236 OFFICIAL REPORTS. 



seen. The exception to this rule was in one or two of the Northern 

 and North Eastern lines, where seals were met in small numbers, one 

 hundred miles away from St. Paul Island; these were apparently 

 feeding on some surface food, as large flocks of whale birds, and in 

 one instance a whale, were in the vicinity. Night coming on pre- 

 vented close observation or investigation. 



Lieutenant Newcomb and a party were landed on Amak Island, but 

 the closest inspection failed to see or find any seals or 



Amak island not s jg n f seal life there, and I have my doubts whether 



breeding ground. » . ' . Q «». .. 



there is any place in Bering Sea, excepting the L'ribilot 



Islands, where seals in any numbers haul out. 



I am not prepared to express any decided opinion regarding the rapid 



decrease of the seals in the Bering Sea and on the 



seaiTn^ ° f pelagl ° Seal Islands, but there is no doubt that unless pelagic 



sealing outside of Bering Sea can be either limited or 



stopped, it means the extermination of the seals at an early day. 



The skins and specimens collected by this vessel have been turned 

 over to Captain G. L. Hooper, of the Gorwin, for transportation and to 

 be forwarded with the catch of that vessel to Dr. C. Hart Merriam, 

 Agricultural Department, Washington, D. C. 

 Very respectfully, 



Wash C. Coulson, 



Captain. 



