THE SEX OF PELAGIC SKINS. 155 
period covered by these returns by the sealers, showing an excess of no more than 
5 per cent of females, it was possible to secure only 81,000 males on land, whereas 
187,000 animals, males and females, were taken at sea. That 45 per cent of this latter 
number should have been males is simply out of the question. 
CUSTOM-HOUSE EXAMINATION BY EXPERTS. 
Fortunately, however, we are not forced to rely merely upon inference or upon 
the reports of interested parties for our information in this matter. For the past four 
seasons the United States Government has provided for the examination, by experts, 
of the pelagic catches of American vessels in the custom-houses on their landing. 
These returns are as follows for the seasons 1894-1897 : 
Experts’ sex returns for American catch. 
- 
1894, Per cent. 1896. Per cent. 
Northwest coast.....-..--------.-----. 88 | Northwest coast..--.....--.-..-.------ 93 
Bering Sea on 2 sessed seine senses ereeneny 69 | Bering Sea. sce ceed . sistas saciceciececers 75 
1895. 1897 
Northwest coast. ......-.---.---.--- -... 74 | Northwest coast....-...-.--.---------. 93 
Bering Sea: asic sed ssicencscsesce mane 3 
CONTRAST OF SEX RETURNS. 
With these figures may be compared the percentages furnished by the logs of the 
captains of the Canadian sealing fleet, which we are forced to use, as Great Britain 
has refused to permit the inspection of the Canadian catch in port. No returus for 
these vessels are available for the Northwest catch until the spring of 1896, when the 
percentage of females is given as 40. With it may be compared the expert report of 
93 per cent for the American vessels on the same grounds in the same season. For 
the three seasons, 1894-1896, the Canadian reports for the Bering Sea catch are 
respectively 55, 55, and 61 per cent females. The vessels of the American fleet were 
engaged during the same time and side by side withthe Canadian vessels. The latter 
average 52 per cent of females and the former 80 per cent. Comment is not necessary. 
This high proportion of females in the pelagic catch is borne out by the expert 
examinations of furriers in London. See affidavits in Appendix IT. 
THE SEX OF SALTED SKINS EASILY DETERMINED. 
It may be remarked that it is entirely feasible to determine the sex of the salted 
skin, as reference to Mr. Townsend’s paper on this subject published in Part II will 
show. There is, therefore, no doubt of the accuracy of the results of the custom-house 
examinations. 
THE INVESTIGATIONS OF ALEXANDER AND HALKETT. 
With a view to studying the operations of pelagic sealing in 1895, Mr. A. B. 
Alexander was detailed to make the cruise on one of the pelagic sealing vessels.! The 
results of his observations are published elsewhere in this report and contain the most 
complete account of the methods and operations of pelagic sealing yet obtained. Mr. 
Alexander found in the catch of the Dora Sieward, numbering about 1,500 seals, 62 
1A complete account of the cruise will be found in Part III of this report. 
