134 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES I'ISH COMMISSION. 



V.-CONCLUSIONS. 



SUMMARY. 



To gain a clear understanding of tlie fur-seal question, in so far as it relates to 

 the Eussian Seal Islands, it may be well to sum ui) the essential points as follows: 



The topographical character of the rookeries on Bering Island and on Copper Island 

 are essentially different. On the former the grounds are low and accessible, and the 

 drives are unusually easy, involving but little hardship on the seals, even compared 

 with the rookeries on St. Paul Island, Pribylof group. On Copper Island, however, 

 the rookeries are situated at the base of high i>recipices, very difiticnlt of access, and 

 the drives, from the mountainous nature of the island, are as har.sh and trying as it is 

 possible to imagine. 



Notwithstanding this difference in the topography, the conditions of seal life on 

 the rookeries were practically alike on both islands previous to, during, and some time 

 after my first visit to the islands in 1883-83. It is an indisputable fact that the seals 

 were increasing markedly in number during that period on both islands. 



Of late years the seals have been rapidly decreasing on both islands, the decrease 

 corresponding to the same phenomenon on the Pribylof Islands, but taking place 

 proportionately about five years later on an average. 



When I again visited the islands, in 1895, 1 found the conditions of seal life on the 

 rookeries had so changed as to radically differ on the two islands. On Bering Island, 

 in addition to a marked decrease in killables, there was a notable scarcity of old bulls, 

 while the decrease in breeding females was less apparent. On Copper Island, while 

 the number of killables was small, sexually mature male seals were, on the contrary, 

 plentiful, and at the same time the number of females had decreased enormously. 



Prior to 1893 the Commander Islands seals had suffered but little from jjelagic 

 sealing in general and practically nothing from preying upon the feeding-grounds of 

 the female seals, at the very time when the Pribylof Island sealing-grounds were 

 being rapidly exhausted. 



Since 1892 the whole body of the pelagic sealing fleet has preyed, during the most 

 precarious season of seal life, largely upon the female seals visiting the feeding-grounds 

 off Copper Island. 



An unusual mortality of starving seal pups has not been observed until last year 

 on Bering Island, but the natural conditions of the Copper Island rookeries are such 

 as to make it easy to overlook such a fact. 



The 30-mile zone stipulated in the Russian-British arrangement of 1893 has only 

 put a stop to the raiding of the rookeries, but has been found utterly valueless as a 

 protective measure against pelagic sealing. 



The rookeries of the Commander Islands will become exhausted within a few years 

 if the present conditions are allowed to continue much longer. 



CAUSES OF THE DECREASE. 



Three different causes, either of them alone, or in combination with the others, 

 have been generally regarded as responsible for the undeniable decline of seal life on 

 the seal islands of the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean, viz, excessive driving of 

 the male seals, raids on the rookeries, and pelagic sealing. It may be well to inquire 



