380 REPOETS OF BERING SEA COMMISSION. 



Proofs. — The seal is polygamous ; many males 

 may be killed without injury to the reproductive 

 forces, but no females, except the barren. Kill- 

 ing on land may be and is selective; no females 

 are killed. Pelagic sealing is not and can not be 

 selective; a majority of seals killed are females. 

 The presence of dead pups in great immbers on 

 the rookeries last year proves that their mothers 

 had been killed at sea while in search of food. 

 Thus, for nearly every skin taken two seals were 

 killed, to sa}^ nothing of wastefulness through 

 failure to recover seals shot at sea. 



There is no evidence of a lack of virile males 

 on the rookeries. 

 Suppress pelagic Beinedy.— The suppression of pelagic sealing. 



sc'xliiiii'i 



When this is secured, the Government, iiisist- 

 inof on a strict enforcement of its regulations 

 through the agency of responsible and compe- 

 tent officers, can render this industry, so impor- 

 tant and valuable to all the civilized world, as 

 nearly perpetual as it is possible for man to 

 determine. 



Thomas C. Mendenhall. 



C. Hart Merriam. 

 Washington, A2)yil 15, 1892. 



