18 HEl'OK'l' OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



those Avcrc doubtless, in the average of years, fully peopled 



with seals up to the limits imposed by natural conditions, 



()iiL;iniiiioiuu- such as food supply, areas aA-ailable for breeding grounds, 



isia'i'X''"'''"''^ ''^'*^ ^^'^ counteracting ellects of destructive agencies at 

 that time alfecting seal life. Among the latter, particular 

 mention may be made of i)rcdaceous marine animals such 

 as the killer whale aiul shark, and to hunting carried on in 

 the southern portion of the migration range of the seal by 

 various natiAC tribes. These agencies were ;dinost contin- 

 uous in tlieir operation, but, in addition, ceitain occasional 

 causes of destruction of seals must not be lost sight of. 

 Anu)ng these are, inclement seasons in Avhich tlie breeding 

 islandsjorsomeof them, remained so long ice-bound that the 

 females were unable to land in time to give birth to their 

 young; autumn storms, fatal to young seals, and also the 

 recurrent inroads of nuirrains or diseases of various kinds. 

 Of the two first of these last-mentioned causes, instances 

 whii'li have resulted in great danuige to seal life have been 

 recorded on the Tribyloff Islands. In regard to the third, 

 though else\vhere observed, there is a renuirkid)le absence of 

 notice in the records of these islaiuls. 



Natural thictun- 33_ '\'\^^. sciiaratc or concurrent efiects of such causes, 



tioiism numbers. i ,. i ,- ^^ i i ^ , i -i 



even before the eraot the seal hunter, must have produced 

 great tluctuatious in the total volume of seal life in certaia 

 years or terms of years. There are of course no data avail- 

 able in actual ])roof of this, but that such must have 

 occurred is sutficiently obvious from aiuilogy with the 

 known facts relating to other animals, and particularly 

 those of a similar gregarious habit. 

 iiiKrioioiH-e 34:. In all parts of the world the discovery of the breed- 

 ing islands of the fur-seal has usually been followed by 

 unrestricteds]aughteru])on these breeding places, and this 

 luis inv:>ri;ib]y resulted in general de]>letion, often ai)])roach- 

 ing exteijnination, but in no known case within historical 

 times, has it actually resulted in complete^ extirpation. 



(B.) — KUl'nuj on the Bn't'dhaj Ishotds. 



Eftects ..f kill- 35. The discovery of the breeding islands in the Korth 

 '"'^" Pacific, and the slaughter of seals upon them by man, 



introduced a more important f;ictor in regard to their seal 

 life, the general effect of which, under what regulations 

 soever, tended inevitably towards a reduction in the aggre- 

 gate number of seals frequenting the islands. In other 

 words, the initiation of commercial killing on the breeding 

 islands interfered with the previously established balance 

 of nature. It formed a heavy new draft upon seal life, 

 while no compensating relief was aftbrded against the 

 active depredations of other enemies or against other nat- 

 ural occurrences which had heretofiu-e set limits to the 

 increase of the seals. Their former i)laccs of secure retreat 

 were invaded by man. while, during the greater part of 

 each year, they remained exposed on the open ocean as 

 before to innumerable accidents, and entiiely beyond the 

 control or possible i)rotection of those in charge of the 

 breeding islands. The inroads of the seal killers on the 



with uatiirnlcoii 

 <litiou!< 



