358 REPORTS OF BERING SEA. COMMISSION. 



Expimiation ofpreseiited is to determine how many aiid wliat 



diagriims. 



classes of seals may be taken annually without 

 diminishing- the number of births. As already 

 stated, the solution consists in taking- a limited 

 number of male seals between certain ag-es, leav- 

 ing a sufficient number of breeding males for the 

 rookeries and guarding the females in the most 

 careful manner. The investigation shows that in 

 this assumed herd of three million 80,000 males 

 may be taken annually between the ages of two 

 and five years, and that the total number of 

 males will be gradually reduced from 1,500,000 

 to about 880,000, thus diminishing the total of 

 the lierd from 3,000,000 to 2,380,000, after 

 which no further reduction will take place. 

 One reason When it is remembered that of the 880,000 



females are killed 



by pelagic sealers. j^g^;[Q ggj^lg Pejj^a^j^iug^ 375 000 are the recently 

 born young, and after making the same reduc- 

 tion of the total females (1,500,000) it Avill be 

 seen that under these conditions the number of 

 females is more than double the number of males 

 nnd this fixct alone would account for an exces- 

 sive number of females taken by pelagic sealers. 

 Conclusions An examination of the diagrams will show 



from diagrams. ^ 



that the number of seals incladed in the class 

 of breeding females is but little in excess of the 

 number actually necessary for the maintenance 

 of the birthrate, provided every seal is fruitful 



