182 REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



siinimarizos liis idoas as to tlie caiisos of the present reduced condition 

 of Pribyloff Jshuid lookeries in the two following paragraphs: 



1. From over-driving witiiout heedins^ its warniusj first begun in 1879, dropped 

 tlien until 1.S82, then suddenly renewed again with increased energy from year to 



year, until the end is abruptly reached this season of 1890. 

 123 ' 2. From the sliooting of fur-seals (chiefly females) in the open waters of the 



North Pacific Ocean and Behring Sea begun as a business in 1886, and con- 

 tinued to date.* 



715. It will be observed, however, that, even according to this state- 

 ment, the overdriving began, in consequence of marked diminution, 

 some seven years before it is alleged that jjelagic sealing "began as a 

 business." 



716. As already indicated, all the evils incident to 'driving' in any 

 form beciime greatly intensified when, with a diminished number of kill- 

 able seals, the attempt is still continued to obtain a large yearly num- 

 ber of skins. This occurs not only because of the driving and redriving 

 above referred to, but also in consequence of the fact, that under such 

 circumstances the remaining killables lie very close to the breeding 

 rookeries, so that it is no longer possible to make drives without dis- 

 turbing the rookeries themselves. Thus, it has occurred that, in late 

 years, considerable and increasing numbers of breeding females have 

 been driven to the kiUing grounds with the killables, though when 

 recognized there in the process of selecting for killing, they have been 

 released. The probable special effect of such treatment of females, as 

 well as the fact that in the di.sturbances caused upon the breeding rook- 

 eries, a certain number of the young are almost certain to be killed, 

 have been already noted. 



717. Si)eaking of the years 1872-74, and in connection with the driv- 

 ing of seals, even at that time, Elliott makes the following remarks: 

 "It is quite impossible, however, to get them all of one age without an 

 extraordinary amount of stir and bustle, which the Aleuts do not like 

 to precipitate; hence the drive will be found to consist usually of a bare 

 majority of three- and four-year-olds, the rest being two-year-olds prin- 

 cipally, and a very few, at wide intervals, five-year-olds, the yearling 

 seldom ever getting mixed up."t 



718. Referring particularly to his experience in 1869, Captain Bryant 

 writes: "At the close of this period the great body of yearling seals 

 arrive. These, mixing with the younger class of males, spread over 

 the ujdands and greatly increase the proportion of prime skins, but 

 also gieatly increase the difficulty of killing properly. Up to this time, 

 there having been no females with the seals driven up for killing, it was 

 only necessary to distinguish ages; this the difference in size enables 

 them to do very easily. Now, however, nearly one-half are females, and 

 the slight difference between these and the yonngcr nuiles renders it 

 necessary for the head man to see every seal killed, and only a strong 

 interest in the preservation of the stock can insure the proper care."| 



719. The meaning of these remarks and their bearing on the possi- 

 bility of restricting the killing on the islands to males, becomes clear 

 when it is remembeied that the external genital organs of the male do 

 not become distinctly obvious till about the third year of its age,§ and 

 particnlarly so when it is remembered that even as long'ago as 1872-74 



* Parliamentary Paper [C— 6368], June 1891, p. 56. 



t United States Census Report, p. 72. 



i '•Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool.," vol. ii, Part I, p. 105. 



$ "Fishery Industries of the United States," vol. i, p. 108. 



