COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 217 



In n, letter written by Dr. Dall and publislied in a sue- i,e^/5''i'39f °'^'"°" 

 ccediiig nu]ul)er of tlie siuiic jonrnal, lie states that bis ' ' 

 remarks on Mr. Palmer's paper were not eorrectly reiiorted. 

 He writes: 



Wlint I (lid sp.y Ti'as to intimate tliat after tlie Idlling in the open 

 sea (the most important I'aetur in tlie diminution), the second factor 

 was the killing of too 111(1111/ noinuf malen rather than the injuries caused, 

 hy driving; the latter heing- a view niucii insisted on by Mr. Palmer. 



Accepting Dr. Drdl's correction, it is to be remarked at 

 least tbat lie recognizes three factors tending to diminution 

 of the species, of whicb two are connected with the i)rac- 

 tices on the Pribyloff Isbinds. 



LUTKE, 1S27. 



Even so long ago as 1S27, Lutke, who visited the Priby- 

 loff Islands in that year, clearly jtointed out the inherent 

 danger to the continued su])ply of virile male seals which 

 must result from the methods followed. He writes: 



La procnntion do s.^iiarer les gros males d'avec cenx qui doivent "Vovnce An- 

 etre tins, est uecessaive pt)ur entretenir la multiplication : niais tour da Monde," 



251 cette iin'-cantion est-cl!e suhisante jiuur ccla? .Si tons les Jeunes tome 1, p. 161. 

 sont extermim^s, d'oii sortiront a la hn les gros males f Les 



chasseurs expcrimeutes out ol)serv6 que les ours marins vivent de 



qniuze a vingt ans ; il en r^sulte qu'avec cette unjthode dans vingt ans 



il ne doit plus en rester \\n seul. 



REQUISITE PROPORTION OF MALES TO FEMALES, AND 

 INCREASED SIZE OF "HAREMS." 



The requisite proportion of males to females (requisite for 

 the li'.ere purjjoses of proper service and without rcierence 

 to the wider questions depending on the natural excess of 

 males about the breeding islands) has been carefully inves- 

 tigated by the Britisli Commissioners, who conclude that at 

 least one virile male is required for every twenty females. 

 TheyAvrite: 



When, therefore, we find tlie harems in the Pribyloff Islands grow- British Com- 

 ing yearly larger, till at the present time they surpass the projiortions missioncrs' Ko- 

 al)ove mentioned from four to eight tin'.es, it is reasonable to conclude rp"i'Q9''om^iqfi'^' 

 that in this change the effect of au excessive slaughter of y(;ung males ' ' " ' 

 is rendered ai'parent. Our own and all other local observations on the 

 rookeries during the last few years pi eve it is no uncommon event to 

 find a single njale seal witli a harem numbering from forty to fifty, and 

 even as many as sixty to eighty females. 



The excessive number of females in proportion to males. Appendix, vol. 

 is also remarked by Mr. Maconn, in his Eeport for 1892. '"P" ^''°" 

 He also shows that the few unattached old bulls found 

 al)out the rookeries are not all virile. 



Other changes resulting from the same cause and affect- British com 

 ing the iiahits and mode of life of the seals, evidenced in pi Jrt*,' paras, la^ 

 irregularity and overlai)ping of dates of landing, birth, &c., ■^'•^^^ 

 have also been observed, and it is obvious that under the 

 circumstances the bieedingislands tend to become less 

 attractive to the females, which consequently resort less 

 punctually and for shorter times to theiu. 



