508 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



in 1912. That, of course, is an exact measure of the number of cows 

 to each bull in that particular season, 65, and as the pups of 1912 

 were perfect specimens, I feel that there is no reason to assume that 

 that number of cows was too great for any bull. The bulls accepted 

 the responsibility voluntarily. I should consider that a normal 

 harem. 



Mr. McGuire. When was the first branding of seals on those 

 islands for the purpose of keeping tab on them? 



Mr. Clark. Well, in 1896 and 1897 we did some branding 

 for the sake of determining whether it would depreciate the value 

 of the female skins, thus discouraging the pelagic sealers. But that 

 work was not continued. In 1899, 1901, and 1902 a certain number 

 of animals were branded, which I found served a very useful pur- 

 pose, inasmuch as we detected them in considerable numbers on 

 the breeding grounds in 1909, and, knowing when they were branded, 

 we obtained a line on their age. I found them again in 1912, and 

 again in 1913. I found one branded bull, for example, located in 

 the same spot at the end of the East rookery on St. George Island 

 in 1912 and again in 1913. One found in 1909 on North rookery was 

 in the same place in 1912. These records help us to fix the mature 

 age of the bulls and cows. That branding was discontinued in 1903. 

 In 1904 they began to mark them by what has been designated 

 loosely as branding, but really by means of sheep shears, clipping the 

 head,, and setting aside 



Mr. McGuire (interposing). Yes, but I did not mean clipping 

 them; I meant when did vou first brand them with a hot iron? 



Mr. Clark. That was in 1896 and 1897. 



Mr. McGuire. And when did you last brand them that way? 



Mr. Clark. In 1912. 



Mr. McGuire. What class of seals did you brand? 



Mr. Clark. We branded the pups born that season, animals of 

 about 2 months old. 



Mr. McGuire. Where on the body did you brand them ? 



Mr. Clark. On the crown of the head, right on the top of the head, 

 putting a T mark down between the eyes on the forehead and then 

 across and back of the head, making a rough T, so that the two wounds 

 would not unite and form a break. 



Mr. McGuire. How many did you brand? 



Mr. Clark. Personally, I superintended the branding of 1,741. 



Mr. McGuire. How many were branded that year, to your knowl- 

 edge? 



Sir. Clark. I think between five and six thousand were branded 

 on both islands. 



Mr. McGuire. They were all pups ? 



Mr. Clark. They were all pups; yes. 



Mr. McGuire. Pups that had never been to sea? 



Mr. Clark. Yes. 



Mr. McGuire. That year ? 



Mr. Clark. Yes. 



Mr. McGuire. You returned in 1913 ? 



Mr. Clark. Yes. 



Mr. McGuire. And the year before you had branded in the neigh- 

 borhood of 5,000 pups? 



Mr. Clark. Yes. 



