214 



FUR-SEAL HERD OF ALASKA. 



Dr. Lucas. By the weight of the 

 skins. 



Mr. Elliott. How do yon know that 

 the weight determines the size? 



Dr. Lucas. The size determines the 

 weight. 



Mr. Elliott. Does it? 



Dr. Lucas. The size determines the 

 weight. (Hearing No. 12, pp. 725, 726, 

 May 16, 1912.) 



The following was contributed by Dr. 

 Lucas to the New York Times of Febru- 

 ary 23, 1912: 



As an instance of that falsification in 

 those weights above listed, No. 4612 is 

 32 inches long and is so blubbered that 

 it weighs 8 pounds 4| ounces, and No. 

 4244 is also only 32 inches long — same 

 size — yet, not blubbered, weighs but 4 

 pounds 3| ounces. 



These two small yearling skins show 

 beyond dispute that no classification of 

 these skins by weight can be sensibly or 

 honestly made. (Report Agents H. Com. 

 on Exp. Dept. Commerce, Aug. 31, 1913, 

 p. 107.) 



THE FUR seal HERD. 



"To the Editor of the New York 



Times: 



"Since my name appears in your edi- 

 torial article on the fur seal question, 

 may I have space to state my opinions? 



"Finally, the published figin-es of the 

 London sales show conclusively that 

 there has been no systematic killing of 

 anything below the two-year olds, and 

 not so very many of those. All reports to 

 the contrary are absolutely false. 



"It should also be stated that the 

 terms 'pups,' 'small pups,' and 'extra 

 small pups' are dealers' terms and have 

 nothing whatever to do with the actual 

 ages of the seals. Also, that sealskins 

 weighed in London, after being salted 

 and half-way dried, weigh less than they 

 do when freshly taken from the seals, as 

 they are weighed at the islands. 



"F. A. Lucas, 

 "Member of the Fur Seal Commis- 

 sion of 1896 and 1897; 

 "Member of the Advisory Board, 

 Fur Seal Service." 



Lucas says that Merriam and 

 himself have some '' exact knowl- 

 edge": 



American Museum of 



Natural History, 

 Neiv York, Februanj 24, 1912. 



Dear Sir: Absence from the city has 

 delayed my replying to your favor of Feb- 

 ruary 21, which I am very glad to receive. 



Let me say, first, that my exact knowl- 

 edge in regard to the killing of seals under 

 2 years of age during the years 1909 and 

 1910 must, like that of others who did not 

 see the actual killing, be based on the 

 published statement of their weights. In 

 addition, however, I'have my own expe- 

 rience to aid in translating these weights. 

 The advisory board recommended that no 

 sealskins imder 5 pounds in weight be 

 taken, this being the average weight of a 

 2-year-old skin. The weight given by El- 

 liott in 1875 was (see postscript) 5i pounds, 

 but this was based on an average of only 

 10 skins. There is a bare possibility that 



But Merriam swears that he has 

 no knowledge whatever : 



Mr. Elliott. Doctor, while you were 

 on the island did you ascertain the length 

 and weight of a yearling seal? 



Dr. Merriam. I did not. 



Mr. Elliott. Do you know anything 

 about the length and the weight of a year- 

 ling sealskin? 



Dr. Merriam. Nothing. 



Mr. Elliott. Did you make any meas- 

 urements up there? 



Dr. Merriam. I do not remember off- 

 hand. I examined a great many pup 

 seals for sex. 



Mr. Elliott. You did not measure the 

 yearlings, Doctor. 



Dr. Merriam. I measured or at least 

 weighed some of the seals, but I do not 

 remember ofthand. 



Mr. Elliott. Have you published any 

 record of it. 



Dr. Merriam. I think not. 



