b TESTIMONY 



wliicli, at this season of tlieyenr, are to be foniid in the North Pacific, 

 tlien folloAving these fishes as they migrate towards the 

 Migration, course of. ^j^^^j.^can coast for tlic pnrposc of spawning, they ap- 

 pear ofi' the Cahforniau coast dnriiig the early part of the year. The 

 seals then go northward, still following these schools of fish, the males 

 arriving again at Bering Sea in the early part of May and the females 

 in Jnne and July and proceeding at once to their island home. 



The young seals are now a year old, and I am of the opinion the sexes 

 herd together. This year they leave the islands a little earlier than 

 the previous season and make the same migration in search of food. 

 Keturniug again, this time as " two-year olds," the males go upon the 

 hauling grounds with the baclielor seals and the females land on the 

 breeding rookeries. It is probable that the iemales of this age are fertil- 

 ized by the bulls and leave the islands in the fall pregnant. 



In watching the seals while swimming about the islands I have seen 

 cases where they appeared to be copulating in the water, but I am cer- 



Pro aaationeflected ^^^^^' ^^^^^ ^^ ^^"'^ ^^'^ ^^^ casc, that the propagation of 

 ouiy'on^faud!"^ *'^ *^* the specics is not as a rule effected in this way, the 

 natural and usual manner of coition being upon land. 

 On returning the third year the young male goes again upon the haul- 

 ing grounds and the female to the rookeries where she brings forth one 

 pup. From this time until she is between 12 and 16 years of age she 

 continues to bear one pup annually. Under my direction microscopic 

 examinations were made of the female reproductive organs, which 

 showed that some of the older females had borne at least eleven to thir- 

 teen pups. 



When the male seal returns after his sixth or seventh migration he 

 goes to the breeding rookeries, and, if he is able, be- 

 *'■ comes master of a harem with the title of " seecatch." 



He arrives now at the islands during the month of May and after re- 

 peated battles obtains a place upon the breeding grounds. He remains 

 there about three months, that is, during the rutting season, without 

 eating or drinking, never leaving his position. Here he gathers about 

 him as many cows as he is able to place within the radius of the area 

 controlled by him; the average seen at one time while I was on the 

 islands was from fifteen to twenty to a bull; but as the cows were con- 

 stantly going to and coming from the water it is impossible to calculate 

 accurately the number to a harem. Probably not all the cows belong- 

 ing to a bull were on shore at any one time; and I am of the opinion 

 that a ball could if necessary serve seventy-five to a hundred cows 

 during a season. 



I am satisfied the principal food of the fur seal is fish. During the 

 summer fish are practically unknown about the is- 

 ^"'"^' lands, but they abound in great quantities in all parts 



of Bering Sea, 30 to 40 miles from the islands. This fact came to my 

 knowledge during my eighteen years' whaling experience in that local- 

 ity. I do not think the male seals of any class feed to any extent while 

 located at the islands, but the females are absent more or less of the 

 time in search of food. 



By my observation I am convinced that a seal can swim more rapidly 



than any species of fish, and I believe that a female 



Speed m swimming. ^^^^^^^^ j^^^^ ^^^ islauds, go to a fishiug grouud 100 



miles distant and easily return the same day. I think seals can with- 

 out difficulty swim 10, 15, or even 20 miles an hour for several hours 

 at a time. 



