ANTICIPATION OF THE QUOTA. 



123 



needs of the beard. By the extraordinary reservations of male life which we have 

 just noted more than sufficient bulls were supplied to the rookeries from and after 

 1880 to meet their needs. This was in addition to the regular reservations which 

 were made from year to year and, further, in addition to those which escaped naturally 

 on hauling grounds not driven. 



In the history of this period, as recorded in the log of St. Paul Island, there is 

 nothing to show that the breeding grounds were not amply stocked with bulls, and 

 on the killing grounds systematic provision was made for the necessary reserve of 

 male life. 



KILLING OF MALES NOT A FACTOR IN DECLINE. 



When we consider all these things in connection with the difficulties which we 

 have shown to stand in the way even of a deliberate attempt to kill too closely, we 

 believe ourselves fully justified in asserting that land killing has not, through too 

 close killing of the males, been a factor in the decline of the herd. 



PREMATURE KILLING. 



It remains to be noted that there is another class of close killing which, while it 

 does not injuriously affect the herd as a whole, produces effects which are unfortunate 

 and which may appear to be harmful although they are not so. 



We have said that from 1884 to 1889 an average of 104,400 male seals were killed 

 on the islands each year. This would seem to indicate a normal condition of the 

 herd, while as a matter of fact we know that during this period the herd was rapidly 

 declining, and the immediate drop from 100,000 skins in 1889 to 21,000 in 1890 

 proves it. 



ANTICIPATION OF QUOTA. 



To understand how this killing could be thus maintained it is only necessary to 

 remember that the quota of killable, or nominally 3-year-old seals, is culled from a herd 

 of bachelors which contains also the quota of two subsequent years as 2-year-olds 

 and yearlings. When in 1885 the killable seals began to gradually become scarce 

 upon the hauling grounds, it at first became necessary to drive ofteuer, to include 

 more hauling grounds, and finally to increase the period of driving. This matter can 

 be made clear by the following table: 



Table showing date of filling quota, number of hauling grounds and drives, St. Paul Island. 



1 Date at which last regular drive for the quota was made. 



''Several hauling grounds are included in a single drive; as, for example, Tolstoi, Middle Hill, and English Bay are 

 regularly included in one drive. 



