476 investigation of the fue-seal industry of alaska. 



House of Representatives, 



Committee on Expenditures in 



the Department of Commerce, 



February 21, 191 4. . 

 The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. John H. Rother- 

 mel (chairman) presiding. 



There were also present: Mr. Stephens of Texas, Mr. McGuire, 

 and Mr. Patton of Pennsylvania. 



The Chairman. Mr. Clark, you may resume. 



STATEMENT OF MR. GEORGE A. CLARK— Continued. 



Mr. Clark. As Mr. Stephens was not here yesterday afternoon, may 

 he look at these photographs ? I passed them around because they 

 show the contrast in the animals and show the typical harems and 

 so on. 



I had come to the consideration of topic 8 — Special considerations 

 affecting the first seal herd: Special considerations connected with 

 the breeding life of the fur seals make an overstock of bulls particu- 

 larly harmful to these animals. Among ordinary animals that live 

 in the open there is a distinct period following the birth of the young 

 before the mother comes in heat or becomes the object of sexual 

 attention on the part of the male. In this period the young attains 

 some age and strength and is able to care for itself. In the case of 

 the fur seal mother, she comes in heat almost immediately — within 

 48 hours in some cases, and always within a few days. As a matter 

 of fact she is not allowed to leave the harem between the birth of her 

 pup and reimpregnation. Harem life is crowded at best. I have 

 shown you that mass of seals in the photograph of Tolstoi in 1897 as 

 an evidence of that fact. The bull is an animal of 400 to 500 pounds 

 weight 



The Chairman (interposing) . Did you tell us yesterday when these 

 photographs were taken ? 



Mr. Clark. This photograph here of Hutchinson Hill sea^ was 

 taken in 1912. 



The bull is an animal of 400 to 500 pounds weight; the mother 

 seal weighs 75 to 80 pounds; the pup about 12 pounds at birth. The 

 moment of birth is a critical one. The mother gives no thought to 

 preparation for labor. The pup may be voided under the nose of a 

 neighbor cow, which, in sheer vexation will take it by the back of the 

 neck and throwit over her head . I have seen that done on the rookeries . 

 It may be sent sliding clown a rocky incline, and the mother is lazy 

 and slow about following it up. It may be two hours before she will 

 get to that pup. The pup will keep calling to her, but she will not 

 go to it until she gets good and ready. 



Many pups smother because the mother does not quickly enough 

 remove the impeding membrane from about the nose. That is a 

 critical matter, because we discovered a number of deaths due to 

 suffocation bv the membrane on the nose. The animal had never 

 breathed. These observations are outlined in my report. 



If an idle bull makes an attack upon a harem at is always when the 

 harem bull is on the farther side. The harem master in counter 

 attack makes a direct line through the harem, overturning cows, 

 stepping on them and upon the pups, causing confusion throughout 



