644 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Mr. Lembkey. The pups of the year; yes, sir. 



The Chairman. How did you brand them ? 



Mr. Lembkey. They were branded by the application of a hot iron 

 on the head of the seal. 



The Chairman. "What kind of an iron? 



Mr. Lembkey. It was an iron handle about 15 inches long and a 

 piece of iron at right angles to the handle, perhaps 2\ inches long 

 and a half inch wide. That piece of iron was heated in a gasoline 

 forge and as soon as it become red hot it was applied to the nead of 

 the seals, as they were being held down by the natives. 



The Chairman. Does the young seal or the young seal pup struggle 

 when you do this ? 



Mr. Lembkey. Considerably. All seals struggle when they are held 

 down. 



The Chairman. Yes; that is only natural. Mr. Lembkey, the skull 

 of a young seal is very thin, is it not ? 



Mr. Lembkey. Yes, sir. 



The Chairman. As thin as paper, is it not ? 



Mr. Lembkey. As thin as thick paper; yes. 



The Chairman. Did you ever see the skull of a young seal pup ? 



Mr. Lembkey. Yes, sir; many times. 



The Chairman. It is almost transparent, is it not? 



Mr. Lembkey. It is when it is thoroughly cleaned up. 



The Chairman. And held up to the light ? 



Mr. Lembkey. Yes; it is semitransparent. 



The Chairman. I asked Mr. Clark about the difference in weight 

 between a seal a year old and a 2-year-old seal. What is your judg- 

 ment about that ? 



Mr. Lembkey. I have not weighed many of those animals. For 

 information on that point I should like to refer to the weights taken 

 of those animals and presented by Dr. Evermann in his statement in 

 hearing No. 10. I find that the weight of the entire animal of yearling 

 age ranges from 33 to 38^ pounds; the weight of the 2-year-old 

 a imal ranges from 47} to 57} pounds. 



The Chairman. Then there must be considerable difference in size ? 



Mr. Lembkey. There is difference in size; yes. There is difference 

 in size of animals of the same age, as demonstrated by those weights. 



The Chairman. I mean between yearlings and 2-year-olds. 



Mr. Lembkey. Oh, yes; there is. 



The Chairman. It can readily be seen, can it not ? 



Mr. Lembkey. As a general rule, yes; it can be readily seen. Of 

 course, there are some very small 2-year-olds, and if they were placed 

 alongside of very large yearlings it might be a little difficult for some- 

 body to pick them out, but as a general thing there is little or no diffi- 

 cult}' in picking them out. 



The Chairman. Did you look over the London catalogues to see 

 how many small pups and extra small pups were taken since 1890 ? 



Mr. Lembkey. I have never looked over them for the purpose of 

 casting up the exact number in all those catalogues; no. 



The Chairman. From what you know, do you think that the 

 number at 128,000 is correct ? 



Mr. Lembkey. Of small pups and extra small pups ? 



The Chairman. Yes. 



Mr. Lembkey. Since 1890? 



