92 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES IN 1915. 
PERCENTAGES OF IDLE Butis To Harem Butts In 1914 anp 1915. 
Percent- | Percent- 
Idle age idle | age idle 
Harem 
bulls to | bulls to 
ona pauls, | alls, | "harem | ‘harem 
bulls, bulls, 
1915. 1914. 
ST, PAUL ISLAND. 
67 24 35.8 8.6 
46 18 39.1 2.6 
152 35 23.0 8.0 
25 6 pet (Ya | Pe a ar 
294 59 20.0 13.5 
96 23 23.9 10.9 
15 4 26.7 25.0 
y 237 46 19.4 23.6 
AND Cb 50 3h ooop scosr peso desebs Ise Ssocboh boo seOseqsbeuadeods 173 92 53.2 21.0 
Aaithle Zapad nies oes ee sere nmnee k e en ence eae eee 106 26 24.5 11.1 
PANO GON NG US Sat paoocoaes secs aoe sender seeds SG sancdsaeeodo if 6 85. 7 33.3 
ety) (Wao So Joe cena po aaosns 5 ago seboe doo neo posses bouEeoe 70 31 44.3 5.1 
Polovina' Cliffs’... ues shee i Ae OE eine case 33 11 33.3 272 
Little Polovina 5.32 2. < £2 2: beeen de geeceees ceeepne rena cese 21 9 AQ) |e Sc os cone 
MON NPL Seca Gans ot Sami ae ad 84 SS SM b edie GRAB Sob d Secs SAAOBE GBC 51 21 41.2 9.3 
WiOSCOCHI Nii Be ebay, cena: Seeta ee aa eRe aan ac ol BeNm 396 135 34.1 6.8 
Motalscc 2 es ATS 5 ee i ee eee EE MET Beg 1,789 546 30. 52 12.0 
ST. GEORGE ISLAND 
IN ONDE 2 Sah < wicca d Gee b Sc ccs Be SOAs SoS eee Mera cae 141 53 37.6 4.2 
Stara yatArtel 22. oSs8ee oes aces cee Suess lobe ae ican 89 31 34.8 6.3 
ARPA 5 Sih oiSinln aa habs ooh < ce imap malate ota iw cotele sb Seayeicielalee aie 23 10 CSG dllbtnsasesce 
NIGH ioe ee a US ae Biot Ss oe Oe hae | arnt UU Re peel ie deat Bie eee car 4 
Wittle Haste. sc ees oss Rakes oo ce deans aac se beets Sei ecis occ eters ajacc Grate | ae eee] eee eee en 2 Se 
MastiReehinn. oe case es sas espe e msepeen sewialte ateeraasie' a aioe 30 18 60.0 21.4 
ASE ICHITS rae eee ee co hoa EE ona ie aac Caen eae 76 15 19.7 3.5 
Total oss al Bos ote Bae ee cl Sata Be An ee: eae pcre tS 362 127i 35.08 5.3 
Sty Paul Island). < esau es 2 ok peste crc seta Soe pace cha ate 1, 789 546 30. 52 12.0 
St..Georgerisland 238 °G4.). ho2 es he osue- stee e eee eee 362 127 35.08 5.3 
Totaly hoth islandsa. +f ss. onc ceelece cates ce 2,151 673 | 31.28 | 11.0 
In 1914 the percentage of idle bulls to harem bulls was 11, and the average harem 
was 59.8. In 1915 there is a large increase in the one and a decrease in the other. 
The percentage of idle bulls which is necessary to make the average harem the natural 
one (which is the minimum) is unknown. The large increase in bulls in 1916 will 
probably determine this. And once it is known, as stated before, there need never 
be apprehension as to the supply of males so long as the proportion of idle bulls to 
harems is near that figure. Harems and idle bulls may always be counted with a fair 
degree of accuracy, even should the herd become many times larger than it is at 
present. If the proportion of idle bulls is sufficient to keep the average harem at its 
minimum, the size of the herd may be very closely calculated from the count of those 
two categories. Undoubtedly the minimum average harem existed in 1896 and 1897 
and would have remained at that point regardless of any excess number of idle bulls 
necessary to maintain this. But the proportion of idle bulls and the average harem 
were not determined with sufficient exactness to become a safe factor in formulating a 
law of increase. 
The average harem should reach its minimum and then the number of idle bulls 
may increase indefinitely without lessening it. The percentage of killable seals should 
come out of those males in excess of the number necessary to maintain the minimum 
average harem. Present indications are that the minimum average harem will not be 
far from 40, and the percentage of idle bulls to harem bulls necessary to maintain this 
will be near 50. Even if the percentage of idle bulls to harems is as high as 100 there 
will still be available for killing over 90 per cent of those males which reach the age of 
3 years. Because of the impossibility of obtaining as high as 90 per cent there 
