﻿62 
  

  

  •subject. 
  The 
  Commissioner 
  has 
  never 
  advised 
  any 
  legis- 
  

   lation 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  general 
  government, 
  each 
  state 
  

   government 
  having 
  control 
  over 
  the 
  fisheries 
  in 
  its 
  own 
  

   waters. 
  Certain 
  general 
  conclusions 
  concerning 
  the 
  effect 
  

   of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  upon 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  aquatic 
  animals, 
  

   seems 
  to 
  meet 
  with 
  general 
  acceptance 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  

   States. 
  

  

  The 
  important 
  distinction 
  between 
  the 
  extermination 
  of 
  a 
  

   species, 
  even 
  in 
  a 
  restricted 
  locality, 
  and 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  

   a 
  fishery, 
  should 
  be 
  noticed. 
  The 
  former 
  is 
  somewhat 
  

   unusual, 
  and 
  seemingly 
  impossible 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  oceanic 
  

   species, 
  while 
  the 
  latter, 
  especially 
  for 
  limited 
  regions, 
  is 
  

   almost 
  of 
  yearly 
  occurrence. 
  

  

  1. 
  Aquatic 
  mammals 
  like 
  seals 
  may 
  be 
  entirely 
  ex- 
  

   terminated, 
  especially 
  when, 
  like 
  the 
  fur-seals, 
  they 
  forsake 
  

   the 
  water 
  and 
  occupy 
  the 
  land 
  for 
  breeding 
  purposes. 
  

   The 
  fur-seals 
  of 
  our 
  Pacific 
  coast 
  are 
  nearly 
  gone, 
  except 
  

   upon 
  the 
  Prybilov 
  Islands 
  of 
  Alaska, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  

   protected 
  by 
  the 
  general 
  government, 
  the 
  islands 
  being 
  

   leased 
  to 
  a 
  company, 
  who 
  are 
  allowed 
  to 
  kill 
  only 
  100,000 
  

   each 
  year, 
  these 
  being 
  non-breeding 
  males, 
  and 
  the 
  per- 
  

   manence 
  of 
  this 
  fishery 
  thus 
  being 
  perfectly 
  secured. 
  

  

  2. 
  Aquatic 
  mammals 
  which 
  do 
  not 
  leave 
  the 
  water, 
  such 
  

   as 
  whales^ 
  and 
  manatees, 
  conspicuous 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  their 
  

   size, 
  and 
  not 
  capable 
  of 
  rapid 
  multiplication, 
  may 
  be 
  

   practically 
  exterminated 
  when 
  they 
  breed 
  near 
  the 
  shore. 
  

   As 
  examples, 
  may 
  be 
  cited 
  the 
  cases 
  of 
  the 
  Arctic 
  sea- 
  

   cow 
  of 
  the 
  North 
  Pacific, 
  Rhytina 
  Stelleri, 
  and 
  the 
  Pacific 
  

   gray-whale, 
  or 
  devil-fish, 
  RJiachianectes 
  glaucus, 
  the 
  tale 
  of 
  

   whose 
  destruction 
  in 
  the 
  lagoons 
  of 
  California 
  may 
  be 
  

   found 
  in 
  Scammon's 
  ' 
  Marine 
  Mammals 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific 
  

   Coast.' 
  

  

  3. 
  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  fixed 
  animals 
  like 
  the 
  sponge, 
  the 
  

  

  