ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



83 



THE WEST INDIAN SEAL. 



Tlie large West Indian seal (Moiiachtis Iropicalis) 

 died on the morning of January 6th, having lived 

 in the Aquarium for a little over five and one-half 

 years. The autopsy performed by the pathologist of 

 the Zoological Society showed that the animal died 

 of fatty degeneration of the heart, liver, and kidneys. 

 a condition due, no doubt, to contincmcnt and lack 

 of sufficient room for e.xercise. 



The case was slightly complicated by pneumonia 

 just commencing in the left lung. The animal 

 weighed 360 pounds and measured six feet eleven 

 inches from snout to end of hind flippers. The 

 companion of this seal lived in the .Aquarium a little 

 over two years. 



Considering the conditions under which seals have 

 to be kept in the .■\quarium and the limited space 

 that can be allowed such active animals, the speci- 

 men lived about as long as could be expected. 



The loss of this seal is especially to be regretted, 

 as the West Indian species is nearly extinct. A 

 couple of centuries ago it was abundant in the Car- 

 ribean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, eastward as far 

 as the Florida Keys and the Bahama Islands. Very 

 little has been known about it. as it was nearly ex- 

 terminated about 150 years ago. Since then the few 

 specimens that have been found have come from the 

 Triangles, a group of islands off the coast of Yuca- 

 tan ; quite a number of individuals being procured 

 in 1886, and furnished to museums in this coun- 

 try. In the "Natural History of Jamaica," by Sir 

 Hans Sloane. published in 1707. it is stated that 

 the West India seal was abundant in tlie Bahamas, 

 and frequently as many as 100 were killed in a sini^le 

 day for their oil. 



It was the slaughter of the beast for oil that led 

 to its practical extermination. One-half century ago 

 it still existed along the coast of Jamaica. It is 

 known that some individuals of the race still linger 

 on the Triangle Islands, but there is no very great 

 likelihood that the .-Xquarium will be able to procure 

 another specimen. 



The seal which has just died was very interesting 

 to those who visited the Aquarium. Her playful 

 habit of squirting water in the face of visitors was 

 the source of more or less amusement every day 

 during the entire period of her life at the .Aquarium. 

 The largest specimens of this species were about ten 

 feet long. It is considered rather remarkable that the 

 Aquarium specimen lived so long in-doors. as the 

 species is a tropical one. inhabiting sunny waters 

 and leading, of course, a more or less active life in 

 pursuit of its natural food. 



It was captured at the Triangles by Captain Mar- 

 tin of a Pensacola schooner engaged in fishing on 

 the Red Snapper banks off Yucatan. When secured, 

 in 1897, about thirty animals were present on the 

 islands, where tliey liad probably been seldom dis- 



turbed, as no difllculty was experienced in taking 

 them. 



Both of the seals of this species kept at the Aqua- 

 rium learned the trick of throwing water at visitors, 

 the last one living long enough to become well known. 



Nellie had always fed freely and lived in apparent 

 comfort and contentment. 



THE TU.AMOTU PEARL FISHERY. 



In a lecture recently delivered before the Geo- 

 graphical Society of Baltimore, Mr. Townsend, the 

 Director of the Aquarium, exhibited many lantern- 

 slide pictures of the pearl fisheries in the Tuamotu 

 Islands, which have just been ovcrswept by a great 

 tidal wave. 



The Tuamotu, or Low .Archipelago, in the South 

 Pacific Ocean is composed of low coral islands or 

 atolls, in the enclosed lagoons of which the pearl 

 fisheries are carried on. The sea overwhelmed sev- 

 eral of the more central islands of the group, and 

 (hx) natives are reported to have perished. Mr. 

 Townsend visited these islands as naturalist of the 

 Albatrnss. He spoke of the loss of several old 

 friends with whom he sojourned while studying the 

 pearl fisheries. When at the island of Hikueru, 

 where the greatest destruction was wrought, he 

 found about 3,000 persons congregated there to par- 

 ticipate in the pearl-diving industry. The bulk of 

 the pearl shell was being taken from depths of 8 to 

 10 fathoms, and he observed one diver bringing up 

 shells from a depth of 14 fathoms (84 feet), the 

 naked diver remaining down 2'; minutes at each 

 plunge. Dr. A, G. Mayer, who is a contributor to 

 this number of the Bl'llf.tin, was present and par- 

 ticipated in the observations, making accurate sound- 

 ings as to the depth of the water. 



The diving is done without any diving apparatus 

 whatever, and very few of the divers can work at 

 greater depths than 15 fathoms. The pearl industry 

 here, as well as in other parts of the world, is based 

 on the taking of pearl shell, or mother-of-pearl, val- 

 ued in European markets at from $375 to $800 per 

 ton. Pearls are accidental growths, and are only 

 found occasionally. They are usually secreted by 

 those discovering them, and are disposed of privately. 



The average yield of pearl shell from the Tuamotu 

 Islands is about 500 tons a year. 



As pearl shell is becoming scarce the French gov- 

 ernment has prohibited the use of the diving suits, 

 with a view to preserving the industrj- for the bene- 

 fit of the native inhabitants. The employment of 

 diving apparatus results in too close a harvesting of 

 the crop. 



When the islands were overwhelmed the season's 

 catch of pearl shell was washed away. The survivors 

 of the disaster having lost everything, great suffer- 

 ing has resulted, and French warships are now trans- 

 ferring the pearl divers to other islands. 



