PELAGIC SEALING. 



237 



reported by American vessels from all huuting grounds is three times that of the 

 males, while Canadian vessels report the two sexes in nearly equal numbers, the 

 females being slightly in excess. 



Comparison of Canadian and American figures on proportion of sexes represented in pelagic catch for 1896. 





Japan coast. 



Russian 

 coast. 



Total. 



Northwest 

 coaat. 



Bering Sea. 



Total. 



Grand total. 





Males. 



Fe- 

 males. 



Males. 



Fe- 

 males. 



Males. 



Fe- 

 males. 



Males. 



Fe- 

 males. 



Males. 



Fe- 

 males. 



Males. 



Fe- 

 males. 



Males. 



Fe- 

 males. 



Canadian 



American 



8, 470 

 1,820 



9,498 



2,788 



479 

 19 



829 

 253 



8,949 

 1,839 



10, 327 

 3,041 



5,015 

 232 



3,335 

 3,229 



10, 185 

 959 



15,515 

 2,831 



15, 200 

 1,191 



18, 850 

 5,050 



24, 149 

 3,030 



29, 177 

 9,101 



Similar comparisons for 1897 show that Canadian vessels reported the two sexes 

 in more nearly equal numbers, while American vessels reported the number of females 

 as more than five times that of the males: 





Japan coast. 



Russian 

 coast. 



Total. 



Northwest 

 coast. 



Bering Sea. 



Total. 



Grand total. 





Males. 



Fe- 

 males. 



Males. 



Fe- 

 males. 



Males. 



Fe- 

 males. 



Males. 



Fe- 

 males. 



M^'««-mIfe8. 



Males. 



Fe- 

 males. 



Males. 



Fe- 

 males. 



Canadian 



3,677 



222 



3,644 

 1,053 



454 



928 



4,131 

 222 



4,572 

 1,053 



2,263 

 193 



2,819 

 1,565 



6, 720 8, 887 

 229 628 



8,983 

 422 



11, 706 

 2,193 



13, 114 

 644 



16, 278 

 3,243 











The effect of these inspections on the returns made by masters of American 

 vessels has been wholesome, and the difference in the figures for each sex, as reported 

 by the two fleets may be seen in the above tables. 



In the Northwest coast catch of 1896, made by the American schooner J. Uppinger, 

 we have 1,340 females against 17 males. It is unnecessary to cite further differences 

 in this respect. The facts are against the possibility of a preponderance of males 

 being taken on any sealing ground. 



Following the pelagic sealing season iu Bering Sea a loss of young seals takes 

 place on the islands that is proof of the great numbers of adult females destroyed, 

 while the killing of most of the nonbreeding males on the islands, and the fact that the 

 breeding males remain on land during the best of the pelagic season, precludes the 

 possibility of any such proportion of males being found in the Canadian pelagic catch 

 as has been reported. Iu addition to this, advices under date of January 8, 1897, 

 from London establishments, where the pelagic catch is prepared for market, show at 

 least 85 per cent of it to consist of the skins of females. This is also true of preceding 

 seasons. 



The log-book records of the two fleets during recent years being at hand, inter- 

 esting comparisons have been made. 



Canadian vessels reporting a preponderance of male seals having been sealing 

 side by side with American vessels proved to have taken a majority of female seals, it 

 • is evident that the returns of the Canadian fleet in this respect are unreliable. The 

 records show also that a few Canadian vessels reported a large majority of females. 



WEATHER CONDITIONS ON THE PELAGIC SEALING GROUNDS. 



The following tables have been prepared from the log records of the Canadian 

 and American vessels engaged in pelagic sealing in Bering Sea from 1894 to 1897. 

 They are interesting chiefly as showing the large number of days during the season 

 when the weather conditions were such as to permit of seals being taken. Sealing 

 begins in Bering Sea on August 1 and is continued actively until some time after the 



