gg THE ASIATIC FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 



published in 1822 as pi. xv of his "Voyage pittoresque autour du Monde" (Fol., 

 Paris, 1822), of which I append a greatly reduced copy on pi. 59. 



Since Veniaminof 's account, no original contributions to the natural history of the 

 fur seal, of any magnitude, appeared until the studies of Scammon, Bryant, and 

 particularly Elliott, were given to the public in the early seventies. These, with the 

 bulky literature which sprang up as part of the "Fur Seal Arbitration" case, are too 

 well known to need auy further comment in this place. 



The natural history of the Commander Islands seal is essentially that of the 

 Pribilof Islands seal. Even their migrations, although along entirely different and 

 distinct routes, show parallel phenomena. The route of the Commander Islands herd, 

 as we have seen, was known to Steller in a general way, but it is only recently, since 

 the pelagic sealers are following the migrating herds, that the routes have become 

 known in detail. Mr. C. H. Townsend, the naturalist of the United States Fish 

 Commission steamer Albatross, has made a special study of this branch of the subject 

 and has kindly furnished me with the following notes relating to the migrations of 

 the Commander Islands herd as shown by the records of the pelagic sealers: 



Pelagic sealing off the coast of Japan usually commences about the middle of March and lasts 

 until the middle of June. The seal herd appears to he massed off the coast between the latitudes of 

 Yokohama and Cape Noishap (the eastern point of Yezo Island) in March, April, and May. In March 

 sealing commences off Hondo Island (Nipon) ; in latitude 36°, where seals are also of common 

 occurrence in April, but they are then moving slowly northward. In May the best sealing is found 

 south and east of Yezo Island, Cape Yerimo (the southeast point of Yezo) being a favorite sealing 

 ground. In June they are usually a little farther north, being taken generally off the eastern coast 

 of Yezo and the most southerly of the Karils. They are also taken in June off the more northerly 

 Kurils, but the herd is then farther off shore and more scattered. 



In the Japan region proper sealing is carried on from the coast out to a distance of about 300 

 miles, while in February straggling seals have been taken as far south as the Benin Islands. Seals 

 occur in the Sea of Japan, catches having been made at several points there and in La Perouse Straits 

 by the schooner Penelope, in a voyage around Yezo Island during the past season. 



Sealers crossing the Pacific in the latitude of Yezo Island pick up seals at many points between 

 Japan and the longitude of 180°. In June and July scattered bands of seals, presumably of the 

 Commander Islands herd, occur 500 or 600 miles south of the western Aleutian Islands. 



The charts accompanying my report on the fur-seal fishery for 1895 (Senate Document 137, part 

 II, Fifty-fourth Congress, plates 1-3) show the positions where seals were taken by 20 vessels sealing 

 off the coasts of Japan and Russia during the past four years. 



In my report on the Kuril Far-Seal Islands, etc., this theme will be found 

 elaborated further (p. 263). 



LATITUDE IN THE PHENOMENA OF SEAL LIFE. 



It can be safely said that most of the points in the life history of the fur-seal 

 have been cleared up, in so far as they can be cleared up by direct observation, but 

 the recent activity for information in this matter resulted also in a vast accumulation 

 of misinformation gathered by and from persons either untrained in scientific methods, 

 inexperienced in this particular subject, or prejudiced in favor of some pet theory, 

 or biased by political considerations. This unnatural history of the fur-seal has 

 caused doubts and confusion in the minds of those who have to trust to the 

 literature for their information as to the truth of even some of the most easily 

 observed and most firmly established facts. Eenewed investigations have, therefore, 

 become desirable. ' 



' It should be noted that this was written prior to the investigations of 1896-97. 



