COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 231 



IMPOSSIBILITY OF EXCLUDING FEMALES FROM "DRIVES." 



Again speaking of the years 1872-74, Mr. Elliott writes: 



It is qiiito iinpoHsiblo, however, to got thorn all of ouo :i<;o Avithoiit IJ'i*'-,!':*™ .717. 



an extriiordinaiy iunoiint of atir anil bnistio, whirh the Ah^nts ^i. „."''*' i.''^'!*!^ 

 270 do not liko to ])icH'i])uato; beiico tlio dnvo will bi< ioniul to p. 72. 



consist nsnjiHy of a bai'o majority of 3- and 4-yoar-ol(ls, tbo rest 

 being 2-y(^ar-old8 principally, and a very ft<w, at wide intervals, 5-year- 

 olds, the yearlings seldom ever getting mixed up. 



Even as early as 1872-74, the major portion of the catch J'riiiHh com- 

 is reported to have consisted of 2- and 3-year-old seals, and pIIrtpMnuTii')!"" 

 nnder such circninstaiicos the ])ractical iini)ossibilitv of . "''''•- paras, 

 exclndiiig young females IVom tlu^ number killed is pointed sce rIho ovi 

 out by the Jiritish Commissioners. s(!"to8"cuso'''f 



On the subject last mentioned, Mr. S. N. Buynitzky's^o.f. 

 Report of 1870 may also be referred to, where he says that ,jong.,^ist s.ts!,' 

 females are easily mistaken for young males even by the ^^- '!>«"• ^f- «^I 



,• "^ J ir> "^ p.42. 



natives. ^ 



The special efiects produced by the disturbance and alarm 

 of the seals upon the breeding-islands, Avith other facts, 

 are also treated of in this connection by the J^ritish Com- 

 missioners; but for details their Keport (particularly para- 

 graphs 704-721) should be referred to. In concluding this 

 subject, the Connnissioners write: 



The aggregate loss incnrred is thus the resnlt of varions eansos, BritiBh Com- 

 which together involve the icilling of many seals wliich ongbt not to '"'Ml"""'*''"' 1^«- 

 bo killed, and it is evident that the methods of driving and killing ^""^ ' ''"'"'" "" ' 

 on the Pribyloft" Islands, as now practised, are susceptible of very great 

 improvement. 



STATEMENTS OF THE UNITED STATES COMMISSIONERS. 



The United States Commissioners, though in a very 

 qualified manner, substantially admit the existence of the 

 same evils. Their admission appears to mean in eflect that 

 while such disastrous practices have been allowed continu- 

 ously for twenty years or more, they may at some future 

 time be remedied, if it be thought expedient. They write: 



While there is no doubt that in some instances excessive driving United States* 

 has been allowe<l, that seals have been driven further than is actually ^^^s". P- 301. 

 necessary, and Miat pr<)i)er care has not been taken to eliminate the 

 non-killablo seals as far as possible before the driving is well under 

 way, those are nnitters that are so entirely under control that a proi)er 

 adjustment may be secured at once. 



