Fur-bearing Animals of the Pacific Slope. 195 



die a lingering death and sink out of sight. There is no more 

 reason for depriving a steer of a " fair sporting chance for its 

 life " than a bachelor seal when its skin is at its best 



If Victoria newspapers write such rubbish as: "The method of 

 land killing on the rookeries is cruel and unsportsmanlike. The 

 animals have no chance for their lives, but are slaughtered like 

 sheep in the shambles," one can, by stretching leniency to near 

 breaking point, make excuses, for they are writing for a circle of 

 readers pecuniarily interested in the continuation of pelagic 

 sealing. But to find that persons outside that circle, and occupying 

 positions of responsibility at home, can advocate such inhumane 

 proceedings, passes one's understanding. To bring into such a 

 discussion any question of " sport " is, indeed, adding injury to 

 insult, and can certainly not tend to uphold Britain's reputation for 

 fair play. The preservation of the fur seal is, it is almost needless 

 to observe, more feasible than that of any other wild animal. So 

 long as the proper restrictions respecting number, sex, and age of 

 the animals annually killed are rigorously enforced by a strong 

 hand, Nature has provided in a truly marvellous manner for the 

 perpetuation of this interesting and valuable pinniped. It is to be 

 sincerely hoped that a saving hand will stay the hammer of the 

 London and Leipzig auctioneer from tolling the fur seal's death 

 knell. 



With a birth rate of about 143,000, as estimated by the most 

 recent and entirely trustworthy examination by Professors D'Arcy 

 Thompson, for the British, and Starr Jordan, for the United States 

 Government, it is surely possible to insure the perpetuation of the 

 face ; while 100,000 would, it is said, amply indemnify the 

 Canadians for completely ceasing pelagic sealing. 



THE SEA OTTER. 



This sketch of the North Pacific peltry would be incomplete 

 without a few words regarding the animal that provides, of all furs 

 known to the fancier, the most valuable, i.e., the sea otter. If the 

 fur seal is often mistaken for the hair seal, something similar 



O 2 



