INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 633 



brand. Mr. Clark has already mentioned that in his testimony. We 

 found several others having slighter marks on their heads which we 

 took to be also those that were branded the preceding year. 



Mr. McGuire. What time of the year was that? 



Mr. Lembkey. That was in the latter part of July; I do not remem- 

 ber the exact date. 



Air. AIcGuire. Was that during the killing season? 



Air. Lembkey. It was at about the end of the regular killing 

 season. 



Mr. McGuire. What is the regular killing season? 



Air. Lembkey. It closes July 31 in each year. It begins as soon 

 as the seals arrive. 



Air. AIcGuire. Along about May, the first of May? 



Air. Lembkey. If the seals are present in May they would begin to 

 kill at that time, but the usual practice is, in later years, to begin the 

 killing season not until some time after the first of July, as seals did 

 not arrive in sufficient numbers before that time to justify driving 

 them. 



I understand that after my departure from the islands the hauling 

 grounds were searched by those left in charge of the islands and that 

 numbers of these branded yearlings were found among the seals on 

 the hauling grounds. 



Air. AIcGuire. Was that after the killing season ? 



Air. Lembkey. After the killing season was over; yes, sir. 



Air. AIcGuire. From your experience as an expert and after having 

 been on the islands several times and from the results of your obser- 

 vations and experimentations what would you say as to the year- 

 ling seal returning or being found on the hauling grounds during the 

 killing season ? 



Mr. Lembkey. Aly observation has been that these seals do not 

 appear on the hauling grounds in any numbers whatever until toward 

 the close of the killing season, that is to say, around the period of 

 July 25 of each year. The greatest number appears after the first 

 of August and in the month of September thousands of these little 

 3~earlings may be seen among the pups of the year on the breeding 

 grounds themselves. 



Air. AIcGuire. Among the pups of that year, the same year? 



Air. Lembkey. Among the pups of that year. 



The Chairman. Will you just repeat that statement. 



Air. Lembkey. I said that in the month of September many thos- 

 sands of these little yearlings might be found on the breeding grounds 

 among the pups of the year. As a matter of fact it was rather diffi- 

 cult at a glance to distinguish between the pups of the year and those 

 little yearlings because their sizes were almost similar. Of course 

 anyone could who understood the matter distinguish them. 



The Chairman. Between an early pup of that year and a late pup 

 of the previous year? 



Air. Lembkey. They were almost similar in size; yes, sir. 



Mr. Bruckner What is the breeding season ? 



Air. Lembkey. It begins on the 15th of June usually, and extends 

 to about the close of July. The height of the season is along about 

 the ] 3th of July. 



Mr. Bruckner. I am speaking about the breeding season, not the 

 killing season. 



