296 REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



we had a number of barren cows — about the usual run, 10 per cent., and 12| per 

 cent, of grey pujjs. These grey pups are always bulls, and one year old. 



24. Q. Your catch, then, would be about 75 per cent, of males last season? — A. Yes, 

 Sir; including the yearlings it was more than 75 per cent. 



25. Q. You say grey ptips are always males; will you explain this? — A. The Indians 

 called my attention to this fact years ago, but the reason is not quite known, still it 

 is a fact. I have observed very closely, and have never yet seen a female grey pup 

 one year old. I try to account for this by the supposition that the yearling grey 

 male pups are driven early out of Behring Sea by the old bulls. 



26. Q. Last year, did you hear any remarks about the number or proportion of the 

 males to females caught from any one or any source? — A. Yes, Sir; I heard that a 

 much larger percentage of males were caught last year than in any former year. 



27. Q. I would ask you. Captain Petit, if in any former years tliere was a similar 

 preponderance of males— do you remember of any such fact? — A. Yes, I do. In 1886, 

 when oif Barclay Sound, in one day we had taken 104 seals, of wliich 3 only were 

 females. In the following year, 1887, when off Portlock Bank, we took 79 in one day, 

 and only 2 females were found in that number. 



28. Q. How do seal cows travel? Singly or in pairs? — A. They travel singly or in 

 pairs. 



29. Q. How do bulls travel? — A. They travel in bands, as do also the bull pups. 

 They travel singly too. 



30. Q. Are female seals carrying young very timid? — A. Yes, Sir; they are. They 

 sink their bodies so that nothing but their noses and eyes are out of water, and are 

 therefore smaller marks for the hunters. 



31. Q. Barren cows travel with bulls, do they? — A. Yes, Sir; barren cows usually 

 travel with the bulls. 



32. Q. Are there any months in the year during which there are more females than 

 males killed? Any particular time that you have observed? — A. No, Sir. 



33. Q. Is it your candid opinion that there are more barren cows killed than seal- 

 bearing cows? — A. Yes, Sir; I think tliere are more. 



34. Q. Do these barren cows, from the knowledge you have of seals — do you think 

 that they ever become bearing? — A. I think they do. 



35. Q. That they will have periods of bearing? — A. I don't think that a seal will 

 bear before she is 4 years old. 



36. Q. How long does a seal carry her young? — A. It is understood to be eleven 

 months. 



37. Q. Were there any circumstances occurred to you upon your last voyage which 

 would indicate a marked decrease in the number of seals? — A. None whatever. Sir. 

 On the contrary, I should say there were more. There seemed to be more last year, 

 at least we saw more that year than for several years previously. 



38. Q. In your observation as to the habits of the seals, they appear to be like the 

 salmon — that they return from no known cause in larger numbers? — A. Well, I don't 

 know. Sir; I think that they have their annual migrations; but there is question 

 whether they follow the same track every year. You will find them on some grounds 

 one year, and in other years on other grounds. 



39. Q. Do you think that the number of female seals killed in the hunt is mate- 

 rially injuring the reproduction of seals? — A. No, Sir. 



40. Q. Can you give a reason for that? — A. From the small percentage of females 

 killed, I don't think it would injure reproduction in any way. 



41. Q. Were you in Behring Sea last year, and were you ordered out ? — A. And was 

 ordered out by the United States ship "Corwin." 



222 42, Q. Before being ordered out, what was your usual fishing distance from 



land?— A. 60 to 100 miles. 



43. Q. You found seals all along that distance from land? — A. Yes, in large 

 numbers. 



44. Q. You had the prospect of a fair catch? — A. Yes, Sir; I had the prospects of 

 a very fair catch up to the time I was Avarned. 



45. Q. Youcousider it a very material loss, being warned at the timeout of Behring 

 Sea? — A. I do, Sir; I consider it a very heavy loss. 



46. Q. You still adhere to the statement that the seals between 60 and 100 miles 

 from land were as plentiful as in any previous years in your experience ? — A. As plen- 

 tiful as they were in any year since 1886. 



47. Q. Did you observe in your catch in Behring Sea any preponderance of females 

 over males, or vice versa? — A. Yes, Sir; the males were in excess. 



48. Q. Can you state from recollection an average day's hunt in Behring Sea? — A. 

 Forty-eight was about the largest I made while in Behring Sea. 



49. Q. Do you remember hearing any of the hunters speak of losing any seals by 

 sinking? — A. No, Sir; 1 don't remember any instances of such loss. 



50. Q. Did you cross from the American side of the Behring Sea into the Russian 

 gide? — A. No, I didn't; I came straight home to Victoria through Ounimak Pass. 



