﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  6 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  Eussiau 
  Government 
  and 
  were 
  conducted 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Leonliard 
  

   Stejneger, 
  while 
  the 
  work 
  on 
  the 
  Pribilols 
  was 
  carried 
  on 
  by 
  Mr. 
  F. 
  W. 
  

   True; 
  both 
  of 
  these 
  gentlemen, 
  who 
  are 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  Xational 
  

   Museum, 
  were 
  temporarily 
  employed 
  by 
  the 
  Fish 
  Commission 
  for 
  this 
  

   purpose. 
  Other 
  agents 
  of 
  the 
  Commission 
  conducted 
  the 
  usual 
  inves- 
  

   tigations 
  on 
  the 
  islands, 
  besides 
  which 
  observations 
  were 
  made 
  on 
  board 
  

   a 
  vessel 
  of 
  the 
  sealing 
  fleet 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  Fish 
  Commission 
  steamer 
  

   Alhntross 
  at 
  sea. 
  These 
  inquiries 
  confirm 
  the 
  conclusions 
  reached 
  in 
  

   former 
  years, 
  that 
  the 
  fur-seal 
  herds 
  are 
  steadily 
  diminishing 
  and 
  

   that 
  their 
  depletion 
  is 
  caused 
  by 
  pelagic 
  sealing. 
  The 
  investigations 
  

   are 
  described 
  in 
  detail 
  in 
  the 
  exhaustive 
  report 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Stejneger, 
  

   l)ublished 
  in 
  the 
  Bulletin 
  of 
  this 
  Commission 
  for 
  189G, 
  and 
  in 
  Senate 
  

   Document 
  137, 
  Fifty 
  -fourth 
  Congress, 
  first 
  session. 
  

  

  The 
  fur-seal 
  investigations 
  for 
  189G 
  were 
  planned 
  in 
  a(;cordance 
  with 
  

   a 
  joint 
  resolution 
  of 
  Congress, 
  approved 
  June 
  8, 
  which 
  provided 
  for 
  a 
  

   scientific 
  investigation 
  into 
  the 
  present 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  fur-seal 
  herds 
  

   on 
  the 
  Pribilof, 
  Commander, 
  and 
  Kuril 
  islands, 
  to 
  be 
  conducted 
  under 
  

   the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  Secretary 
  of 
  the 
  Treasury 
  by 
  persons 
  employed 
  for 
  

   the 
  purpose 
  or 
  detailed 
  from 
  the 
  Government 
  service. 
  Dr. 
  David 
  S. 
  

   Jordan, 
  of 
  Leland 
  Stanford 
  Junior 
  University, 
  was 
  selected 
  to 
  take 
  

   charge 
  of 
  the 
  party, 
  assisted 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Leouhard 
  Stejneger 
  and 
  Mr. 
  F. 
  A. 
  

   Lucas, 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  National 
  Museum; 
  Lieut. 
  Commander 
  

   Jeff. 
  F. 
  Moser, 
  U. 
  S. 
  N., 
  commander 
  of 
  the 
  steamer 
  Albatross, 
  and 
  Mr. 
  

   0. 
  H. 
  Townseud, 
  naturalist; 
  Col. 
  Joseph 
  IMurray, 
  special 
  agent 
  of 
  the 
  

   Treasury 
  Department, 
  and 
  Mr, 
  G. 
  A. 
  Clark, 
  secretary. 
  The 
  Albatross 
  

   was 
  detailed 
  by 
  the 
  President 
  to 
  convey 
  the 
  party 
  to 
  Bering 
  Sea, 
  and 
  

   sailed 
  from 
  Seattle 
  June 
  24 
  with 
  the 
  investigators 
  on 
  board. 
  A 
  similar 
  

   commission 
  was 
  appointed 
  by 
  the 
  British 
  Government, 
  and 
  though 
  there 
  

   was 
  no 
  provision 
  for 
  the 
  cooperation 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  parties, 
  transportation 
  

   was 
  afforded 
  to 
  Prof. 
  D'Arcy 
  W. 
  Thompson, 
  of 
  University 
  College, 
  

   Dundee, 
  Scotland; 
  Mr. 
  James 
  M. 
  Macoun, 
  of 
  the 
  geological 
  survej^ 
  of 
  

   Canada, 
  and 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  Marett, 
  i)hotographer, 
  representing 
  Great 
  Britain. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  1895 
  the 
  Albatross 
  was 
  not 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  patrol 
  

   fleet 
  in 
  Bering 
  Sea, 
  as 
  in 
  previous 
  years, 
  though 
  she 
  was 
  authorized 
  to 
  

   board 
  and 
  inspect 
  sealing 
  vessels. 
  Having 
  landed 
  on 
  the 
  Seal 
  Islands 
  

   the 
  naturalists 
  detailed 
  to 
  study 
  seal 
  life 
  during 
  the 
  season, 
  the 
  vessel 
  

   remained 
  at 
  the 
  Pribilofs 
  during 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  July 
  assisting 
  in 
  the 
  

   work 
  at 
  those 
  islands, 
  and 
  during 
  August 
  was 
  engaged 
  at 
  sea 
  in 
  malcing 
  

   investigations 
  of 
  the 
  habits 
  and 
  movements 
  of 
  seals 
  while 
  in 
  search 
  

   of 
  food. 
  Observations 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  temperatures 
  aiul 
  densities 
  were 
  

   made, 
  soundings 
  were 
  taken, 
  and 
  much 
  progress 
  was 
  made 
  in 
  collecting 
  

   information 
  as 
  to 
  seal 
  life. 
  The 
  Albatross 
  left 
  Unalaska 
  August 
  30 
  for 
  

   the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  Puget 
  Sound 
  region, 
  going 
  via 
  Sitka 
  and 
  the 
  inland 
  

   passages, 
  and 
  from 
  September 
  22 
  to 
  October 
  IG 
  was 
  engaged 
  in 
  collect- 
  

   ing 
  data 
  concerning 
  the 
  salmon 
  industry, 
  when 
  she 
  i)roceeded 
  to 
  the 
  

   navy-yard. 
  Mare 
  Island, 
  Cal., 
  to 
  undergo 
  necessary 
  repairs. 
  On 
  Jaiuiary 
  

   28, 
  189G, 
  the 
  steamer 
  sailed 
  for 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  southern 
  California, 
  where 
  

   investigations 
  were 
  carried 
  on 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  San 
  Diego, 
  and 
  of 
  

  

  