136 SEALS AND SEA-LIONS 



to give the Fur-Seal herds a five-year close season, for rest 

 and recuperation, which was done. 



1913. — A committee of the House of Representatives sent 

 to the Pribilof Islands two agents, Henry W. Elliott and A. 

 F. Gallagher, to count the living Seals on the islands and re- 

 port upon the general condition of the herd. Their enumer- 

 ations, estimates, and calculations led them to submit the 

 following report: 



Census of Fur -Seals on the Pribilof Islands in 1913 



Old bulls, 8 to 15 years old (breeders) 1,400 



Young bulls, G to 7 years old (next breeders) 150 



Cows, 2 years of age, and above 80,000 



Pups, under 1 year 70,000 



Yearlings, sexes undeterminable ("a vague estimate ") 30,000 



Males, 2 years old " " " 6,000 



Males, 3 years old " " " 3,000 



Males, 4 years old " " " 400 



Total Fur-Seals of all ages, in 1913 190,950 



Conclusion. — At last the long-standing disgrace and irri- 

 tation of the Fur-Seal situation has been happily terminated. 

 Pelagic sealing has ceased, and the five-year close season now 

 in force may possibly rehabilitate the herds so effectually that 

 by the end of that period killing operations for commercial 

 fur can be resumed on a large scale, at satisfactory profits 

 to all the nations concerned. It is to be noted, however, that 

 there is an alarming scarcity of males between the ages of 

 three and six years, and that of the "next breeders" there 

 are only 150! 



