106 HABITS OF THE FUR-SEALS. 



New migration States insist is more accurate and based on fuller 



chart presented 



with Counter data than the chart contained in the Report. 1 



Case. 



2. That the Alaskan seal herd has changed its habits 

 as a result of disturbance on the breeding islands 

 and of pelagic sealing. 



increased pe- (a) The first assertion advanced by the Report 

 leged. under this head is that the seals, for the reasons 



above stated, have become more pelagic in their 

 nature (Sees. 44, 85, 86). 



This assumption is resorted to, as it appears, 

 to show that land is not a necessity to the fur- 

 seal and in order to harmonize the sworn state- 

 ments of the pelagic sealers appended to the 

 Report, that at sea the seals have" not decreased, 

 with the acknowledged decrease on the Islands. 

 To support this proposition the evidence of these 

 interested sealers is advanced to show that there 

 has been no decrease at sea similar to the de- 

 crease on the Islands, but rather a possible 

 increase (Sees. 87, 89, 94, 402). At the same 

 time it is asserted (Sec. 281) that no " stagey" 

 "Stagey" seals seals are taken at sea, that the "stagey" period 



taken at sea. 



on the rookeries lasts about six weeks, and that 

 this period of hair shedding is caused by pro- 

 longed resort to land. All seals must at some 



o 



1 Chart of migration, Portfolio of maps and charts, appended 

 to the Counter Case of the United States. 



