846 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUE-SEAL INDUSTEY OF ALASKA. 



"This amendment is a vicious one, which will certainly lead to the complete 

 extermination of the seals. I understand it was proposed by Mr. Elliott, who has 

 no standing in this country as a zoologist and, I believe, is supported by my friend, 

 Dr. Hornaday, whom, I regret to say, has come under the influence of Mr. Elliott. 

 Dr. Hornaday's position in the matter is entirely personal and does not in any way 

 represent the judgment of the New York Zoological Society. All the zoologists of 

 note in this country, all the scientific experts whose opinions are worthy of consid- 

 eration, all the trained experts who have made a special study of the fur-seal prob- 

 lem, all naturalists who understand that an excess of males is fatal to both the females 

 and the young, and, finally, all those who desire through intelligent study of the 

 question from motives of humanity, as well as from motives to protect the economic 

 interests of the United States, are opposed to the 15-year closed season. 



"The reason is a very simple one, which you can yourself readily understand- 

 namely, that there is an unnatural excess of males on the islands, due to the fact 

 that pelagic sealing has destroyed 85 females out of the 100 in the herd; thus the 

 balance of nature has been destroyed. 'When there are not enough females to go 

 around, the bulls will fight for them, and in doing so will kill both the females and 

 the pups. Under natural conditions of breeding there would be an equal number 

 of females and males. Nature takes care of these things, but the pelagic sealers have 

 produced a set of new and entirely artificial conditions. Consequently the proposal 

 of the United States Fish Commission experts to keep down the resulting excess of 

 males, and thus to restore gradually the balance which nature has instituted for all 

 time between the sexes is the only one which will preserve this great herd. 



"I have given this matter very prolonged study and have read all the documents, 

 and I regret to say that your committee has been given a great amount of misinforma- 

 tion under the guise of sentiment for the protection of these animals. I am one of 

 the most ardent advocates of protection of the wild animal life of this country and 

 in this spirit and in the interests of my country I can not express myself too emphat- 

 ically. My opinion is identical | with the exception of my friend Dr. Hornaday) with 

 that of all the leading zoologists and mammalogists of rank in the United States, and 

 if you desire I can have prepared for your committee at short notice a document 

 signed by all of these men. The article by Hugh M. Smith, of the United States 

 Fisheries Bureau, one of the finest and most unprejudiced and unbiased men of 

 science in the country, in the last number of the National Geographical Magazine 

 exactly expresses the truth on this subject. 



"With your permission, I should like to publish this letter, but will not do so with- 

 out your permission. 



"With beat wishes for the prosecution of the many grave and important questions 

 which are before your committee, and with continued personal regard, I am, 

 "Sincerely, yours, 



"Henry Fairfield Osborn, President. 



"Hun. William Sulzer, 



"Chairman Howe Committee on Foreign Affairs, 



" House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. 



"Dr. Lucas. I do not agree with that, which shows very plainly I did not inspire 

 the letter. 



"Mr. Elliott (reading): 



"The American" Museum of Natural History, 



"Office of the Presidext. 



"New York, January 22, 1912. 



"Dear Sir: As president of the American Museum of Natural History, I have 

 been securing the advice of the expert zoologists of this institution, especially of Dr. 

 Frederic A. Lucas, who is a trained authority on the fur-seal question. I desire to 

 protest against the proposed amendment to the fur-seal bill 'drafted by the State 

 Department i, which amendment provides a 15-year closed season on male seals. This 

 amendment, should it become law, would exterminate the great seal herd of the 

 United States, and is founded upon ignorance of the first principles of breeding under 

 natural conditions, and of the artificial conditions which have been brought about 

 on the islands through prolonged and fateful pelagic sealing. 

 "I am, very respectfully, 



"Henry Fairfield Osborv, President. 

 "Hon. William Sulzer. 



" Chairman Hou^e Committee on Foreign Affair . 



" House of Representati.it-:, Washington, D. C. 



' I am strongly in favor of the bill itself. 



