SECTION IV. 



THE SELECTION OF FUR-SEAL SKINS ON THE PRIBILOV ISLANDS, GRADE 

 AND SUPPLY, SEASONS OF 1872-1874 AND 1890. 



As the law of 1870 permits the lessees of tlie seal islands to kill male 

 seals of any a.^e that they may select from the herds of holluschickie 

 there assembled, above 1 year old, this selection has been very rigor- 

 ously made from the beginning of the leasing in 1870. It is entirely 

 natural, and m accord with business sense that the aim should have 

 been, every year, to get only that single grade of skins which will bring 

 the most money in the best market, at London, England. 



In that regular effort made since 1870, to get annually 100,000 seal 

 skins, all to be of the best possible grade, it has been customaiy during 

 each season to drive u}) to the killing grounds every herd as it was 

 found hauled out. Then, when ready to kill, pods of from 50 to 100 ani- 

 mals at a time would be taken from this herd, as driven, and then only 

 those of the best grade in that pod were clubbed: the rest being ])er- 

 mitted to shamble off and back to the sea. The grade for each summers 

 work was proclaimed by the general superintendent of the lessees on the 

 islands, before the worl^of the killing- season opened; and the clubbing 

 of the pods was then executed in accordance with this order. There- 

 fore, no seals were killed above that standard set, or below it: no mat- 

 ter how many or how few were driven up. 



This growth and grading of the far seal on the Pribilov Islands I 

 found last summer to be the same as it was in 1872-1874. The follow- 

 ing table exx)resses it: 



Table showing the weight, size, and growth of the fur seal {Callorhinus ursinus), from the 

 pup to the adult, male and female. 



One week 



Six months 



One year 



Two years 



Three years 



Four years 



Five years 



Six years 



Eight to twenty years 



Inches. 

 12-14 



24 



38 



45 



52 



58 



65 



72 



75-80 



Girth. 



Inches. 

 10-10* 



25 



25 



30 



36 



42 



52 



64 



70-75 



Gross 

 weiglit 

 of body. 



Pounds. 

 6-7i 



39 



39 



58 



87 



135 



200 



280 



400-500 



Weight 

 of skin. 



Pounds. 



Eemarks. 



A male and female, being the only ones of 



the class handled, June 20, 1873. 

 A mean of 10 examples, males and female.-?, 



alike in size, November 28, 1873. 

 A mean of 6 examples, males and females, 



alike in size, July 14, 1873. 

 A mean of 30 examples, all males, July 



24, 1873. 

 A mean of 32 examples, all males, July 



24, 1873. 

 A mean of 10 examples, all males, July 



24, 1873. 

 A mean of 5 examples, all males, Julv 24, 



1873. 

 A mean of 3 examples, all males, Julv 24, 



1873. 

 An estimate only, calculating on their 



weight when fat, and early in the sea- 

 son. 



I did not permit myself to fall into error by esfrmafinf/ tlm matter of 

 weight, because I early found that the apparent huge bulk of a sealion 

 bull, or fur-seal male, when placed upon the scales, shrank far below my 

 notions. I took a great deal of pains on several occasions, during the 

 killing season of 1872-73, to have a platform scale carted out into the 

 field : then, as the seals were knocked down, and before they were bled, 

 I had them carefully weighed, constructing the above table from the 

 H. Doc. 175 7 97 



