66 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



dearth of bulls, but such is not the case at all, for the only cows on the breeding 

 rookeries in July or August without pups are the 2-year-olds (virgins), which have 

 come on the rookeries for the first time. 



T. F. Morgan, foreman on Pribilof Islands for Alaska Commercial 

 Company : 



Despite the lowering on the standard weight of skins, care was taken annually on 

 St. George that the residue of available male breeders was sufficient for the needs 

 of the rookeries, and instructions to that effect were given to the assistants by the 

 superintendent of the Alaska Commercial Company. In this we were aided by the 

 inaccessible character of some of the hauling grounds. 



I. H. Moultou, Treasury agent: 



During these years there were always a sufficiency of male seals for breeding pur- 

 poses, and in every year I saw great numbers of idle, vigorous bulls about and back 

 of the breeding grounds which were unable to obtain females. 



S. E. ^ettleton, Treasury agent: 



During my stay on the islands I have never seen a time during the breeding season 

 when there has not been a number of large, vigorous young bulls hanging about the 

 borders of the rookeries watching for an opportunity to get a position of their own. 



L. A. Noyes, M. D. (see affidavit in Appendix) : 



The ''dearth of bulls theory" has been thoroughly and impartially investigated 

 without discovering a cow of 3 years old or over on the rookeries without a pup by 

 her side at the proper time, and I am convinced that the virgin females coming onto 

 the rookeries for the first time are the only ones to be found there without pups. 



The investigation established the additional fact that hundreds of vigorous bulls 

 were lying idle on the rookeries without cows, and many others had to content them- 

 selves with only one or two. 



The theory of " iinpotency of the bull through overdriving" while young was also 

 found to be untrue, and it was shown that after 1878 all long drives on both islands 

 had been abolished, and instead of driving seals from 6 to 12 miles, as was done in 

 Russian times, none were driven to exceed 2 miles. 



It is also a well-known fact that none but the physically strong and aggressive 

 bulls can hold a position on the rookeries, and that a weak or an impotent animal 

 has no desire to go there. 



J. C. Redpath, lessee's agent at the seal islands (see affidavit in Ap- 

 pendix) : 



A dearth of bulls on the breeding rookeries was a pet theory of one or two tran- 

 sient visitors, but it only needed a thorough investigation of the condition of the 

 rookeries to convince the most skeptical that there were plenty of bulls, and to spare, 

 and that hardly a cow could be found on the rookeries without a pup at her side. 



For five years I have given this particular subject my most earnest attention, and 

 every succeeding year's experience has convinced me that there is not and never was 

 a dearth of bulls. The theory of impotency of the y oungbulls because of overdriving 

 when young is not worthy of consideration by any sane or honest m an who has ever seen 

 a bull seal on a breeding rookery; and as I have already answered the question of 

 overdriving, I will only add here that no young bull ever goes upon the breeding 

 rookery until he is able to fight his way in, and an impotent bull has no desire to 

 fight, nor could he win a position on the rookery were he to attempt it. The man 

 is not alive who over saw a 6 or 7 year old seal impotent. 



B. F. Scribner, Treasury agent: 



There was always in both seasons a great sufficiency of adult males to serve all the 

 females coming to the island, and I noticed each year a great number of idle, vigorous 

 bulls behind the breeding grounds who could not obtain consorts, and one of these 

 extra bulls always took the place of an old male unable longer to be of use for 

 breeding purposes. 



Daniel Webster, lessees' agent at the seal islands (see affidavit in 

 Appendix) : 



There was never while I have been on the islands any scarcity of vigorous bulls, 

 there always being a sufficient number to fertilize all the cows coming to the islands. 

 It was always borne in mind by those on the islands that a sufficient number of males 

 must be preserved for breeding purposes, and this accounts partly for the lowering 

 of the standard weight of skins in 1888. The season of 1891 showed that male seals 

 had certainly been in sufficient number the year before, because the pups on the 

 rookeries were as many as should be for the number of cows landing, the ratio 

 being the same as in former years. Then, too, there was a surplus of vigorous bulls 

 in 1891 who could obtain no cows. 



