INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA.. 321 



United States Fish Commis- 

 sioner Bowers declares that Dr. 

 Merriam is one of his authorities 

 who approves the killing on the 

 islands — 



Mr. Bowers. The members of the fur- 

 seal board and of the advisory board, 

 fur-seal service, are as follows: 



Fur-Seal Board, 



Bureau of Fisheries. 

 In the Bureau of Fisheries, general 

 matters regarding the fur seals are con- 

 sidered by a fur-seal board, consisting of 

 the following: 



Dr. C. Hart Merriam, until recently 

 chief of the Biological Survey, member 

 of the Fur Seal Commission of 1890, and 



the greatest living authority on mammals. 

 * * * * 



Mr. Bowers. I had in mind getting 

 the best talent I could: I expected 

 probable criticism. 



Mr. Townsend. I am not criticizing 

 you now. 



Mr. Bowers. I endeavored to get the 

 best talent it was possible to get and to 

 act upon their advice in this fur-seal 

 matter. (Hearing Xo. 2, p. 109, June 9, 

 1911, H. Com. Exp. Dept. Com. & Labor.) 



Lucas says that "Merriam and 

 himself," have " observed," and 

 "have exact knowledge," etc. 



American- Museum 



of Natural History, 

 New York, February 24, 1912. 



Dear Sir: Absence from the city has 

 delayed my replying to your favor of Feb- 

 ruary 21, which I am very glad to receive. 



Let me say, first, that my exact knowl- 

 edge in regard to the killing of seals under 

 2 years of age during the years 1909 and 

 1910 must, like that of others who did not 

 see the actual killing, be based on the pub- 

 lished statement of their weights. In ad- 

 dition, however, I have my own experi- 

 ence to aid in translating these weights. 

 The advisory board recommended that no 

 sealskins under 5 pounds in weight be 

 taken, this being the average weight of a 2- 

 year-old skin. The weight given by Elli- 

 ott in 1875 was (see postscript) h\ pounds, 

 but this was based on an average of only 

 10 skins. There is a bare possibility that 



Dr. Merriam denies having any 

 knowledge of what Bowers has 

 been doing — he would "not 

 kill yearlings under any circum- 

 stances." 



Mr. McGuire. Then, in case anyone in 

 the House of Representatives has used 

 your name as a person who would be op- 

 posed to the killing on the islands they 

 were wrong about your position? 



Dr. Merriam. They were wrong. I 

 have never, taken any such position. I 

 have always held the contrary. I have 

 always stated, since the first time I went 

 there, that conservative killing on the 

 islands was a benefit to the herd and not 

 an injury, but I should not allow the 

 killing of yearlings under any circum- 

 stances, and I should not kill more than 

 75 per cent of the young on land at any 

 one time. I would be sure to leave more 

 than enough for possible contingencies. 



Mr. McGuire. Have you made any 

 personal investigation as to whether the 

 Government has killed excessively? 



Dr. Merriam. I know nothing about 



that from personal knowledge. 



* * * * 



Mr. Elliott. One question more. I 

 understood you to say that you had not 

 been in consultation with Mr. Bowers 

 when he issued his orders for killing 

 13,000 seals in 1910? 



Dr. Merriam. I do not think I was 

 present at any conference when that 

 matter was up. (Hearing No. 11, pp. 

 694, 695, 699, May 4, 1912, H. Com. Exp. 

 Dept. Com. & Labor.) 



Dr. Merriam swears that he has 

 no exact knowledge, and has not 

 "observed" with Lucas. 



Mr. Elliott. Doctor, while you were 

 on the island did you ascertain the length 

 and weight of a yearling seal? 



Dr. Merriam. I did not. 



Mr. Elliott. Do you know anything 

 about the length and the weight of a year- 

 ling sealskin? 



Dr. Merriam. Nothing. 



Mr. Elmott. Did you make any meas- 

 urements up there? 



Dr. Merriam. I do not remember off- 

 hand. I examined a great many pup 

 seals for sex. 



Mr. Elliott. You did not measure the 

 yearlings, Doctor? 



Dr. Merriam. I measured or at least 

 weighed some of the seals, but I do not 

 remember offhand. 



Mr. Elliott. Have you published any 

 record of it? 



Dr. Merriam. I think not. 



53400— 14- 



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