TABLE OF CONTENTS. V 



First, New Propositions Alleged on Matters Already Considered: 

 Habits of the fur-seals. 



1. Distribution of seals in Bering Sea and intermingling of herd : 



Intermingling of the Alaskan and Russian herds 48 



Charts Nos. Ill and IV of the Report 49 



Chart No. II of the Report 49 



Data from which the charts were compiled 49 



Insufficiency of data 50 



Principal data relied upon in Report 50 



Chart of cruises in Bering Sea in 1892 51 



Sealing chart of 1892 51 



2. Alleged promiscuous nursing of pups by female seals : 



Promiscuous nursing denied 53 



Elliott and Bryant as authorities in the Report 53 



Cow's affection for her young 53 



Analogy with other animals 54 



Authorities relied upon in the Report 54 



Mr. C. H. Jackson a questionable authority 55 



Sir F. McCoy as an authority 55 



3. Period at which the female seals go into the water 57 



Position taken by the Report and the authorities 57 



Capt. Byant's statements 58 



The one authority for the Report's position 59 



Testimony of C. H. Townsend 59 



Testimony of J. Stanley-Brown 60 



4 Aquatic coition: 



Affirmation of its possibility by the Report 60 



The evidence in favor of aquatic coition 61 



Capt. Bryant as an authority 62 



W H. Dall as an authority 62 



Insufficiency of the evidence advanced by the Report 63 



Inconsistencies of the Report 63 



Late arrival of the cows at the islands 64 



Management as an alleged cause of decrease. ! 



The methods admitted to be almost perfect 65 



Excessive killing alleged 65 



Proof must be limited to period, 1870-1880 65 



Admission as to period after decided decrease 66 



Irrelevancy of snch admission 67 



Failure of the Report to show change of management after 1880 68 



Reservation as to charges of fraud 68 



Foundation of charge of excessive killing ■ 69 



Capt. Bryant as a witness for the Commissioners 69 



Reasons for his report 69 



Divisions of evidence in the Report 71 



