﻿94 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Towiiseud 
  spent 
  the 
  2otli 
  and 
  2Gtli 
  of 
  June, 
  Avhilo 
  the 
  Albatross 
  

   was 
  at 
  St. 
  I'aul 
  Ishmd 
  en 
  ronte 
  to 
  the 
  Commander 
  Islands, 
  in 
  making 
  

   a 
  preliminary 
  examination 
  of 
  Lukannon, 
  Ketavie, 
  Eeef, 
  Lagoon, 
  and 
  

   Tolstoi 
  rookeries, 
  on 
  wliich 
  the 
  female 
  seals 
  were 
  then 
  scarce, 
  the 
  season 
  

   being 
  still 
  early. 
  He 
  returned 
  to 
  the 
  Pribilof 
  Islands 
  on 
  July 
  9, 
  begin- 
  

   ning 
  then 
  his 
  systematic 
  observations, 
  which 
  were 
  continued 
  until 
  

   August 
  9. 
  Detailed 
  studies 
  were 
  made 
  of 
  each 
  rookery, 
  and 
  its 
  condi- 
  

   tion 
  determined 
  and 
  compared 
  as 
  closely 
  as 
  possible 
  with 
  that 
  in 
  1894. 
  

   Marked 
  changes 
  were 
  found 
  to 
  have 
  occurred 
  in 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  the 
  

   seals, 
  which 
  were 
  less 
  abundant 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  previous 
  year, 
  this 
  fact 
  

   being 
  graphically 
  demonstrated 
  by 
  a 
  comparison 
  of 
  the 
  maps 
  and 
  pho- 
  

   tographs 
  covering 
  the 
  two 
  seasons. 
  The 
  thinning 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  breeding 
  

   seals, 
  the 
  most 
  marked 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  decrease, 
  is 
  clearly 
  indicative 
  of 
  

   the 
  effects 
  of 
  pelagic 
  sealing, 
  which 
  is 
  now 
  being 
  severely 
  felt 
  upon 
  the 
  

   islands. 
  An 
  approximate 
  count 
  of 
  the 
  seals 
  was 
  made 
  in 
  conjunction 
  

   with 
  Mr. 
  True, 
  and 
  special 
  attention 
  was 
  paid 
  to 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  the 
  

   loss 
  of 
  young 
  seals 
  by 
  starvation 
  through 
  the 
  killing 
  of 
  the 
  parents 
  at 
  

   sea 
  while 
  seeking 
  food. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Townsend's 
  report 
  also 
  covers 
  the 
  operations 
  of 
  the 
  i)elagic 
  seal- 
  

   ing 
  fleet 
  during 
  1895, 
  based 
  upon 
  the 
  direct 
  observations 
  of 
  the 
  Albatross 
  

   during 
  the 
  open 
  season 
  in 
  Bering 
  Sea 
  and 
  upon 
  subsequent 
  inquiries 
  

   at 
  the 
  several 
  ports 
  where 
  the 
  fares 
  were 
  landed. 
  The 
  important 
  

   subjects 
  discussed 
  in 
  this 
  report 
  are 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  seals 
  taken, 
  

   with 
  the 
  ijlaces 
  and 
  dates 
  of 
  killing, 
  showing 
  their 
  distribution 
  in 
  both 
  

   the 
  Korth 
  Pacific 
  Ocean 
  and 
  Bering 
  Sea 
  during 
  the 
  hunting 
  seasons; 
  

   the 
  proportionate 
  number 
  of 
  each 
  sex 
  represented 
  in 
  the 
  catch, 
  and 
  the 
  

   breeding 
  condition 
  of 
  tlie 
  females; 
  the 
  ages 
  and 
  food 
  of 
  the 
  seals 
  so 
  

   obtained, 
  and 
  the 
  condition, 
  present 
  and 
  prospective, 
  of 
  the 
  business 
  

   of 
  pelagic 
  sealing. 
  Elaborate 
  tables 
  and 
  charts 
  are 
  given, 
  showing 
  in 
  

   detail 
  the 
  facts 
  brought 
  out 
  by 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  each 
  vessel. 
  

  

  The 
  object 
  of 
  Mr. 
  True's 
  inquiries 
  was 
  to 
  study 
  the 
  natural 
  history 
  of 
  

   the 
  seals 
  on 
  the 
  Pribilof 
  Islands 
  from 
  a 
  comprehensive 
  standpoint 
  with 
  

   special 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  measures 
  necessary 
  to 
  insure 
  the 
  j)reservation 
  

   of 
  the 
  rookeries. 
  His 
  work 
  was 
  partly 
  carried 
  on 
  in 
  company 
  with 
  Mr. 
  

   Townsend, 
  and 
  to 
  some 
  extent 
  covered 
  the 
  same 
  subjects 
  which 
  have 
  

   been 
  mentioned 
  above. 
  The 
  practical 
  results 
  of 
  his 
  observations 
  re- 
  

   lated 
  more 
  especially 
  to 
  the 
  extent 
  and 
  causes 
  of 
  mortality 
  among 
  the 
  

   pups; 
  the 
  conditions 
  of 
  the 
  rookeries 
  as 
  evidenced 
  by 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  

   seals 
  of 
  each 
  sex 
  and 
  of 
  different 
  ages 
  upon 
  them 
  ; 
  the 
  extent 
  and 
  causes 
  

   of 
  decrease, 
  and 
  the 
  remedies 
  -which 
  might 
  i^rove 
  effectual 
  therefor; 
  the 
  

   effects 
  of 
  pelagic 
  sealing 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  methods 
  of 
  driving 
  and 
  

   culling 
  on 
  the 
  islands, 
  etc. 
  

  

  The 
  investigations 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Stejneger 
  on 
  the 
  Commander 
  Islands 
  were 
  

   undertaken 
  for 
  the 
  purj^ose 
  of 
  securing 
  more 
  definite 
  information 
  con- 
  

   cerning 
  the 
  Asiatic 
  herd 
  of 
  fur-seals, 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  thought 
  might 
  be 
  of 
  

   value 
  in 
  reaching 
  final 
  conclusions 
  respecting 
  the 
  sealing 
  problems 
  now 
  

   in 
  controversy, 
  as 
  it 
  was 
  understood 
  that 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  these 
  animals, 
  

  

  