428 TESTIMONY 



Q. Are yon a citizen of the United States'? — A. No, I am not. 

 Q. What State are you a resident of? — A. California. 



Q. Have you been engaged in catcliing seals in tlie 

 xpenence. Paciflc and Bering Sea, and for bow long? — A. For 



tlie last five years ; yes. 



Q. Do you know of wliat sex the seals were that you 

 taken a^efemaie^''* ^'^^e taken in the Pacific and Bering Sea?— A. About 

 90 per cent of them were females. 

 Q. What i:)ercentage of the skins you have taken were cows? — A. 

 About 90 -pev cent. 



Q. What percentage of the cows you have taken 

 prtmTut.^" ^''' ''^"^ were with pup ?— A. About 60 per cent were with 

 pup. 



Q. When does sealing commence in the Pacific, and 

 of'^efihTg^fason/"'^ wlicu docs it cud? — A. Sealing commences about the 

 1st of January and ends about the middle of July in 

 the Paciflc. 



Q. Wha-t percentage of seals are taken compared to 

 Waste of life. thosc you dcstroy iu doiug SO? In other words, how 



many do you actually get of those you shoot? — A. About 30 per cent. 

 Q. Is it not a fact that when you first started in the business and 

 was inexperienced in hunting that you, like all other beginners, de- 

 stroyed a much larger proportion than you now do? — A. Yes, a little 

 more in proportion. 



Q. Are the seals you shoot at mostly asleep on the water or awake, 

 and if awake, do you shoot at them while breeching? — A. Yes; we 

 shoot at them while they are breeching, but if we get a shot while they 

 are asleep M^e shoot then. 



Q. Have you ever seen any seals born in the water, and is it your 

 Not born in water opiuiou that it is possiblc for tlicm to be born in the 

 orn m wa er. ^.^^^j,.^ — j^ j ^^^ ^^^ think it is possiblc for them to be 

 born in water; no, sir. 



Q. Do you know of any place where seals land out- 

 auds. ''"*'''^'' "^ ''^' sicle of the seal islands?— A. No, sir; I do not. 



Q. Has there been any decrease in the quantity of 

 Decrease scals as comijarcdto previous years? — A, There is a 



decrease of about 20 to 30 i^er cent less. 

 Q. To what do yon attribute that decrease? — A. I attribute it to 

 them being overhunted. 



Q. Do the imps perish with the cows that you kill? — A. Invariably 

 they do ; yes, sir. 



Q. Is it your opinion, if sealing continues unrestricted, that they 



will soon be exterminated? — A. Yes; I think they will. 



Q. In your opinion is it absolutely necessary to protect the cows in 



Protection neces- the Bering Sea to prevent the herd fiom being exter- 



sary. miuatcd ? If so, for what mouths in the year? — A. Yes, 



Close season. sir; I think it necessary from the 1st of July until the 



midclle of September. 



Q. Do you generally shoot seals with a rifle or a shotgun ; and if the 



latter, with buckshot or flue shot? — A. We shoot nearly 



capons use . ^^^ of tlicm witli a sliotguii, using buckshot. 



Q. Judging by the direction that seals were traveling during your 



Minration experience, where do you suppose was their destina- 



igra ion. ^^^^ ^ — j^ WcU, they were bound toward the Bering 



Sea, I should judge. 



Q. Do you think of anything else that is of value in regard to this 



