FUR-SEAL HERD OF ALASKA. 



253 



Jordan declares that the year- 

 lings can not be told apart as to 

 sex. Two seasons' experience: 



Near by were two small seals in charge 

 of a young half bull. The smaller one 

 was shot and proved to be a yearling bull. 

 It had all the appearances of a female, and 

 Jacob said it was. The sacrifice of this 

 yearling was valuable in showing how 

 easy it is to be deceived * * * there 

 does not seem to be any characteristic 

 which will surely determine the sex of the 

 young animals other than those of the 

 sexual organs themselves. (Fur Seal In- 

 vestigation, pt. 2, p. 356, 1898.) 



Lembkey says they can not be 

 distinguished apart as to sex, 13 

 seasons' experience teaches him. 



Mr. Lembkey. All the killable seals of 

 those driven. 



Q. But they were all yearlings? — A. 

 They were all yearlings; no full-grown 

 bulls . Those driven were immature seals. 



Q. The statement has been made that 

 it is hardly possible to distinguish the 

 male and the female at that age? — A. At 

 2 years old? 



Q. Yes; what is your opinion? — A. 

 There is considerable difficulty in distin- 

 guishing the young males and females. 

 There is considerable difficulty in distin- 

 guishing the male and the female yearling. 

 They are both of the same size and general 

 formation. It is almost impossible for 

 anybody not an expert to pick them out 

 and distinguish between them, and it is 

 rather difficult, even for an expert; but 

 of the 2-year-olds the females are not on 

 the hauling grounds; they are on the 

 breeding rookeries for theii" initial im- 

 pregnation . The 2-year-old males, on the 

 other hand, are on thehauling-out grounds. 

 (Hearing on S. 9959, Feb. 4, 1911, Com- 

 mittee on Cons. National Resources, 

 U. S. Senate, p. 10 ("Dixon hearing"), 

 Rothermel reprint. May 20, 1911, H. Com. 

 Exp. Dept. Com. and Labor.) 



But Jordan says the female 

 yearlings do not haul out with the 

 males (yearlings) . He knows be- 

 cause he examines them. 



One by one the little yearlings had been 

 drawn off until 17 had been examined. 

 All were bachelors. * * * Therefore 

 there is nothing so far to show that the 

 yearling females associate with the males 

 on the hauling grounds, at least at this 

 season. (Lukannon rookerv, Aug. 1, 

 1896, p. 365.) 



While Lembkey says they do 

 haul out together. He knows be- 

 cause he kills and examines them. 



On July 1 (1904), there were three year- 

 ling seals in the drive at Northeast Point. 

 One of them, a typical specimen, was 

 knocked down at my direction to ascer- 

 tain the weight of the skin. It was found 

 to be a female. (Rept. Sept. 7, 1904, to 

 Sec. Com. and Labor, Lembkey, p. 77, 

 Appendix A, H. Com. Exp. Dept. Com. 

 and Labor, June 24, 1911.) 



