FUR SEALS AND OTHER LIFE, PRIBILOF ISLANDS, 1914. 25 



Revemie from fur seals. — During the three j-ears of Government management the 

 net revenue from the sale of sealskins has amounted to a total of approximately 

 $970,468. As elsewhere stated, $6,020,152 was derived during the period of the first 

 lease of the sealing privilege and $3,453,844 during the second lease. Since the acqui- 

 sition of Alaska by the United States in 1867, therefore, the direct revenue to the Gov- 

 ernment from the fur seal has amounted to approximately $10,444,464. Considerable 

 additional revenue has accrued to the Government from the importation of dressed 

 skins from foreign countries. 



Fox skins taken since the leasing system was discontinued have yielded net reve- 

 nues as follows: In 191 1, $15,096.58; in 1912, $20,505.17; and in 1913, about $17,000. 

 The fox skins taken in the winter of 1913-14, and numbering 280, are still on hand. 



THE CENSUS OF THE HERD IN 1914. 



THE NATURE OF THE CENSUS. 



The natural desire for complete figures has led most investigators in the past to 

 attempt a full census of all classes of seals, although it has never been possible to make 

 such a census absolutely accurate. The total number of seals living is, of course, a 

 general measure of the state of the herd, but certain classes are more important than 

 others. It is still impossible to make a full census without some proportion of estimate, 

 but the cessation of pelagic seaUng has pro\dded opportunity for actual counts of the 

 breeding elements of the herd, the old males and females and the young of the year. 

 With these elements positively known and killing records complete for several years, 

 the nonbreeding seals can be estimated by making use of the number supposed to die 

 from natural causes. At present the rate of mortality must be inferred, and herein 

 lies the only element of uncertainty in the census. The census of 1914 has the advantage 

 of known birth rates for the two preceding years in addition to the absence of killing 

 at sea, and to this extent it is open to less objection than the figures obtained for previous 

 years. 



The classes of seals actually counted for the census are the breeding or harem bulls 

 in active service, the idle bulls found on the breeding ground, and the young pups of the 

 season. Actual counts were made also of half bulls and bachelors, but gave only partial 

 results of value chiefly as a check upon the estimates. 



The classes estimated are the yearlings and 2-year-olds of both sexes, and the 

 bachelors from 3 to 5 years of age. The number of breeding cows was directly inferred 

 from the number of pups. 



THE COUNT OF HAREMS. 



Since 1896 counts have been made annually of the actual number of harems or 

 breeding families in the herd. The number of bulls having harems gradually increases 

 from the time the cows begin to arrive in June until the middle of July, when, at the 

 so-called "height of the season," the number reaches a maximum and thereafter rapidly 

 declines. The harem count, therefore, is always made at the height of the season, from 

 July 10 to July 20, and the results obtained from year to year are thus fairly comparable. 

 Bulls having but one cow at the time the count is made are, of course, included as harem 

 bulls, and since the number of such bulls must vary even from hour to hour, this con- 



