1.— THE RUSSIAN FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 



By LEONHARD STEJNEGER, 

 Of the United States A^ational Museum, 



I— INTRODUCTION. 



The following treatise is based upon observations gathered during two different 

 visits to the Commander Islands, off the coast of Kamchatka, the first undertaken 

 in 1882-83, during the palmiest days of the fur-seal industry, the latter beiug last 

 year (1S!15), as a special attache of the United States Fish Commission, to study the 

 recent decline and to compare the conditions as I knew them thirteen years ago with 

 those of the present day. 



I undertook the trip with a full understanding of the ditticulties awaituig me, both 

 in the studies in the field and in the working up of the report. I was fully aware 

 that, alone in an almost untrodden field, my work would of necessity be fragmentary 

 and for that reason unsatisfoctory. Nevertheless, I felt that I ought to do it for 

 several reasons. In the first place I was in possession of a great amount of interesting 

 information about the Russian seal islands never published, or else very inaccessible 

 to those concerned iu the ftxte of the fnr-seal, which it might be useful to bring 

 together. In the second place, I felt convinced that but few men were in the same 

 fortunate position as myself of having had the opportunity to study the Russian fur- 

 seal industry at close quarters while it was still flourishing, and that, consetiuently, 

 I was in an exceptionally g(jod position for instituting the desired comparison. 



Finally. I reflected, having kept aloof from all the strife and controversy of recent 

 years concerning seal matters, because I had no pet theories of my own to ventilate 

 nor any personal interest of myself or friends to advance, I would be less liable to 

 suspicion of being prejudiced or biased by any outside motive. I have earnestly 

 endeavored to preserve this independence, personal and scientific, in the investiga- 

 tions which I have undertaken, and I claim that the conclusions I have readied are 

 based upon the facts as I have been able to discern them. It is my hope that the 

 logic of my deductions will not be found lacking, 



SCOPE OF THE WORK. 



At the suggestion of Mr. Richard Rathbiin, iu charge of the scientific inquiry of 

 the Fish Commission, and with the approval of the Acting Commissioner of Fisheries, 

 Mr. Herbert A. Gill, the scope of the i-eport was extended so as to include all other 

 obtainable information concerning the Russian seal islands, and it has thus assumed 

 somewhat the character of a monograph. But I wish it distinctly understood that it 

 does not pretend to exhaust the subject in any direction. Some of the chapters are 



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