122 



THE FUR SEAL!> OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



S'lATISTICS OF THE yX'OTA. 



The animal killing of male life on the fnr-seal islands dnring the period of the 

 first lease we find has averaged abont 10.">,000 per year. The following table gives 

 the total killings of males for all pnrposes whatsoever for the period in (jnestiou : 



Land l-Uling, 1S70-1S89. 



VOLITXTAKY REDFCTION OF QUOTA IX lf<7l)-77. 



From an examination of this table we find that between the years 1871 and 1875, 

 inclnsive, an average of 107, ■">(»(» male seals were annnally killed on the islands. In 

 1870-77 this average was reduced to 88,500. Some question liad been raised by Cap- 

 tain Bryant,' then agent in charge of the islands, as to the effect of the killing of this 

 full quota. He had even recommended that it be rednced. This may have influenced 

 the contraction in the quota, but it was not insisted upon by the Government and was 

 voluntary on the part of the lessees. The fact that in 1878 killing was resumed and 

 continued at an average of l()."i,000 for four years shows clearly enough that the alarm 

 about the ([uota felt l)y (Japtaiii Bryant was without foundation. The temporary 

 reduction for the two years could not have influenced the herd. But in these two 

 years we have a right to assume that at least 38,000 young males of the age of 3 

 years were allowed to escape and grow up as an addition to the reserve of bulls, 



VOU'NTARY REDrCTION IN 1882-83. 



In 1882 and 188;> we find a similar reduction to 88,700 of the quota of male life 

 from the preceding average of 10."),000. This contraction was, as we know, purely vol- 

 untary on the part of the lessees and due to the overstocked condition of the seal-skin 

 market. That it was not due to any scarcity of seals is clearly enough shown by the 

 fact that the killing was in 1884 resumed and continued at an average of 10'4,400 until 

 the year 1S89. 



The point we wish to make clear is that the 38,000 males in this first extraordinary 

 reservation made in 1870-77, .> years old at the time, were 7 years old, or ready for 

 harem duty in 1880-81, and 10 years of age, or in their breeding prime in 1885-80, 

 when the decline in the herd was well begun. Likewise, the second reservation of 

 32,800 young bulls was ready to replenish the rookeries in 1880-87, and they were 

 still in their prime in 1S8!) and subsequent years when the decline was in the height. 



NO DEARTH OF MALE LIFE. 



That the young male life represented by these annual killings from 1871 to 1880 

 should have been produced upon these rookeries is in itself abundant i)roof that 

 there was no dearth of breeding males. In its prime 25,000 bulls were ample for the 



' See extracts t'nim the loj;' of St. Paul, Pt. II, luiilcr date of .lime 10, .Inly 2.5, August 4, etc., 187:' 



