20 REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



tinoatenert*'"iu '^^^' ^^^^ exccssive killing of seals in certain years of the 



Kussian times. Russian periocl of control, together with the nearly pro- 

 miscuons slaughter (for the first part of this period) of seals 

 of both sexes and all ages, doubtless had much to do with 

 the alarming decrease in seal life Avhich occurred more than 

 once during this period. It is to be noted, however, in this 

 connection, that as both males and females continue to be 

 l^roductive as breeders for a number of years, the effect of 

 excessive killing of any particular class of seals, such as 

 young males or young females, for two or three consecutive 

 years, could only produce its full eft'ect on the breeding 

 " rookeries " after the lapse of four or five years. 



It is thus instructive to observe that even to maintain 

 the comparatively low average number killed during the 

 Russian period, it was found absolutely necessary on sev- 

 eral occasions to institute periods of rest or " zapooska," 

 in which all killing of seals was prohibited for some years. 

 incrense in lat- 41. It Is also uotcworthy, tluit for many ycars prcvious 



sianrtgime. '"*' to the closc of the Russsiau control (probably from about 

 1842) under a more enlightened system of management 

 than that of the earlier years, the number of seals resorting 

 to the islands was slowly increasing, and that the average 

 number taken annually was gradually raised during these 

 years from a very low figure to about 30,000, without 

 apparently reversing this steady improvement in the num- 

 bers resorting to the islands. 



42. In 1867, the last year of the Russian tenure, a sudden 

 and great increase in the take of seal-skins was allowed to 

 occur, and the number arose abruptly in this year to about 

 75,000. 

 United States 43. Jn the uext year, being the first in which the Priby- 

 loff Islands i)assed into the control of the United States, 

 an almost promiscuous slaughter occurred, in which it is 

 estimated that over 242,000 seals were killed. In 1869 

 about 87,000 seals in all were killed, making an average 

 number for each of the three years, 1867 to 1869, of over 

 130,000, and including large numbers of females. 



44. The effect of the irregular and excessive killing on 

 the breeding islands in these three years (long before pe- 

 lagic sealing had grown to be of any importance) became 

 Effects of ex- apparent in two principal ways: (1) the number of seals 



cesane ® *"§ '" ^jjjjjjjjjgjjg^^ qq ^\^Q breeding islands to an extent much 

 greater than could be accounted for by the actual number 

 slaughtered, and at about the same date the seals were seen 

 in uni)recedented abundance off the British Columbian 

 coast to the southward (facts clearly shown in the diagrams 

 and by figures elsewhere given for the catch) ; (2) the num- 

 ber of young produced in the three following years was 

 much less than before, and this, in conjunction with the 

 extraordinarily high limit of 100,000 allowed by law to be 

 taken each year, commencing in 1871, speedily brought 

 about a very marked decrease in males of killable age. 

 Thus, in 1875, notwithstanding the generally optimistic 

 tone maintained in official reports, we find a first significant 

 note of warning, and economy of seal life is inculcated. In 

 the same year the number of skins obtained was consider- 



