WINTER HABITAT THEORY. 101 



This theoretical proposition of an animal pos- Object of pro- 



p o sing this 



sessing two homes is contrary to what has been theory, 

 observed in respect to the habits of animals in 

 general, and is advanced for the sole purpose of 

 establishing a property interest in the Alaskan 

 seal herd, resulting from the alleged presence 

 of seals for several months in the waters con- 

 tiguous to Vancouver Island. This object is 

 shown from the following statement in the Report: 

 "This independent native hunting [by the 

 Indians of British Columbia] is undoubtedly a 

 primitive vested interest of the coast tribes, 

 and its character in this respect is strengthened 

 by the fact, now made clear, that the winter home 

 of the fur-seal lies along, and is adjacent to, the 

 part of the coast which these seal-hunting tribes 

 inhabit" (Sec. 113). 



An examination of the evidence (if statements The trails do not 



resort to the "wiu- 



made by the Commissioners without giving the ^rhautat." 

 names of their informants can be so called) on 

 which this remarkable proposition is advanced 

 shows an important fact, which seems to have 

 been entirely overlooked by the Commissioners. 

 It is, that "the full-grown males, known as 

 'beachmasters ' or 'seacatchie/ have seldom or 

 never been reported to the south of the 50th 

 parallel" (Sec. 193). It is evident that the Com- 

 missioners never heard of a bull seal below that 



