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mother, who is killed in the sea by foreigners, during 

 the time, when she is searching for food, and a consi- 

 derable amount of these females are killed on the boun- 

 dary to a distance of 20 miles from the shore — the smal- 

 lest quantity of females is killed more far off Illnes and 

 death occur through parasites Uncinnaria, as it happens 

 in immense portions on St. Paul's Isl. but is not noticed 

 on the Commander Islands. 



Every autumn from 200 — 600 grey seals perish through 

 storms and are washed on to the shore. Grey seals is a 

 name given to seals of a faded black. 



The number of seals caught now are a % — V G of 

 the quantity received of the end of the eightieth years 

 of the XIX century. The general number of herds in 

 comparison with the former time scarcely attain 1 l l0 part. 

 A more intense killing exists now; all rookeries are ex- 

 ploited, not omitting any divisions, as in former times. 

 The raison d'etre, which at first does not appear to be 

 very normal explains itself by the fact, that before the 

 appearance of pelagic sealing or the opening of it along 

 the shores of Japan, it was possible to have a correct 

 economical account of the killing with the calculation of 

 an annual increase of the animal, as is proved by the 

 figures of the existing killing. With the appearance of 

 an organized pelagic sealing on Asiatic seals in the open 

 sea and near the shore of Japan from February to the 

 end of August one was obliged to cease all calculations, 

 as it was proved, that all propositions made for the 

 benefit of pelagic sealing were never justified and the 

 pel. sealing went on ahead crescendo until suddenly the 

 number of herds decreased so much, that it was ne- 

 cessary to limit the number of vessels, as it was too 

 unprofitable. The stoppage of the intense pelagic sealing 

 very soon had effect on the quantity captured on the 

 Islands and it increased slightly. These favourable con- 

 ditons are threatened by the activity of the pelagic sea- 

 ling by the Japanese. The Japanese Government pay 



