142 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIIULOF ISLANDS. 



896 seals ou the same coast, fully two- thirds of which were also females, 

 according to the statement of one of her hunters. In nearly every 

 instance where the writer has spoken with hunters on this subject they 

 Lave admitted that in all waters where the northern seal herd is found, 

 with one exception, females largely j)redominate. This exception is the 

 Fairweather ground, where, a few years previous to the beginning of 

 the close season now in force, most of the pelagic sealing was carried 

 on during the month of May. On this ground, as recorded by the 

 writer in a previous report, is found a great number of large nniles, 

 and according to the statement of all sealers and of others it is now 

 .quite well established that large breeding males frequent this ground 

 in greater numbers than any other known region. 



It may be well to illustrate briefly a few of the conditions under which 

 the rei'ord of seals is kept. When seals are brought on board in small 

 numbers it is very easy to identify the sex, but when they arrive in 

 large (juantities, a hundred or more, it requires considerable time to 

 examine each one, and sealers have, to them, more important duties to 

 attend to. It often happens that the hunters are forced to return ou 

 .account of bad weather or an approaching storm, at which times the 

 safety of the canoes and vessel is of more consecjuence than the deter- 

 ■iiiination of the character of the catch. When the boats and canoes 

 ^re being hoisted in, the officers and men are stationed at either side of 

 the vessel to do this work, as well as to keep the records, and, as is to 

 be exi)ected, in the bustle and excitement a very correct account of the 

 sexes is not given. In many cases the- seals are not examined at all. 

 J5y the time the last canoe is lashed on board the weather is rough and 

 stormy and the hunters are anxious to go below; an<l if it be dark the 

 seals will be left until morning for skinning. Ko further examination 

 is made, and, right or wrong, the first account rendered is accepted. 

 The fact of the matter is, that in only a few cases is the sex correctly 

 recorded. 



Inaccuracies in tliis respect also result when the seals are skinned in 

 the boats. Upon arrival at the vessel the skins are at once thrown into 

 the hold without examination, and nobody knows or cares whether they 

 are male or female. 



Although United States revenue cutters have the privilege of board- 

 ing vessels and overhauling the catch made in Bering Sea, the condi- 

 tions under which this work is carried on, however zealous the oflicers 

 may be, render it difficult for the sexes to be separated, and they return 

 to their ship little wiser than when they came. 



CONDITIONS OF THE FEMALE SEALS TAKEN BY THE DORA 



SIEWERD. 



Of the 982 female seals secured by this vessel, 882 were opened and 

 examined by the writer. Of this number 83!) were found to be adults, 

 and 668 were clearly in milk. Many of tiie remaining 171 may also 

 have been nursing females, which at the time of their capture had not 

 obtained sutlicient nourishment to cause their milk glands to fill. 



SEALS MADE SHY BY HUNTING. 



Inquiry was made of several captains and hunters as to whether 

 seals were as easy to capture this year as last in IJering Sea. They all 

 give it as their judgment that seals were more difficult to ap])roa<'hth is 

 vSeason than in 1894. Captain Cox, t>f the sciiooner Sapphire, said he 



