166 REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



ing young — not quite 2^ per cent. " About 10 per cent, every season 

 are barren cows, and 12^ per cent, grey pups (always males). My 

 catcli was more than 75 per cent, males; more males were taken in 

 Behritg Sea than in any former year." He fuitber states that in 1886 

 he took off Barclay Sound, in one day, 104 seals, of which 3 only were 

 females. In 1887, on Portlock Bank, 29 seals were taken in one day; 

 of these 2 were females. "More barren cows are killed than those 

 bearing young." 



Captain W. E. Baker's proportion last year was 3 males to 1 female. 

 The percentage of barren females was considerable. 



Captain C. IST. Cox states that females are more abundant in Feb- 

 ruary, March, and April than at any other time. Very few females with 

 l^up are taken in May. Bearing cows are not got in Behring Sea after 

 their young have been born. Of 848 seals taken along the coast by 

 him in 1891, 75 per cent, were males, 15 per cent, were breeding females, 

 and 10 per cent, barren females. In 1889, 90 per cent, of his catch con- 

 sisted of males. 



Captain A. Bissit believes that more males than females are killed, 

 and that more females in proportion are taken in March and April than 

 in other months. His catch in 1891 showed 75 to 80 per cent, of males. 



Captain T. M. Magnesen states that i\^males are most plentiful in 

 February, March, and April; they about equal the males then. Near 

 Behring Sea the proportion is about 80 males to 1 female. About half 

 his catch last year was females, 12 or 14 per cent, bearing females, the 

 others barren. 



H. Crocker, four years' experience, thinks females are most plentiful 

 from February to May; 80 per cent, of the seals killed are males. 



E. Thompson, two years' experience, says that 70 to 80 per cent, of 

 the seals taken are males. 



Andrew Laing, ten years' experience, found in his coast catch that 3 

 in every 5 seals w^ere males; in Behring Sea 4 in every 5 were males. 

 The females include barren cows. 



Captain W. Cox, four years' experience, states that females are most 

 abundant in February, March, and April; in February and March 

 there are as many females w^ith young as males. About 65 or 70 per 

 cent, of the seals. taken are males, 15 per cent, are barren females, and 

 about 15 per cent, bearing females. Of 2,434 seals taken by him in 

 Behring Sea, about 5 per cent, were females in milk. 



Captain Charles Hackett, five years' experience, has observed no dif- 

 ference in the proportion of females in different months. In 1890 about 

 one-quarter of his catch consisted of females; in 1891, about one-half. 

 In a catch of 1,555 seals in Behring Sea, he took only ten females with 

 pup between the 15th July and the last of that month. Got quite a 

 number of barren cows. 



Captain C. McDougall, three years' experience, took 1,100 seals in 

 Behring Sea, of which 800 were males. The proportion of barren cows 

 is about one to ten bearing cows in Behring Sea. 



Captain A. Douglas, seven years' experience, has not obtained more 

 seals in one month than in another. One or two females in pup are 

 taken during the season in Behring Sea. 



Captain S. S. McLean, seven years' experience, got more males than 

 females along the coa?it; about half and half in Behring Sea. About 

 5 per cent, of the females taken in Behring Sea are barren. My catch 

 last year (1891) was made up of two parts males and one females. 



647. In conferences held with sealers, some additional particulars as 

 to the proxjortion of females taken were obtained, as follows; 



