FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1910. 



13 



3-year-old males to be reserved by marking was increased from 500 

 to 1,000. 



These were apportioned between the two islands, by assigning 800 

 to St. Paul and 200 to St. George, for the reason that there are in 

 round numbers four times as many breeding seals on St. Paul as on 

 St. George. Upon arrival at St. George Island a copy of the annual 

 instructions was given to Assistant Agent Clark, and he was also 

 informed that the quota of bachelors to be reserved on St. George 

 was 200 3-year-olds. As the vessel remained at St. George only a 

 few hours, and as numerous other matters required consideration, it 

 was not possible to put into writing the various explanations of the 

 instructions. 



Upon my return to St. George Island two weeks later I was informed 

 by Agent Clark that the quota of marked bachelors had been secured. 

 No statement of the number so marked, however, was made, and at 

 the close of the season among the data received detailing the season's 

 work on St. George no mention was made of the number of bachelors 

 branded. Upon meeting Agent Clark on the Homer after he had left 

 St. George for San Francisco, upon specific inquiry I ascertained for 

 the first time that the instructions were misapprehended by him and 

 that he had sought to brand on St. George only 100 3-year-olds, and 

 did actually brand only 108 of that class of young males. He had 

 not the memoranda showing the dates on which drives were made for 

 this purpose and the number secured from each drive. As the season 

 then had been closed for three weeks it was useless to cause the 

 marking of an additional number to make up the deficiency in the 

 breeding reserve for that island. 



On St. Paul, however, more young males were branded than the 

 total number for both islands required by the instructions. Previous 

 to my arrival on that island, on June 29, with the current instructions, 

 Assistant Agent Judge, acting under the instructions for the previous 

 year, had already marked 337 2-year olds in addition to 279 3-year- 

 olds, 14 4-year-olds, and 5 5-year-olds. After my arrival additional 

 3-year-olds only were marked to complete the number of that class 

 required for St. Paul. A record of the bachelors marked on St. Paul, 

 showing also dates and rookeries driven from, follows: 



Record of Bachelors Marked on St. Paul Island for Breeding Purposes, 



Season of 1910. 



