SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 177 



large proportion of said skins, amounting to at least JM) per cent, were 

 iii his, the said superintendent's, judgment obviously the skins of female 

 seals. 



Fourth. That deponent has frequently requested the captains of the 

 poaching vessels sailing from Victoria and other ports to obtain the 

 skins of male seals, and stated that he would give twice as much 

 money, or even more, for such skins than he would pay for the skins 

 of females. Kaeh and all of the captains so approached laughed at 

 the idea of catching male seals in the open sea, and said that it was 

 impossible lor them to do it. and that they could not catch male seals 

 unless they could get upon the islands, which, except once in a long- 

 while, they were unable to do, in consequence of the restrictions imposed 

 by the United States Government; because, they said, the males were 

 more active, and could outswim any boat which their several vessels had, 

 and that it was only the female seals who were heavy with young which 

 could be caught. Among the captains of vessels with whom deponent 

 has talked, and who have stated to him that they were unable to catch 

 anything but females, are the following: Captain Cathcart, an Ameri- 

 can, now about 75 years of age, who commanded the schooner San 

 Dieyo, and who subsequently commanded other vessels; Capt. Harry 

 Harmson, Capt. George W. Littlejohn, Capt. A. Carlson, Gustav Sund- 

 vall, and others, whose names he does not now remember. (Herman 

 Liebes.) 



I find in handling the skins taken in Bering Sea that the teats of 

 those from the cow seals are much larger and much more developed 

 than from the ones taken in the North Pacific before they have given 

 birth to their young; and the fur on the belly of the former is thinner 

 and poorer than on the latter, as a result, I suppose, of the heat and 

 distentioii of the udder consequent upon giving milk. (Isaac Liebes.) 



In my examination of skins offered for sale by sealing schooners I 

 found that over 90 per cent were skins taken from females. The sides 

 of the female skins are swollen, and are wider on the belly than those 

 of the males. The teats are very discernible on the females, and it 

 can be plainly seen where the young have been suckling. The head of 

 the females is also much narrower. (Sidney Liebes.) 



I have read the affidavit of John J. Fhelan, verified the 18th day of 

 June, 18i)2. I was present at the examination of seal skins therein 

 referred to. While Phelan inspected all of these seal skins, I assisted 

 him in the inspection of about three-fourths of them. I know that of 

 those inspected jointly none were improperly classed as the skins of 

 female animals. (Chas. E. McClennen.) 



I was visiting in San Francisco in the winter of 1890-91, and I worked 

 in a fur store during several months of my stay there, and I was called 

 on to handle and inspect thousands of the skins taken by schooners in 

 Bering Sea, and they were nearly all cow seal skins. (Anton Melovedoff.) 



In buying the catch of schooners engaged in the sealing business I 

 have observed that fully 50 per cent of them were females, and had 

 either given birth to their young or were heavy in pup when killed, 

 which \\as easily observed by the width of the skin of the belly and the 

 small head and development of the teat. (E. H. Sterufels.) 



The first consignment was placed in cold storage at the Central Stores 

 in New York City. A short time since I consented, at the request of 

 the United States Government, that this consignment be examined, in 

 S. Doc. 137, pt. 1 12 



