INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 669 



Mr. Gallagher. Yes, sir; I believe that under some of the con- 

 ditions I saw there it is an impossible matter to make an accurate 

 count of the pups. 



Mr. Watkins. You qualified your answer by saying "under those 

 conditions." 



Mr. Gallagher. I meant the physical conditions of the islands. 



Mr. TV atkins. At that time? 



Mr. Gallagher. All the time. 



Mr. Watkins. That is what I wanted to bring out, whether you 

 meant all the time or at that particular time. 



Mr. Gallagher. I meant all the time. The physical structure of 

 the islands would seem to make it impossible to get to them to make 

 a count. 



Mr. Stephens. Did you count all except the pups ? 



Mr. Gallagher. We did not count them, Mr. Stephens; we esti- 

 mated them. 



Mr. Stephens. Did j T ou estimate all except the pups? 



Mr. Gallagher. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Stephens. Could jou see a distinct difference between what 

 you call pups and yearlings ? 



Mr. Gallagher. Oh, yes, sir. 



Mr. Stephens. In what respect; in weight or size ? 



Mr. Gallagher. In size. 



Mr. Stephens. What you call pups are those that have never left 

 the islands ? 



Mr. Gallagher. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Stephens. And the yearlings were those that had come back 

 after havins; been born the year before and returned to the islands ? 



Mr. Gallagher. That is what I understand to be yearlings. 



Mr. Stephens. Was there a perceptible difference between those 

 that had never left the islands and yearlings. 



Mr. Gallagher. Yes, sir; there was. 



Mr. Stephens. Could anyone not an expert see the difference. 



Mr. Gallagher. I think anybody could tell the difference between 

 a pup and a seal of any other age. 



Mr. Stephens. If you had been on the killing grounds, would it be 

 possible or probable that a pup would be killed instead of a yearling ? 



Mr. Gallagher. Xo, sir; I do not think a pup could be killed by 

 mistake by anybody. 



Mr. Stephens. You say you noticed that they put a small skin 

 and a large skin together, then tied them with twine and weighed 

 them? 



Mr. Gallagher. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Stephens. Did you see a great many put together in that way ? 



Mr. Gallagher. Two hundred bundles, 400 skins. 



Mr. Stephens. Did you notice any difference in the width of the 

 smaller skins and the larger skins ? Did you notice the same differ- 

 ence in the width as there was in the length? 



Mr. Gallagher. Yes, sir; there was a difference. The smaller 

 skin never covered the surface of the larger skin. 



Mr. Stephens. The same difference existed in the length as there 

 did in the width ? 



Mr. Gallagher. I should think so; yes, sir. 



Mr. Stephens. Did you observe that? 



