344 REPORTS OF BERING SEA COMMISSION. 



Why decrease of A considerable decrease in tlie number of 



females was not 



noticed. female seals upon tlie breeding rookeries might 



not be noticed at first where the total number is so 

 large, but in tAvo or three years the effect of this 

 loss would be felt in the class of killable seals, 

 and might there be quite evident. The loss in 

 one class would thus follow surely but some- 

 what behind the other in time. When the dimi- 

 nution in the num1ier of killable seals became 

 notable, attention was at once drawn to the 

 breeding rookeries, and it was found that they 

 were being depleted. Thus Captain Webster de- 



ofSems!'''^ ''''clared: ''The great destruction has been among 

 females. Formerly there would be, on an aver- 

 age, thirty cows to one bull; now they will not 

 average fifteen." 



And Mr. Redpath (already quoted) stated: 



*'Not more than one-half as many females are 



on tlie rookeries this year as were found there 



ten years ago." 



Effect of de- The rcactiou of a considerable reduction in the 



crease of females 



on male life. number of females upoii the number of young 

 male seals Avould be immediate and certain, while 

 a reduction in males must reach such a point as 

 to lessen the supply of bulls for the breeding 

 rookeries liefore the birth-rate can be affected. 

 There is no evidence to show that this limit has 

 been reached in recent years, and it seems clear, 



