SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



63 



It has been amply demonstrated by different individuals, and in many 

 ways, that then- was not a shadow of truth in Mr. Elliott's theory, and 

 many of his own most intimate friends and fellow workers, who are well 

 qualified to speak as scientists on the seal question, are among the fore- 

 most of those who flatly contradict him on that point. 



Prof. B. W. Fvermann, of the United States Fish Commission, visited 

 St. Paul Island while I was there in 1892, and he very carefully inspected 

 the seals on many of the rookeries, beginning July IS and ending on 

 the .'list, and here is what he found: 



L i K A x x ON K oo K K u Y, Jul n 1ft, from 1.30 to 4 p. in . 



HiirtMiis. 



4. . 

 5.. 



KKKF ROOKKBY, July ZO, p. m. 



Many quite large bulls were seen among the bachelors, and there is no 

 doubt in my mind but that the number of available bulls is considerably iu excess of 

 the number necessary to serve the cows. 



NOUTHKAST POINT ROOKERY, July 22. 



Several hours in the middle of the day were spent in examining this rook- 

 ery. * * * 



.Just west of this is a bunch of about 10 good-sized bulls that had no cows about 

 them at all. These were not old, superannuated bulls, but young, vigorous ones, and 

 undoubtedly well able to maintain harems were there a greater number of cows. 

 This and numerous other similar sights convince me that there are even now a good 

 many more bulls than are necessary to serve the cows. (Notes on the tur seal, by 13. 

 W. Everrnaun, Counter Case, United States, p. 264.) 



And C. H. Townsend, of the United States Fish Commission, who 

 has had many years practical experience among fur seals, afloat and 

 ashore, and who was on duty in Bering Sea during the summer of 1892, 

 makes affidavit as follows: 



As already stated above, I was attached to the steamer Corw'm during the past 

 summer, and I made all the examinations of the stomachs of the seals referred to in 

 Captain Hooper's report, covering in all 33 seals. * 1 hese seals were taken on 



the 2d day of August, 18il2, at a distance of about 175 miles from the islands. * * * 



From the fact that among the females thus taken and examined there were found 

 mostly nursing cows, with a small number of virgin cows, it is reasonable to conclude 

 that there are practically no barren females swimming about in the sea unattached 

 to the islands, or that at any rate, if such seals exist, they are rarely, if ever, taken. 

 In all my experience I never saw anything to lead me to the conclusion that there is 

 such a tiling as a barren female. In the case of the virgin cows, a careful examina- 

 tion of the uterus proved them to be too immature for conception. (C. H. Town- 

 send; see affidavit in Appendix.) 



The testimony of Professor Evermann and Mr. Townsend is a fair 

 sample of that given by naturalists generally, and it is doubly valuable in 

 this instance, because it comes from personal friends of Mr. Elliott, and 

 from friends who rather inclined to his theory until they had opportunity 

 to investigate for themselves, and to demonstrate to their own and the 

 world's satisfaction that there never was an impotent bull or a barren 

 cow seen on the breeding grounds or rookeries of the Pribilof Islands 

 or in the waters adjacent thereto. 



Additional testimony of those who have had experience with the fur 

 seals, and whose practical knowledge of the whole subject of seal life, 

 its growth, expansion, and decay, and the causes thereof, entitles them 



