716 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



The Russians and seal island natives called them "molodets," or 

 the " small seals," and also termed them "little bachelors." The 

 usual Russian name was "molodets," or "young ones," literally and 

 of both sexes when hauled out, so that "little bachelors" or "malinkie 

 halluschickie" was not quite as fitting as was the natives' designation 

 of "molodets." 



Mr. Bruckner. Can one distinguish the female from the male? 



Mr. Elliott. Yearlings ? 



Mr. Bruckner. Yes. 



Mr. Elliott. No, sir; not unless he picks it up and examines it. 

 No living man can do it. 



Mr. Stephens. Do they come out uniformly, right together? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes, sir; they do not separate. But as to the 2-year- 

 blds, when they return as such, the females go to the breeding grounds 

 and never come out again on the hauling grounds. 



Mr. Stephens. Is it a fact that in killing a yearling they are liable 

 to kill a female ? 



Mr. Elliott. Precisely. And it is in the sworn testimony that 

 they can not tell them apart and that they are liable to do it. 



Every Government agent stationed on those islands has in some 

 one or all of his reports to the Government since 1869, made specific 

 reference to the presence of the "yearlings" as distinct from the older 

 classes on the hauling grounds. 



It is interesting to follow the citation of these "yearlings" on the 

 hauling grounds annually, since 1869, by those different sworn public 

 officials in charge of the seal islands 



1870. Speaking of a drive and killing of the holluschickie on the 

 island of St. Paul in July, 1870, which he observed, S. N. Buynitzky, 

 special agent of the Treasury Department, under date of December 

 30, 1870, makes an official report to Secretary of the Treasury George 

 S. Boutwell, to wit: 



* * * When the herd has been driven to a certain distance from the shore, a halt 

 is made, and a sorting of the game as to age, sex, and condition of the fur is effected. 

 This operation requires the exercise of a lifelong experience and is of the utmost impor- 

 tance, as the killing of females, which are easily mistaken for young males even by the 

 natives, would endanger the propagation of the species, and the slaughtering of males 

 under 2 years or over 4 years would be a useless extermination, their furs having little 

 value for trade. 



(Seal and Salmon Fisheries of Alaska, Vol. I, p. 10, 1898.) 



Therefore, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, you 

 observe that as early as December 30, 1870, the sense and propriety 

 of prohibiting the killing of yearlings or all male seals under 2 years 

 of age was fully understood on the islands and by the officials in 

 charge. 



Mr. Stephens. The reason for that is that it is impossible to 

 separate them when they land there the first time? 



Mr. Elliott. To separate the sexes. 



Mr. Stephens. As I understand, the agreement that was made 

 for the killing of those seals — or lease, as you call it — prohibited the 

 killing of females at all '. 



Mr. Elliott. Yes, sir. And then the regulations ordered the 

 killing of no yearlings. 



Mr. Stephens. Xo yearlings or females ? 



Mr. Elliott. That is right. 



Mr. Bruckner. How do they separate after two years? 



