174 DECREASE OF THE ALASKAN SEAL HERD. 



Lack of male but more particularly so in 1888, 1889, 1890, and 



life not the cause. "^ 



1891."^ And the fact that the conflicts took 

 place between the bulls on the rookeries in 1890 

 and 1891 is sufficient to show that virile males 

 were not lacking.^ It has also been shown that 

 the decrease in the seals took place primarily 

 among the female portion of the herd. 

 Rnids on rook- Raids upoii the rookcrics, or the unlawful 



ei'ics nut the cause. 



killing of seals on the islands by unauthorized 

 persons, though injurious to seal life,^ have 

 played no important part in the history of the 

 rookeries, and the few thousand skins thus 

 secured never affected the number of the seal 

 herd to any extent.* The American Commis- 

 sioners, after asserting that the number of 

 seals killed by raiders is very inconsiderable, 

 continue: ''It is also difficult for one familiar 

 wdth the rookeries and the habits of the seal to 

 conceive of a raid being made without its 

 becoming known to the officers in charge of the 

 operations upon the islands. The 'raid theory,' 

 therefore, may be dismissed as unworthy, in our 

 judgment, of serious consideration."^ Mr. Stanley 



I Vol. II, p. 128. See also John Fratis, Vol. II, p. 109; H. N. 

 Clark, Vol. II, p. 159; Daniel Webster, Vol. II, p. 181. 



-Report of American Bering Sea Commissioners, ^os<, p. 349. 



3H. H. Mclntyre, Vol. II, p. 46; T. F. Morgan, Vol. II, p. 65. 



■»W. B. Taylor, Vol. II, p. 177; J. II. Moulton, Vol. II, p. 72; H. 

 H. Mclntyre, Vol. II, p. 46; Aggie Knshiu, Vol. II, p. 128; John 

 Fratis, Vol. II, p. 108. 



•^Report of American Bering Sea Coimnissionors, j)os/, p. 378. 



