364 TESTIMONY 



Copulation in the water I believe to be impossible, for the act is vio- 

 rdfloic copulation lent, of long duration, and in general character similar 

 impossible. to that performed by land animals. 



I believe that the seals leave the vicinity of the islands mainly on 

 account of the severity of the winter. Of course I do 

 ca?sethSo? Beal8_ not mean to say that they would remain on shore all 

 the year round, as many of them do throughout the 

 whole of the summer, for they would be obliged to take to the water to 

 obtain food. What I mean is that they would not go so far away as they 

 now do, but would remain around the islands and thus give additional 

 proof of the unquestionable fact that they regard them as their home. 

 I base this statement upon the fact that during mild winters I have 

 myself seen them in large numbers off the Commander Islands. They 

 are often reported about 50 miles south of the westernmost of the Aleu- 

 tian Islands and the Kamchatka coast. This would be in accord with 

 the habits of the seals of the southern hemisphere, which, I am informed, 

 are found in the same locality more or less at all seasons. The seals 

 generally leave the Commander Islands by the middle of November, by 

 which time it has become cold and stormy; but in mild winters they 

 have been on the islands as late as December. 

 I do not think that fur-seals should be classed with wild animals any 

 more than sheep or cattle when out on large pastur- 

 ^seais and wild ani- [ n g grounds. Seals, unless needlessly frightened, be- 

 come more or less accustomed to the sight of man 

 amongst them on the rookeries, and while on land are at all times un- 

 der his complete control. A few men can drive a large number of them 

 without difficulty. They are intelligent to a very high degree, and can 

 be made to become in a short time pets. The breeding males, or bulls, 

 are alone aggressive. 

 Seals are polygamous, and the powers of fertilization of the male are 

 very great. Since the births are about equally dis- 

 tance IxceUof males! tributed between males and females it follows that 

 under natural conditions there would be a great excess 

 of male life over that actually needed for the propagation of the spe- 

 cies; and it is, as in the case of so many other animals, for the positive 

 benefit of the herd as a whole that a portion of this ex- 

 mates hl alvantaolous f cess °f ma l e life be killed off before it is of sufficient 

 age to go on the rookeries. If not killed off the com- 

 petition by the bulls upon the rookeries for females would be destruct- 

 ive of much life. This competition is already fierce enough. 



During some of the years prior to the time of my arrival on the islands 

 there had been considerable indiscriminate killing of 

 increase followed seals without regard to age or sex. But during the fif- 

 p n ro™ed 1 iSod°s f . mx ' teen years of my management of the Commander Is- 

 lands rookeries all seals which have been killed consti- 

 tuted a portion of the excess of males above referred to and known as 

 " bachelors" or " holluschickie." This is why the rookeries are to-day 

 in a much better condition than when I first went to the Commander 

 Islands, notwithstanding that until the year 1891 a gradually increas- 

 ing number of large skins has been taken. From 1886 to 1890 the aver- 

 age annual catch was about 50,000, the skins all being large. The last 

 two years I have reduced the catches, because I now 

 Pelagic sealing com- think 50,000 skins somewhat in excess of what the rook- 

 catch i0D in lMul eries can yield and for other causes which I will men- 

 tion later. I feel very sure that the great cause of this 

 diminutiou is pelagic sealing. 



