COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 201 



tlioiigh in a minor degree, contributed to produce the gen- 

 eral decrease in numbers which is i)oiuted out as having 

 occurred, in the Joint lieport of the British and United 

 States Commissioners. 



INJURY TO SEAL LIFE ON THE ISLANDS SOON BECAME 

 APPARENT, BUT THE " QUOTA" REMAINED FIXED. 



It is, however, maintained that the available evidence is 



amply sufficient to show that this decrease began, and had 



already attained a cumulative character, long before the 



development of pelagic sealing had reached such proixn-- 



tions as to render it of im})ortance in this connection. 



231 It is further maintained that, even after the general 

 decrease had gone so far that it could no longer be 



ignored upon the l*ribylolf Islands, the number of seals 

 permitted to be killed there by the United States Govern- 

 ment had practically become a fixed number^ which was not 

 reduced even to correspond with the evident requirements 

 of the case. The imperfect and wasteful methods employed 

 were not amended, and even the (now admittedly) useless 

 slaughter of unweaned young seals was allowed to continue 

 unchecked till the year 1891. 



NOTES INDICATING THE DECADENCE OF THE SEAL 

 ROOKERIES UNDER UNITED STATES MANAGEMENT. 



Referring particularly to the historical aspects of this 

 question of the management on the Pribyloff Islands by 

 the United States, and without repeating the details or 

 citations of authorities to be found in the Eeport of the 

 British Commissioners, the following chronological notes 

 on this subject may be given, in evidence of the continued 

 decadence of seal life under the management of the United 

 States: 



1869. — Inmiodiately aftorthe excessive and irre,£;nlar slaughter of 1868, British Com- 

 seals are reported to have disap]ieared rapidlv from the Prihxioff '"''^■'''""*''-^ l^''- 

 Islands (Bancroft, vol. xxxiii, p. 638), and coiAcidently seals were ^g*"'*'^'*'^'*-^'"*^' 

 observed in nunsn:!l numbers on the coasts of Oregon, Wasliing- 

 ton Territory, and ]5ritish Colnmbia. — (Bryant.) 



1872. — The number of virile males not actually upon the breedino'- 

 grounds, was observed to be decreasing, while that of females was 

 increasing. — (Bryant.) 



1873.— The number of virile males was reduced to half what it had 

 been before, wliile the females were still increasing, and the size 

 of the "harems" was likewise increasing, with other grave 

 changes in habits.— (Bryant.) 



1874. — Lieutenant Maynard speaks doubtfully of the effect of killing 

 the large legal quota of seals, which ho says is " entirely experi- 

 mental." lie notes the small number of ijulls in proportion to 

 cows. 



1875. — It was in this year first officially reported that the killing of 

 100,000 young males annually did not leave a sullicicut number to 

 mature in proportion to the fenniles. The useless killing of pujis 

 was also protested against. — (Bryant.) 



1876. — The decrease in fully matured males resulting from the slaugh- 

 ter of young males in 1808 and 1869 was in this year greatest. It 

 was again reported that the number fixed for killing was too 

 high. — (Bryant.) 



232 1879. — In this year it became necessary to extend the area of 

 "driving" to include rookeries which had not before been 



drawn upon, in order to obtain tlie quota of skins. 



