36 FUR SEALS OF ALASKA, 
enforcement of these measures, according to the opinion of experts 
well qualified to judge, will undoubtedly provide a supply of male 
seals amply suflicient to insure the perpetuation of the herd, which ] 
understand to be the object of the resolution your committee is now 
considering. ; 
The Cuatrman. Will these be selected seals; these 1,000? 
Mr. Hircucocx. They will be required to cull out the best ones. 
The Cuoarrman. They will get the best? 
Mr. Hrrcucock. As the pods come up in the drives they will pick 
out from each pod the best seals and release them. 
Mr. Crarx. For breeding purposes? Do you limit, then, these 
selected to a certain number or kill all over that age limit? 
Mr. Hircucocx. In addition to the restrictions outlined, we propose 
. to cut down the quota—the number of seals the company is allowed to 
take. 
Mr. Extiotr. How many are they allowed to take? ; 
Mr. Hrrcucocx. At present their quota is 30,000. We propose to 
cut it down to one-half of that number—to 15,000. I do not mean to 
say that under these regulations the company will be able to get 15,000. 
That remains to be seen. 
Mr. Wiuuiams, of Mississippi. You propose to forbid the killing of 
seals under 2 years old? 
Mr. Hrrcucocr. Yes. ; 
Mr. Wiiuiams, of Mississippi. At 2 years of age that is the very 
time you can tell the difference between the bull and thecow. In other 
words, if you kill nothing under 2 years old there should be no reason- 
able excuse for a mistake in that respect ? 
Mr. Hrrencocx. You are quite right; that is the point. The great 
objection to killing these small seals, and 1 take it the only objection, 
is the difficulty in distinguishing the males from the females. 
Mr. Coorrr. Has Canada or Great Britain placed any limitation on 
the sea killing of seals? 
Mr. Hircncock. As to number; no. 
Mr. Fautxner. Nor as to sex, either? 
Myr. Hrrcucocx. Nor as to sex. 
Mr. Warson. Then you would limit them to 15,000? 
Mr. Hrrcncock. Yes; in addition to culling out these male seals, it 
is our purpose to limit the catch to 15,000. 
Mr. Watson. After they are culled out you will not permit, under 
any circumstances, the killing of more than 15,000? 
Mr. Hrreucocx. No, sir; that is our proposition. 
Mr. Ciarx. How many is that supposed to be? 
Mr. Hrrcncocx. I can give you the exact figures. They are from 
the latest reports of the agents and have not been hitherto published, 
exceptin part. I think some of you gentlemen will be surprised when 
you hear the figures read. 
A census taken by the agents last season showed the presence on the 
two islands (St. Paul and St. George) of 97,296 breeding cows. Taken 
in connection with the records of the years immediately preceding 
these figures are surprisingly large. They seem to indicate that the 
number of cows has been increasing instead of declining. In 1899, 
five years ago, there were 89,261 cows on the islands, while in 1908, 
according to the figures I have just quoted, there were over 97,000. 
