TAKEN IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. 375 



its sustenance. She can not afford to waste time on feeding grounds 



already occupied by younger and more active feeders; 



lience she makes the 'best' of lier way to richer fiehls, ^heTkiuV^''''^'"' 



farther away, gorges lierself with food, then seeks rest 



and a quiet nap on the surface. Under these conditions she sleeps 



soundly, and becomes an easy victim to the watchful hunter. 



Sixth. A double waste occurs when the mother seal is killed, as the 

 pup will surely starve to death. A mother seal will 

 give sustenance to no x>up but her own. I saw sad ow^pimToiiVy ° '^^''^''^ 

 evidences of this waste on St. Paul Island last season, 

 where large numbers of pujjs were lying about the 

 rookeries, where they had died of starvation. Dead pupa. 



Seventh. The number of seals on the Pribilof Islands 

 is decreasing. I saw positive iDroof of this on St. Paul ^^^crease. 

 Island last season. 



Eighth. Pups can not swim at birth, hence the female can not give 

 birth to her young in the water without sacrificing 

 its life. I have seen thousands of pups learning to ^^^l]!^ ^"'^ '''•™ '" 

 swim at the rookeries on St. Paul, and their early 

 eftbrts Avere quite as awkward as those of a boy when taking his first 

 dip. Their trouble seems to be to keep iheir heads above water. 



Ninth. The present practice in pelagic sealing is to shoot them from 

 a boat with a shotgun and secure them with a short- 

 handled gaff. If killed instantly, they are apt to sink, ^^""'"'^"^ '""''■ 

 unless picked up immediately. If wounded, they may Many sink. 

 be gaffed in their "flurry." 



Tenth. Pelagic scaling should be suppressed as far as practicable. 

 A protected zone around the islands, extending 100 

 miles from them would not be effective, even if the aafy!'*^"*'"" neees. 

 limits were respected. 



Eleventh. The preservation of the rookeries requires the suppression 

 of pelagic sealing, at least in Bering Sea, and in the 



^ tP , . . .v" ^ .^ » 7 Suppression ol pe- 



immediate vicinity of the passes. lagic sealing necen- 



Z. L. Tanner, «^^y- 



Lieutenant- Commander J U. S. Ifavy. 



Sworn and subscribed before me, James G. Swan, a notary public in 

 and ibr the State of Washington, residing at Port Townsend, this 9th 

 day of May, A. D. 1892. 



[SEAL.] James G-. Swan, 



Notary Fiiblic, 



