COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 203 



STANDARD SIZE OF SKINS LOWERED TO ENABLE QUOTA 



TO BE FILLED. 



It will further be observed tbat, when the dimiinitioTi in 

 the number of seals on or about the Pribylotf Islands could 

 no longer be denied, the complaints made by the' agents 

 and lessees were of lack of killable male seals; that the 

 lowering of the standard weight of skins was permitted 

 from year to year in order to allow younger and yet younger 

 classes of males to be killed; and thus, that instead of 

 adopting measures to check the decrease, the Govern- 

 ment through its agents actually facilitated the perpetua- 

 tion and annual growth of the evil comi)lained of. 



The Tables given in the Ai)pendix to this Counter Case, .. Appendix, vol. 

 including, as they do, practically the entire number of ' ^' 

 skins obtained from the Pribylotf Islands since 1873, con- 

 clusively substantiate the remarks above made, and prove 

 the gradual decadence in the condition of the rookeries 

 from that date, by showing that the average size of the 

 skins obtained has been in the main steadily diminishing. 



In order to fully explain tXie natnre and effects of the 

 maDagement of the Pribylotf Islands under the United 

 States regime, some of the points above alluded to must, 

 however, be considered in greater detail. 



THE EXCESSIVE KILLING CHANGED THE NATURAL CON- 

 DITION OF THE ROOKERIES. 



It is, in the first place, quite apparent, that the natural 

 conditions of seal life were, from the very beginning of 

 commercial killing by man, interfered with, and that 

 234 the balance established by nature being thus dis- 

 turbed, various concurrent changes affecting seal 

 life necessarily followed. It is further seen, from the his- 

 torical notes which are available, that such disturbance 

 becomes more and more serious and far-reaching iu its 

 effects, in correspondence with the yearly increasing extent 

 of interference vrith the natural conditions. If the killing British Com- 

 of the fur-seals while on land had been so regulated that iipjj't'par" sf^' 

 proportionate number of males and females were taken, 

 leaving unaffected the natural ratio between the sexes, the changesaggra- 

 whole number would doubtless have been reduced, but the-rauii gy t^'e^ye- 

 favourable conditions of nature would not have been other- Lg to males. ^ 

 wise affected. When, however, the killing was directed 

 solely to one sex, the occurrence of very grave changes 

 became inevitable. The British Commissioners write: 



THIS INTERFERED WITH NATURAL PROCESS OF SELECTION OF BREED- 

 ING MALES. 



Snch changes are not prevented by the restriction of killing to ibid., para. 46. 

 males, for an excess in nnmbcr of males is a part of the natnral con- 

 ditions, and any change in the proi)ortiou of males, even it not pushed 

 BO far as to become iu itself a cause of decrease iu numbers born, con- 

 stitutes a true cause of change iu habits, and has a very special effect 

 on the time and place of landing of the females .... An excess 

 in number of niitles, with the consecjneut competition for females, 

 must, in all probbaility, further be regarded as a provision for main- 

 taining the strength of the race as a whole by means of natural selec- 



