236 



THE PUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



being often disfigured in the cutting. The skins of male seals over 3 years old may be recognized by ' 

 their large size. The sex of young seals is more diflScult to determine, the teats being undeveloped, 

 but traces of the genital openings of the young males may be looked for on the margins of the skins, 

 as above described. 



In the light of experience it seems desirable to make some additions to these 

 directions : The pelts of females are broader across the belly and narrower at the tail 

 end than in males of the same size. The difference in the tail end of the pelts may be 

 observed more readily by bringing the edges of the skin together. In adult females 

 an additional clue to the sex and age exists in bluish spots on the raw side of the skin 

 opposite the teats, which may be seen by turning back the blubber, which generally 

 conceals them. 



Diragram showing differences between commercial skins of male, a, and female, &, fur seal. 



No ofllcial inspection of seal skins as to sex has been undertaken by Canadian 

 customs authorities, and the proportion of female seals reported by masters of sealing 

 vessels has averaged much larger than at United States ports where inspections 

 have been made. 



When seals are skinned in the boats and canoes, in order to lighten them, 

 the tally of the sexes is troublesome as the daily catch is brought on board ship, 

 and the profportion of sexes represented is seldom determined faithfully. There 

 is an enormous excess of breeding femailes in the pelagic catch, in Bering Sea 

 especially, which is not so reported, as sealers fear further restrictions on theirwasteful 

 methods of sealing. This subject has been discussed at some length by the writer in 

 reports on pelagic sealing in 1894-95.' For the year 1890 the number of females 



' Senate Doc. 137, Part II, Fifty-fourth Congress, first session, Cond. Seal Life, etc. 



