﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  95 
  

  

  as 
  well 
  as 
  tlie 
  methods 
  of 
  their 
  pursuit, 
  were 
  identical 
  on 
  the 
  two 
  

   coasts. 
  His 
  inquiries 
  were 
  rendered 
  i^ossible 
  through 
  the 
  courtesy 
  of 
  

   the 
  Ivussian 
  Government, 
  which 
  not 
  only 
  granted 
  permission 
  for 
  Mr. 
  

   Stejueger 
  to 
  reside 
  upon 
  the 
  islands 
  and 
  make 
  the 
  necessary 
  observa- 
  

   tions, 
  but 
  also 
  signified 
  its 
  indorsement 
  of 
  the 
  objects 
  of 
  his 
  visit. 
  

   The 
  local 
  representatives 
  of 
  the 
  Government, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  of 
  the 
  Eussian 
  

   Seal 
  Skin 
  Company, 
  also 
  gave 
  their 
  hearty 
  cooperation 
  in 
  the 
  work, 
  

   and 
  were 
  instrumental 
  in 
  bringing 
  it 
  to 
  a 
  successfnl 
  issue. 
  Mr. 
  Stej- 
  

   neger 
  was 
  especially 
  well 
  qualified 
  to 
  make 
  this 
  study 
  and 
  to 
  pass 
  

   upon 
  the 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  seal 
  herd 
  which 
  had 
  taken 
  place 
  in 
  recent 
  

   years, 
  as 
  he 
  had 
  beeu 
  stationed 
  upon 
  the 
  islands, 
  under 
  the 
  ausj)ices 
  

   of 
  the 
  Smithsonian 
  Institution, 
  during 
  eighteen 
  months 
  in 
  1882 
  and 
  

   1883, 
  at 
  which 
  time, 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  his 
  regular 
  natural-history 
  observa- 
  

   tions, 
  he 
  paid 
  considerable 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  tlie 
  fur-seals 
  and 
  

   the 
  conditions 
  of 
  the 
  rookeries. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Stejneger's 
  report, 
  already 
  cited, 
  is 
  in 
  reality 
  a 
  comjirehensive 
  

   monograi^h 
  on 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  his 
  study. 
  The 
  natural 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  

   Asiatic 
  seals 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  their 
  physical 
  surroundings, 
  both 
  on 
  the 
  land 
  

   and 
  in 
  the 
  sea, 
  is 
  described 
  at 
  some 
  length, 
  much 
  pains 
  having 
  been 
  

   taken 
  to 
  secure 
  the 
  data 
  for 
  this 
  purpose. 
  The 
  methods 
  of 
  driving 
  

   and 
  killing, 
  the 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  rookeries 
  and 
  their 
  

   causes, 
  the 
  mortality 
  among 
  the 
  pups, 
  pelagic 
  sealing, 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  

   the 
  sealing 
  industry, 
  ami 
  all 
  other 
  matters 
  which 
  were 
  pertinent 
  to 
  his 
  

   inquiry 
  are 
  discussed 
  in 
  detail. 
  The 
  illustrations 
  consist 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  

   elaborate 
  series 
  of 
  charts 
  and 
  photographic 
  reproductions 
  which 
  pic- 
  

   ture 
  the 
  principal 
  features 
  of 
  in'terest 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  subject, 
  the 
  

   more 
  important 
  and 
  significant 
  being 
  those 
  which 
  graphically 
  represent 
  

   the 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  population 
  of 
  the 
  rookeries 
  from 
  ISS.) 
  to 
  1895. 
  

  

  The 
  experiences 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Alexander 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  sealing 
  

   fleet 
  during 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  1895 
  Avere 
  of 
  special 
  interest. 
  He 
  was 
  given 
  

   accommodations 
  by 
  Capt. 
  H. 
  F. 
  Siewerd, 
  on 
  board 
  the 
  Dora 
  iSie/rerd, 
  

   a 
  schooner 
  of 
  100 
  tons 
  register, 
  belonging 
  at 
  Victoria, 
  British 
  Columbia, 
  

   and 
  every 
  facility 
  was 
  afforded 
  him 
  to 
  conduct 
  tlic 
  inquiries 
  for 
  which 
  

   he 
  had 
  been 
  detailed. 
  This 
  vessel 
  was 
  among 
  the 
  more 
  successful 
  ones, 
  

   securing 
  a 
  total 
  of 
  1,577 
  skins 
  between 
  August 
  1 
  and 
  September 
  20. 
  

   Mr. 
  Alexander's 
  observations 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  proportionate 
  number 
  of 
  

   each 
  sex 
  killed 
  at 
  sea, 
  the 
  food 
  of 
  the 
  seals, 
  their 
  condition 
  and 
  habits, 
  

   their 
  distribution, 
  the 
  temperature 
  and 
  other 
  conditions 
  of 
  tlie 
  sea 
  and 
  

   air, 
  the 
  methods 
  of 
  working, 
  and 
  all 
  incidents 
  of 
  the 
  voyage 
  which 
  might 
  

   be 
  instructive 
  in 
  respect 
  to 
  the 
  several 
  sealing 
  problems. 
  Detailed 
  

   notes 
  were 
  kept, 
  and 
  all 
  important 
  facts 
  obtained 
  have 
  been 
  embodied 
  

   in 
  his 
  report. 
  

  

  As 
  elsewhere 
  explained, 
  the 
  Albatross 
  was 
  again 
  detailed 
  to 
  take 
  

   part 
  in 
  the 
  fur 
  seal 
  in([uiries 
  of 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  1890, 
  which 
  were 
  planned 
  

   upon 
  a 
  much 
  more 
  comprehensive 
  basis 
  than 
  heretofore. 
  This 
  was 
  done 
  

   in 
  accordance 
  with 
  a 
  joint 
  resolution 
  of 
  Congress 
  authorizing 
  the 
  Presi- 
  

   dent 
  to 
  assign 
  a 
  Government 
  vessel 
  for 
  that 
  purpose, 
  and 
  i)lai;ing 
  the 
  

  

  