106 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
The census for 1916, taken under the same conditions as in 1915 
and with the same basis for computing the various elements of the 
herd, gave a total of 417,329, as follows: 
1 Er ty: Ween ie ae ee AMR Sm Di eG 116,977 | Yearlings, both sexes.......... 67, 291 
Breeding Cowss.\-i.c2 seen cn de 116,977 | 2-year-olds, both sexes. ........ 48, 460 
Harem bullg.!)15. 02) 2.hsiea iat 3,500 | Bachelors and young bulls...... 61, 492 
AGT OWLIS Sass ce a ec ee ee 2, 632 
These figures indicate a large surplus of male seals, as was to have 
been expected from the operation of the existing close-time law, 
which restricts the killing of seals to the limited needs of the natives. 
The conditions, biological and economic, arising from the presence 
of large numbers of mature and adolescent males far beyond the 
requirements of the herd, demand the serious attention of the 
Department and of Congress, and the conditions will be much more 
acute by the expiration of the close-time law in August, 1917. 
SEALS TAKEN FOR NATIVES’ FOOD. 
The killing of seals on the Pribilof Islands has been limited to that 
number necessary for the food purposes of the natives. In the cal- 
endar year 1915 the quota of surplus male seals that could be taken 
was fixed at 5,500. ‘The number actually taken was 2,666 on St. 
Paul and 1,281 on St. George, a total of 3,947. For 1916 the 
maximum number that could be taken was fixed at 7,500. Improved 
facilities for caring for seal meat make it possible for the natives to 
properly utilize a larger number of seals than formerly, and a saving 
will, therefore, be effected in the amount of meats. that would other- 
wise have to be sent from the States. 
The sealskins shipped from the islands in 1915 numbered 3,000, 
which were consigned to St. Louis for sale. No skins were disposed 
of during the past fiscal year. The condition of the market did not 
warrant the offering of the skins on hand resulting from the food kill- 
ings for natives in 1914 and previously, and trade considerations 
made it desirable to postpone beyond the fiscal year 1916 the mar- 
keting of those pelts and the additional ones shipped to St. Louis in 
the fall of 1915. Congress passed a joint resolution, approved June 22, 
1916, giving to the Secretary of Commerce authority to dispose of 
sealskins in such market, at such times, and in such manner as he 
may deem most advantageous, and the sale was, accordingly, post- 
poned until the fall of 1916. 
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FUR-SEAL TRADE IN AMERICA. 
The announced purpose of the Department to market its Alaskan 
fur-seal and other skins in America, instead of sending them abroad 
as heretofore, was given definite form in 1915 by the making of a 
contract with Messrs. Funsten Bros. & Co., of St. Louis, under which 
the sale of fur-seal and fox skins belonging to the Government will 
for a term of years take place at public auction in St. Louis. In 
connection with this contract, the Department has been instrumental 
in securing the establishment in St. Louis, through Messrs. Funsten 
Bros. & Co., of a plant for the dressing and dyeing of sealskins in 
accordance with the most approved methods known to the trade, 
and arrangements have been made under which all or part of the 
