APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OP GREAT BT?ITATN. 889 



of upwards of 90 per cent, of female skins in the IS'ortli-west Catch," 

 I say that whilst it is possible with tolerable accuracy to separate female 

 from male skins in the larger sizes, as regfards the smaller sizes of seals 

 under the age of 2 years it is a matter of great difliculty, and often of 

 impossibility, to determine sex. In the course of our business it is 

 never necessary for us to consider this question. 



5. A noticeable feature about the consignments from the Pribyloflf 

 Islands has been that, while formerly the consignments were entirely 

 composed of male skins, of late years from 1883 up to 1890 female skina 

 have appeared among them each year in increasing numbers. 



6. I have frequently considered the question of regulations, and my 

 opinion is that a close season or some such like arrangement should be 

 introduced, both on the islands and at sea, and I think also that some 

 sanctuary or isolated breeding-ground should be established which 

 should at all times be free from disturbance. I am not in favour of the 

 suppression of the North-west Catch. In my opinion, this would neither 

 be just nor practicable. It would not be just, because I consider that 

 the Canadians have got a right to catch the seals frequenting the sea 

 adjoining their own shores, and which feed to a large extent on the 

 food-fishes there found, provided they do so in a proper manner. I 

 think it would be impracticable, because the only effect of entire pro- 

 hibition would probably be to cause the Canadian schooners to register 

 under the flags of other nations. 



7. I am of opinion also that the K'orth-west Catch is a very important 

 element in the market in keeping the price of the articles within the 

 reach of the ordinary consumer. 



8. And I make this declaration, conscientiously believing the contents 

 to be true, and by virtue of " The tetatutory Declaration Act, 1835." 



(Signed) W. C. Blatspiel Stamp. 



Declared at No. 8, Dowgate Hill, in the City of London, this lOth 

 day of January, 1893. 

 Before me : 



(Signed) Henry B. Priest, 



A Commissioner for Oaths. 



246 No. 24. 



I, Sigmund Apfel, of No. 7, Aldermanbury Avenue, in the City 

 of London, fur and skin merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as 

 follows : 



1. I am a member of the firm of Apfel Brothers. My firm are mer- 

 chants in furs of all descriptions. My house has been established for 

 upwards of fifty years at Leipsic and Mannheim, and during the last 

 twenty-three years we have had a branch house in London. 



2. My firm in the course of their business annually purchase large 

 quantities of seal-skins, and I am therefore familiar with the seal-skin 

 market in this countr3\ 



3. There are three chief classes of seal-skins dealt with in the Lon- 

 don market: (1) the Alaskas, which come from the Pribylotf Islands; 

 (2) the Coppers, which come from the Commander Islands; and (3) 

 what is known as the North-west Catch. As regards the difference 

 between Alaskas and Coppers, in my judgment the only difterences are 

 that the Alaska fur is closer and denser than the Copper fur, and the 

 skins are better handled on the Pribyloff Islands than on the Commander 



