128 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



Deposition of C. L. Hooper, captain, United States Revenue Marine. 



DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 



City of Washington, ss : 

 Personally appeared before me, C. L. Hooper, who deposes and says: 



T7t ^.T- _ * A*--. j_* - - i -i / i-w 



ducted 



May, 



September; in the vicinity of the Aleutian chain during the month of 



October and part of November, as well as from the experience obtained 



in six other cruises in Alaskan waters and in Bering Sea, I draw the 



following conclusions : 



There were fewer seals to be seen in the water in the vicinity of the 

 Pribilof Islands during the summer of 1892 than in 1891. 



At least 75 per cent, and probably 80 or 90 per cent, of the seals in 

 Bering Sea, outside of a narrow zone around the seal islands, are females, 

 75 per cent of which are nursing mothers and the remaining 25 per 

 cent virgin cows too immature for bearing. 



If barren cows exist at all they are rare. 1 have never known or 

 heard of but one instance. 



In Bering Sea mothers go long distances as far as 200 miles from the 

 islands to feed, codfish furnishing the bulk of their food. 



They sleep much in the water, are not timid, and are readily taken; 

 and their death means the destruction of three lives the mother, the 

 fetus, and the pup on the breeding grounds. The past season is the 

 first in several years that such deaths among the pups have not occurred 

 from this source. 



At least 70 per cent, and probably 80 or 90 per cent, of any catch in 

 Bering Sea will be females, either actually bearing or capable of bear- 

 ing at no distant day. This is borne out by the character of the skins 

 of the Henrietta, seized last summer for the violation of the modus 

 vivendi. The captain informed me that nearly all the skins taken were 

 those of male seals. Under my direction an examination was made of 

 these skins by N. Hodgson, a man of experience, in whom I have entire 

 confidence. The catch, as shown by the log and sealing book of this 

 vessel, was made in Bering Sea and consists of 420 skins, 361 of which 

 were found to be females, 33 males, and 26 those of seals too young to 

 determine the sex. 



For every 100 seals, the death of which results from pelagic hunting, 

 not more than 05 or 75 skins are secured. 



The female seals are widely distributed over the sea, and hence the 

 establishment of zonal areas would be rendered impossible by climatic 

 conditions. 



There is a wide belt of 200 or 300 miles between the Commander and 

 Pribilof groups of islands which are devoid of seals, and hence no com- 

 mingling of the herds occur. 



There is no foundation for the statement that during the summer 

 months there are found in Bering Sea bodies of seals which are inde- 

 pendent of, unattached to, or do not visit the Pribilof Islands. 



The annual migration is caused by climatic conditions and feed 

 supply. 



The old bulls are the first to leave the islands, and most of them, 

 together with many half bulls and large bachelors, remain in the waters 

 of Bering Sea and off the coast of Alaska during the entire winter, 

 individuals rarely being found south of the fifty-fifth parallel. 



The major part of the herd, consisting of females and their pups and 



