COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 207 



Captain Bryant, Govern meut Agent on the Pribylotf Islands from 1869 to 1877, in 

 Reports published in 1875, 1876, and 1880, specially adverts to the decrease of 

 males and the undue increase of females, and states that the killing of 100,000 

 young males is too great. 



The statements of several other Agents of the United States Government upon the 

 Pribylotf Islands, referring to 1881, 1882, and 1886, bear out the observations of 

 Cajttain Bryant; and Mr. W. Palmer and Dr. W. H. Dall, both ofiBcials in the serv- 

 ice of the United States, speak of a similar lack of male seals in 18iiO and 1891. 

 The British Commissioners likewise connnenton the excessive number of females, 

 as compared vrith males, upon the breeding rookeries in 1891. 



Evidence confirming the scarcity of virile males is further atiorded by the large pro- 

 portion of barren or unimpregnated females found among seals killed at sea. 

 This is attested by many witnesses, and it is further shown that this symptom 

 of decrease of virile males has been increasing in late years. 



The facts adduced are such as to prove that the contention now held in the Case of 

 the United States as to the relative scarcity of females is unfounded. 



CONTENTIONS HELD IN THE UNITED STATES' CASE AND ON THE PART 



OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



In the Case of the United States, it is thus maintained ^^"'^<"i,.?t^t«8 

 that the manner of taking seals npon the Pribyloff Islands 

 cannot be improved upon, and that — 



the killing of a portion of the surplus male life is undoubtedly a Ibid., p. 154. 



benefit to the herd, as it is with other domestic [s/c] and polygamous 



animals. 



It is further argued, at considerable length, that there ,^'|^*^' p- ^'^- 

 has at no time been an insufficiency of males to serve the * *^' 

 females on the breeding islands, and therefore that a 

 piiucity of virile males cannot be accepted as a cause of 

 decrease in the whole number of seals. , 



On the part of Great Britain, and as the result of the 

 investigations of the British Commissioners and other evi- 

 dence, it is contended, not that a paucity of males or any 

 other single circumstance is accountable for the whole 

 reduction in number of the seals, but that the dearth of 

 males has constituted one of the principal causes of such 

 decrease; and that, in conjunction with other matters con- 

 nected with the management of the islands, it is account- 

 able in large part for that decrease. 



The evidence already referred to shows how early 

 239 in the history of the control of the islands, and how 

 repeatedly in subsequent years the scarcity of males 

 was noted; and further, that it was so noted and observed, 

 not only in respect to the so called "killable" males, but 

 also in respect to the full-grown adult males or "bulls'' on 

 the actual breeding roolceries. It may further be added 

 that, throughout the oflicial Ileports on the islands, no 

 reference has been found to a disx)roportionately smaU 

 number of females in any year. 



STATE:vmNT m united states case that SCARCITY ON 

 ISLANDS HAS BEEN IN FEMALES IS WHOLLY NOVEL. 



In the Case now presented by the United States, en tirely caY^'^pp. iitVt 

 new ground is taken, and a novel contention affirming ii»eq. ' 

 scarcity of females is endeavoured to be supported on the 



