on the islands and in the sea, 

 declares the fact that from 1896 to 1909 that that single killing of 

 4,500 yearling cows in 1896, in violation of the Carlisle rules, actually 

 caused the loss of 20,225 adult female seals and 20,000 2-year-old 

 male seals from the herd's total life. 



Upon this basis of fact, in calculating the actual loss to the Public 

 Treasury from the effect of taking 60,000 yearling cows from the 

 Pribilof Island seal herd between 1890-1909, in criminal trespass by 

 the lessees, it appears that — 



I. That that kilhng of 60,000 yearling cows has had the full effect 

 of taking 200,000 choice 2-year-old male seals from the Pribilof herd 

 between 1890-1909, and it has also destroyed 200,225 adult breeding 

 cow seals, or, summed up — 



II. A property loss of 400,000 seals; the value of their skins is not 

 less than S20,000,000, to say nothing about the loss of the annual 

 earning capacity. Then Elliott havmg charged the killing of these 

 youn^ yearling seals, males and females alike, Lembkey declared that 

 it comd not be so, since all the killing was done under his direction by 

 the natives, who never made any mistake about the age of seals when 

 they were killing them. Lembkey testified, January 25, 1907, to the 

 Ways and Means Committee (MS. Notes, Hearing on Fur Seals, p. 58) : 



Mr. Lembkey. I may say, Mr. Chairman, that the clubbers on the islands are 

 expert in their business and they can determine the weight of a skin on a live seal to 

 within a fraction of a pound. 



Mr. Grosvenor. That's all I wanted to know. 



Mr. Lembkey. They also know the age of a seal from his appearance. 



The seal island natives, in a sworn statement made to the agents 

 of the House Committee on Expenditures in the Department of 

 Commerce, on St. Pauls Island, July 24, 1913, declared that they not 

 only knew seals by ages, but that when they killed them they knew 



21588—13 2 



