218 COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



MR. H. W. ELLIOTT ON BARREN FEMALES. 



Furtlior evidence of the paucity of males can he found in 



the increased number of barren females. Mr. Elliott has 



ib)<i., paras, already been quoted ou this subject. The same fact is 



43i-ia3. referred. to by the British Commissioners, and is stated to 



have been particularly noticed by pelagic sealers. 



EVIDENCE OF PELAGIC SEALERS AS TO BARREN 



FEMALES. 



Many of the sealers whose evidence has been obtained in 

 1892 refer directly to the taking of large numbers of bar- 

 ren females. The following notes on this subject are based 

 upon the statements of sealers contained in the Appendix: 



British Com- 252 Captain J. D. Warren. — Not half tlie females taken on the 



iiiissiDiiers' lie- coast are with young, 



port, paras, 644- Caplain W. O'LeariJ. — l'erha])S two-thirds the cows are with young. 



Captain W. I'etit. — More barren cows are killed than those bearing 

 young. 



Captain TV. E. Baker. — The percentage of barren females consider- 

 able. 



Captain C. N. Cox. — 10 per cent, barren females. 



Captain. T. M. Magvcsen. — 12 to 14 per cent, of females bearing; 

 others barren. 



Captain W. Cox. —15 per cent, of catch barren females. 



Captain Charles Uaclctt. — Quite a number of barren cows. 



Captain C. McDovgall. — One barren cow to ten bearing. 



Captain S. S. McLean. — About 5 per cent, of females are barren. 



Captain C. J. Harris, muster of the "Mary Taylor" in 1892, says: 

 "AVe secured quite a number of barren cows this year." 

 Appendix, vol. Charles Le Blanc, hnntev. — In 1892 got " a good many barren cows 

 ii, pp. 43-149. both on the coast and on the Asiatic side.'' 



Captain A. Douglas, eight years in the sealing business, says: "I have 

 seen a great many barren females." 



(;. Roberts. — Found about one-half of his catch of female seals in 

 1892 to be barren cows and young females. 



Captain R. O. Larender. — Five years' experience; finds that on the 

 coast be gets over one-third his catch in females, of which less than 

 one-half are barren cows. 



F. Camphell. — In 1892 took 65 seals, of which 20 or 25 were barren 

 females. 



jy. G.Gondie. — Says that about half the females he took on the coast 

 were with l)up; the other half barren cows and young females. 



J. A. Haake. — States that during the season of 18t)2 he secured quite 

 a nnnil)er of barren female seals. 



J. /Shields (who has hunted seals in Behring Sea for fouryears) says: 

 "Every year that we went into Behring Sea we got barren cows." 



C F. French. — Stati s that of tbe females he got on the coast 25 per 

 cent, would be with young; the remainder barren cows and young 

 females. 



O. iScarf. — Six years a hunter; five years in Behring Sea. Got bar- 

 ren cows every year. 

 253 A. Mathison. — Seven years' experience, says: "More than half 



the seals I got on the coast in each year were females. Most of 

 these were young females and barren cows." 



F. Ramlosc. — Has, both along the coast and in Behring Sea, seen 

 barren cows — good full-grown cows. 



/. U'Quinn. — Two years' experience as a hunter, says: "In both 

 years I have been sealing I have got a good many barren females, 

 princijjally on the coast. At least one-quarter of all the females I got 

 were barren." 



I). Laing. — Says that he has killed barren cows, and that they were 

 principally old seals. 



Captain A. Reppen. — Nine years' experience, states that quite a 

 numlier of barren females are killed ou the coast. 



