ALASKA FISHEKIES AND FUK INDUSTKIES, 1911. 95 



Three- Year-Old Male Seals Marked for Breeding Reserve, 1911. 



These young males were marked in the usual way, namely, by clip- 

 ping from the top oi their heads with sheepshears a round patch of 

 fur, making a mark which can be distinguished by the clubbers when 

 these seals afterwards appear in the drives and which, of course, deters 

 the clubbers from striking them. The mark lasts only during the 

 season in which it is made and disappears at first shedding thereafter. 



The temporary character of this mark placed upon young seals 

 reserved to become eventually breeding bulls has occasioned some 

 criticism to the effect that, as the mark disappears entirely within a 

 year, there is no assurance that these young seals, reserved in one 

 year, are not kiQed by the clubbers in the year following. It may 

 be stated that this matter has been carefully considered on the 

 islands and every effort has been made to devise some method whereby 

 a permanent brand might be placed on the animals selected which 

 would prevent the seal from being clubbed and at the same time 

 offer no difficulty in its application to the animaL 



KILLING OF SEALS. 



SKINS SHIPPED. 



During the sealing season ended August 10, 1911, and including 

 the seals killed for food during the fall of 1910 and spring of 1911, as 

 well as the regular killing season of 1911, there were taken on both 

 islands 12,006 skins, of which St. Paul furnished 9,558 and St. George 

 2,448. These skins were shipped on the Homer to San Francisco, 

 the vessel arriving there September 9, were taken at once to Oakland 

 Long Wharf, and thence, packed in barrels, were shipped on Septem- 

 ber 13, in ventilated freight cars, to New York and by steamer to 

 London, England, where they were sold. 



