Smith. — The Alaska Fur Seal 89 



That oil can be sold at great profit for that particular purpose, and the 

 demand for it exceeds the supply. We ought to get two gallons of oil 

 from each seal carcass, so if we kill 30,000 animals in a year we will 

 get 60,000 gallons of oil ; that ought to be worth $75,000, anyway. 



Mr, S. p. Whiteway, St. John's, Newfoundland : When is your 

 killing season. Dr. Smith? 



Dr. Smith : The seals arrive on the islands in May and June. 

 The killing begins at that time and continues until the 10th of August, 

 when the skins begin to deteriorate. The fur is then not so valuable 

 as it is earlier in the year; accordingly, the killing is suspended about 

 that time. 



Mr. Whiteway: You speak of the seals gathering on the islands. 

 Does that mean on the ice or on the rocks? 



Dr. Smith : On the rocks. The shores are very rough and rocky, 

 consisting of boulders, for the most part. 



Mr. Whiteway : What is the thickness of the fat between the 

 carcass and the skin? 



Dr. Smith : It depends on the condition and size of the animal. 

 There is quite a thick layer of blubber fat which is very useful in the 

 subsequent dressing of the hide and is in demand at the factory in 

 St. Louis, where all these skins are now treated. 



Mr. Whiteway: The Canadian seal is similar to the seal of New- 

 foundland ? 



Dr. Smith : Yes. 



Mr. Whiteway : Of course, in the case of the Newfoundland seal, 

 the oil is the most valuable feature. 



Dr. Smith: The old males come to the islands in advance of the 

 other elements of the herd. They arrive in May and stay on land with- 

 out food or water for several months, usually until about the end of 

 July. During that time they live on their stored fat ; they have a vast 

 accumulation of fat under the skin and throughout their tissues. 



Dr. R. C. Osburn, Columbus, Ohio: Dr. Smith brought up a very 

 interesting point in connection with practical conservation and the effects 

 of study of biological conditions. Canada, since the beginning of the 

 killing afiter the close season, has, I believe, received perhaps twice as 

 much as the whole seal herd would have been worth at the beginning 

 of the time when steps were taken to have the herd properly cared for. 

 Dr. Smith has spoken of the much greater value of these larger skins 

 taken from the six and seven year old males. I assume that it will be 

 the policy to continue taking the three year skins, as formerly — ^that 

 no change will be made in the filling age. 



Dr Smith: The three, four and five year skins are those that will 

 make up the bulk of the killing. There is a natural mortality which 

 increases with the age of the seal. Although the value of the skin is 

 greater with increased size, the mortality is also greater ; so we are 

 trying to arrive at the happy medium, — to take the skins when it will 



