446 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUE-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Mr. Clark. But it is well recognized that the weight of a 2-year-old 

 is 5 1 pounds. That is the standard. 



The Chairman. What is the standard weight of the yearling seal ? 



Mr. Claek. Four and one-half pounds. The average weight of 

 these skins was 5.9 pounds, and therefore they were above the 2-year- 

 old average weight. These 205 skins weighed 5 pounds and about 

 14 ounces on the average. 



The Chairman. How much blubber was on the skins ? 



Mr. Claek. A normal amount. They were skinned in the normal 

 way, under our inspection. 



Mr. Watkins. The witness has made a statement there about 

 the difference of 1 pound in the seals. I would like to have him 

 state whether it is dry, green, salted, or unsalted ? 



Mr. Claek. That is the weight of a green skin. 



Mr. Watkins. What is the difference between a green skin, a dry 

 skin, salted, or unsalted ? 



Mr. Claek. The salted skin weighs slightly less. This demon- 

 stration was intended to settle the effect of salting on the weight of 

 a skin. We weighed the skins and then put them in salt, and after 

 they had been in salt for 10 days we again weighed them individually 

 and we found they averaged 5.4, that is, they averaged a difference 

 of 0.4 of a pound, which would be 6.4 ounces, so that the average 

 depreciation in each of these 205 skins was 6.4 ounces. 



The Chairman. Now, is that all? 



Mr. Watkins. Yes, sir. 



The Chairman. Now, will you turn to page 888, Appendix "A", 

 your report of 1909 ? 



Mr. Claek. Yes. 



The Chairman. The following appears: 



As the end of the killing season approaches it is plain that no seal is really too small 

 to be killed. Skins of less than 5 pounds weight are taken and also skins of 8 and 9 

 pounds. These latter are plainly animals which escaped the killing of last year 

 because their heads were shaved. Otherwise it does not seem clear how they did 

 escape. 



Is that correct ? 



Mr. Claek. Yes. 



The Chairman. That you saw on the island? 



Mr. Clark. Yes; of course 



The Chairman (interposing). Now, then, return to page 890, Ap- 

 pendix "A," your report, and under date of July 26, I think, while 

 you were on the islands, the following appears: 



There are no bachelors on Tolstoi and there have been none since the 20th. It looks 

 as if the supply was exhausted. 



And on page 891 of the same report appears the following: 



The drive at Northeast Point this morning yielded 187 skins. Only three animals 

 too small to be killed were turned back. Polovina Rookery gave only 16 skins, and 

 no animals too small to be killed were turned back. 



Is that correct? 



Mr. Clark. Those are facts. 



The Chairman. Then you noticed the difference in the size of the 

 animals, did you not ? This was your report and you made it on the 

 26th of July I 



