SEAL LIFK ON TIIK PRII'.ILOF ISLANDS. 243 



There was hut one successful raid on the rookeries while I was upon 

 the island and hut ll'.") seals were killed. 1 do not consider that raids 

 on the rookeries have anything to do with the decrease of the number 

 of seals. (T. F. Ryan.) ' 



While 1 was on the islands there were no raids on the rookeries, and 

 seal life was neyer depleted at that time by such means. (B. F. Scrib- 

 ner.) 



There was hut one raid on the rookeries while I was there, and that 

 took place on Otter island, about <>() skins being taken. After that raid 

 the Government kept a man on Otter Island during the entire summer 

 to protect it from marauders. Raids on the islands never affected seal 

 life to any extent. (\V. P>. Taylor.) 



I do not remember the precise date of the tirst successful raid upon 

 the rookeries by sealing schooners, but I do know that for the past ten 

 years there have been many such raids attempted and a few of them 

 successfully carried out, and that as the number of schooners increased 

 around the islands, the attempted raids increased in proportion, and it 

 has been deemed necessary to keep armed guards near the rookeries to 

 repel such attacks. Although a few of the raids were successful and 

 a few hundred seals killed and carried off from time to time during the 

 past ten years, the aggregate of all the seals thus destroyed is too small 

 to be mentioned when considering the cause of the sudden decline of 

 seal life on the Pribilof Islands. (Daniel Webster.) 



DESTRUCTION OF FEMALE SEALS. 



Examination of pelagic catch of 1892. 



On May 7 of this year I examined 355 salted fur seal skins, ex steamer 

 Umatilla from Victoria, and found the same to be fresh skins taken oft' 

 the animal within three months. They were killed in the North Pacific. 

 On examination I found they were the skins known as the Northwest 

 Coast seals, and belong to the herd which have their rookery on the 

 Pribilof Islands. The lot contained 310 skins of the fur-seal cow 

 (matured). From the shape of the skins most all of these cows must 

 have been heavy with pup, and same cut out of them when captured. 

 Eighteen skins of the fur-seal male (matured). Twenty-seven skins of 

 the fur-seal gray pup, from (> to 9 months old; sex doubtful. 



On June 2 I examined 78 salted fur seal skins, ex steamer Walla 

 ^\'<llla from Victoria, and found the same to be fresh skins taken off 

 the animal within three months. They were killed in the North Pacific. 

 On examination I found they were the skins known as the Northwest 

 Coast seals, and belong to the herd which have their rookery on the 

 Pribilof Islands. The lot contained 66 skins of the fur-seal cow 

 (matured). From the shape of the skin most all of these cows must 

 have been heavy with pup, and the same cut out of them when cap- 

 tured. Five skins of the fur-seal male (matured). Seven skins of the 

 fur seal gray pup, from 6 to 9 months old; sex doubtful. 



On June 7 I examined 268 salted fur-seal skins, ex steamer Umatilla 

 from Victoria, and found the same to be fresh skins taken off the 

 animal within three months. They were killed in the North Pacific. 

 On examination I found they were skins known as the Northwest coast 

 seals and belong to the herd which have their rookery on the Pribilof 

 Islands. The lot contained LM2 skins of the fur-seal cow (matured). 

 From the shape of the skin most all of these cows must have been 



