82 PELAGIC SEALING. 



statements in- pleted condition of the male life of the Pribilof seal 



consistent with 



the Report. herd, so often alleged in the Report, and with the 

 statement that "the persistent killing of young 

 males has led of late years to the existence of a 

 very large surplus of females, and that, there- 

 fore, the proportion of females to the whole num- 

 bers of seals, whether at sea or ashore, is, at the 

 present time, according to the information ob- 

 tained by us, quite abnormal" (Sec. 635). As 

 this information last referred to has evidently not 

 been published by the Commissioners in connec- 

 tion with their discussion of pelagic sealing, un- 

 less it is embodied in the statements obtained at 

 "a conference held with a number of representa- 

 tive pelagic sealers" (Sec. 648), at which con- 

 ference "no degree of reticence was shown in 

 answering direct questions on all points involved" 

 (Sec. 648), it is impossible to draw any conclu- 

 sions therefrom, except that this information is in 

 direct contradiction to the testimony of the wit- 

 nesses named in the Report. 



• ^ s tatements In view of the admitted untrustworthiness of 



in the Report de- 



uied - the evidence advanced, and in view of the con- 



clusive proof presented in the Case of the United 

 States on this question, the United States deny 

 that the percentage of females in the pelagic 

 catch has been exaggerated in their Case, and 

 present herewith as corroborative evidence on 



