498 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUE-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Mr. McGuire. But the pups remain there after birth for a certain 

 time? 



Mr. Clark. Until they overcome their fear of the water. 

 Mr. McGuire. So you get all the pups at one time on the rookeries, 

 but you never get all the cows at one time on the rookeries ? 

 Mr. Clark. No. 



Mr. McGuire. Are there any other differences or discrepancies 

 between your count and Mr. Elliott's ? 



Mr. Clark. Mr. Elliott has assigned 70,000 pups. As I have 

 said, we counted 92,269. Therefore there is a difference of 22,269 

 pups. 



Mr. McGuire. Were you there when he made a count of the pups ? 

 Mr. Clark. I was during part of it, on one-fifth of all the rookeries. 

 Mr. McGuire. Did he count all the rookeries ? 

 Mr. Clark. All the rookeries, or was supposed to. At least, he 

 gives an estimate for all the rookeries. 



Mr. McGuire. When did he make his count of the pups with 

 respect to the time you made yours ? 



Mr. Clark. He made them between the 12th and 18th of July or 

 the 12th and 20th. 



Mr. Elliott. Between the 10th and 20th. 

 Mr. McGuire. Of July? 

 Mr. Clark. Yes. 



Mr. McGuire. When did you make yours? 



Mr. Clark. Between the 31st day of July and the 8th day of 

 August. 



Mr. McGuire. When are the last pups born? 



Mr. Clark. We saw pups born — there were perhaps a dozen 

 freshly born pups on the rookery at the time we made the live pup 

 counts, so there were some births as late as the first week in August; 

 but at the time of Mr. Elliott's counts not half of the pups were born 

 and only one-half of the cows were present. That is the point I want 

 to make about that. 



The Chairman. That causes all the difference in the statements, I 

 suppose ? 



Mr. Clark. But of course this should be a census of the entire 

 herd and not of the herd at a particular time. 



Mr. McGuire. Now, do you notice any other differences? 

 Mr. Clark. Well, I notice that the number of yearlings, for 

 example, is stated at 30,000 males and females. I know that 81,984 

 pups were born in 1912 by actual count. Therefore to assume that 

 only 30,000 of them survived is a large underestimate. We have never 

 admitted that more than half of the pups were lost in the first migra- 

 tion, and that would leave 40,000 yearlings. 

 Mr. McGuire. Is that your estimate? 

 Mr. Clark. That is my estimate. 

 Mr. McGuire. And what is his ? 

 Mr. Clark. 30,000. 



Mr. McGuire. 10,000 difference there? 

 Mr. Clark. Yes, sir. 



Mr. McGuire. Now. is there any other difference of method or 

 opinion between yourself and Mr. Elliott as to the counting? 



Mr. Clark. I differ from him on all these counts of bachelors. 

 He offers an estimate of 6,000 bachelors of the age of 2 years. 



