28 FUR SEALS OF ALASKA. 
herd, while, as with other animals, any similar abstraction of females checks or 
lessens the herd’s increase, or, when carried further, brings about a natural diminu- 
tion of the herd. It is equally plain that a certain number of females may be killed 
without involving the actual diminution of the herd if the number killed does not 
exceed the annual increment of the breeding herd, taking into consideration the 
annual losses by death through old age and through incidents at sea. 
Mr. Warson. What is the name of that book? 
Mr. Fautxner. The Fur Seals and Fur Seal Islands of the North 
Pacific Ocean, by David Starr Jordan, with the following official asso- 
ciates: Leonard Stejneger and Frederick A. Lucas, of the United 
States National Museum; Jefferson F. Moser, lieutenant-commander, 
U.S. Navy, in command of the United States Fish Commission steamer 
Albatross; Charles H. Townsend, of the United States Fish Commis- 
sion; George A. Clark, secretary and stenographer; Joseph Murray, 
special agent, with special papers by other contributors. 
This joint statement of the conference (p. 243) further says: 
14. Whether from a consideration of the birth rate or from an inspection of the 
invisible effects, it is manifest that the take of females in recent years has been so far 
in excess of the natural increment as to lead to a reduction of the herd. 
The commission now admit our whole contention in regard to pelagic 
sealing, because there is not a female killed on the islands under the 
regulations of the Department. 
Mr. Exriotr. Read the rest of it. 
Mr. Fautxxer. Iam going to. 
Mr. Hitt. Is it easy to distinguish the male from the female? 
Mr. Faurxyer. I understand from these writers—because you gen- 
tlemen understand that I am not an expert—that it is after they reach 
the age of 2 years. 
Mr. Hiux. I thought you killed at 1 year of age. 
Mr. Fautxyer. I do not remember whether they have reduced the 
age to 1 year or not, but if they have done so, they only kill a very 
few of that age, because they are not marketable skins. 
Mr. Wittiams, of Mississippi. Yes; they kill them between 1 and 
2 years. 
Mr. Fautxner (reading): 
Yet the ratio of the pelagic catch of one year to that of the following has fallen off 
more rapidly than the ratio of the breeding herd of one year to the breeding herd of 
the next. 
Mr. Exnrorr. Therefore we admit that pelagic sealing does not burt. 
Mr. Fautxwer. No. It says 
Mr. Crarx. There is no way to suppress this pelagic sealing except 
by a treaty with England, is there? 
Mr. Faurxner. A treaty with England, which will be followed by 
a treaty with Japan and Russia, but the stoppage of the Canadian 
sealers would virtually stop the preying upon the Pribilof Island herd. 
They are the ones that do the chief injury. 
The United States has shown its good faith in this matter by pro- 
hibiting American citizens from pelagic sealing or from fitting out 
vessels for that purpose, and we stand now, in the opinion of the 
experts, upon firm ground. We permit the killing only of the surplus 
males that are an injury to the increase of the herd. 
Mr. Chairman, I desire to read the conclusions of one of the most 
competent experts on this subject; that is, an extract from the report 
of Mr. Stejneger. He has made an elaborate study of our islands and 
2 i 
