178 



FUR-SEAL HERD OF ALASKA. 



Evermann quotes Townseud 

 and Lucas to prove that the 

 seals just naturally trample theh 

 young to death. 



Dr. Evermann. I desire to incorporate 

 in my statement the following from Dr. 

 Charles H. Towusend, ]\Ir. George A. 

 Clark, and Dr. F. A. Lucas, three of the 

 best informed men in this or any other 

 country on the fur-seal question, all of 

 whom were members of the Fur-Seal 

 Commissions of 1896 and 1897: 



[Science, Mar. 1, 1912.] 



THE PRIBILOF FUR-SEAL HERD. 



In Science of February 2, 1912, Mr. 

 McLean, of the Campfire Club's commit- 

 tee on game protection, says, among other 

 things, about the diminishing fur-seal 

 herd, that "the best remedy is to let it 

 absolutely alone. " 



Nature's methods are wasteful. 



Last November I had some correspond 

 ence with a Member of the House of 

 Representatives, who was taking the agi- 

 tation of the Campfire Club against the 

 killing of surplus male seals very seriously. 

 I quote the following from a letter I wrote 

 to him at that time: 



"In order to prevent annual loss of 

 new-born young, we must prevent the 

 flooding of the breeding grounds by big 

 males. The logical way to do this is to 

 market a large proportion of the 3-year 

 olds, as we always have done, and thus 



{)revent them from growing up into value- 

 ess but dangerous and destructive super- 

 numeraries. 



"I take exception to the line in your 

 letter 'unless the herd is further depleted 

 by the Bureau of Fisheries.' The herd 

 is not to be 'depleted,' as the females are 

 already saved for 15 years by the cessation 

 of pelagic sealing, but the polygamous 

 male part of the herd must be depleted 

 (to quote your word again) if you propose 

 to mature all your annual crop of infant 

 seals. Nature will do the depleting if 

 you don't, and half the loss will be female 

 pups. 



: The fact is that the innocent Camp Fire 

 Club is being used by the unscrupulous 

 lobby which has always been kept at 

 work by the pelagic sealers. One excuse 

 suits it as well as another; this time it is 

 the killing of surplus males. It is a pity 

 that year after year it should succeed in 

 getting the support of men of good stand- 

 ing who happen to be ignorant of the real 

 facts involved. 



C. H. TOWNSEND, 



Member Advisory Board Fur Seal Service. 



(Hearing No. 10: pp. 597-598, Apr. 25, 

 1912.) 



But Evermann did not know 

 that Lucas would soon be obliged 

 to deny that trampled-pup fiction. 



The Chairman. About how many days? 



Dr. Lucas. About 50 days in 1896, al- 

 lowing about 9 days' time spent at sea, 

 going to and from one island to another. 



Mr. Elliott. In 1897 how many days 

 were you on the islands? 



Dr. Lucas. About 42 days. 



Mr. Elliott. On the islands? 



Dr. Lucas. That is about the number. 

 I have the exact data right here. 



Mr. Elliott. Now, Dr. Lucas, did you 

 see uj) there a pup trampled to death by 

 a bull? 



Dr. Lucas. No. 



Mr. Elliott. You know there is a re- 

 port of some 46 pages with your name 

 associated with Dr. Jordan as one of the 

 distinguished scientists who had made this 

 close study of the seals that summer. 

 Now, in 1897, you discovered those pups 

 were not trampled to death, didn't you? 



Dr, Lucas. The greater part of them. 

 Yes; we revised our causes of the previous 

 year. 



Mr. Elliott. WTio revised them? 



Dr. Lucas. I did most of it, because I 

 was the one on whom devolved this re- 

 port on the causes of mortality. (Hearing 

 No. 12, pp. 719, 720, May 16; 1912.) 



