INVESTIGATION OF THE FUK-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 473 



point out. The Dixon law says that in the case of young seals the 

 other conditions may be waived and the natives may kill young seals 

 for food and old seals for boat coverings, and it also says that females 

 will not be killed, nor animals of one year of age, "except as above 

 noted," which, if you take it literally, means that for food purposes 

 you might kill j~earlings and also females. 



Five per cent of the 15,000 surviving 3-year-oldo I mentioned would 

 have been 750 animals annually, a reasonable increment of gain, equal 

 to one-half of the active stock and subject to natural increase with 

 the growth of the herd, which would bring in an enhanced number of 

 3 -year-olds. 



This provision of the Dixon law was, however, nullified by the fail- 

 ure to limit the killing to 3-year-olds. So long as 2-year-olds could 

 be killed, and 4-year-olds also, the 95 per cent rule had no force. For 

 example, suppose all the 2-year-olds were killed in any given season. 

 There would be no 3-year-olds the next season. Or, suppose 5 per 

 cent of the 3-year-olds were saved one year, and these were killed as 

 4-year-olds the next year. The Dixon law is faultily drawn and 

 should be amended. 



Sixth, the effect of the overstock of males: This will not manifest 

 itself for 6 to 8 years. It will reach its height in 1926, and continue 

 till 1934. That is, the 95,000 bulls I spoke of will exist as an over- 

 stock. From 1920 to 1930 will be a period of intense struggle 

 among them on the breeding grounds. 



The Chairman. Mr. Clark, I want to ask you this: Are you a 

 lawyer ? 



Mr. Clark. No; I am not. 



The Chairman. Well, it just occurred to me that you might 

 be a lawyer. That is all. 



Mr. Clark. There will be, between 1920 and 1930, 9 adult bulls 

 for every one actually needed. It is not necessary to detail what 

 will happen. Those who saw the rookeries in 1896-7, when a similar 

 but much less aggravated case of overstocking existed, can faintly 

 appreciate the injurious results to the herd. 



In 1897 we counted 42 dead cows on Reef Rookery; this rookery 

 had 25 dead cows in 1896 — most of them in each year dead from 

 rough treatment by fighting bulls. They were bitten through the 

 back and bitten through the neck; the canine holes were there to 

 show for it. The full toll of dead cows in 1896 was 131. There were 

 11,000 dead pups, most of them dead as a result of trampling due 

 to the excessive fighting. In 1912, when fighting was at its lowest 

 ebb, 1,060 dead pups and 27 dead cows were found; in 1913, 1,465 

 dead pups and 30 dead cows were found, the death of the pups being 

 due to trampling and to overlying of mothers or neighboring cows, 

 all these deaths being due to natural, unavoidable confusion present 

 on the rookeries in a normal state. 



Mr. McGuire. Is there anything done with the dead ones found? 

 That is, are their skins taken if they are not in a state of decay ? 



Mr. Clark. No; we took every cow that we found that was in 

 suitable condition for specimens, and, according to instructions of the 

 department, I had them skinned and put away in salt in the salting 

 house, subject to orders. 



Mr. McGuire. They were not put on the market ? 



