298 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
bulls and many females, as well as bachelors. However, it was expressly stated 
that no black pups were seen, and consequently the gathering did not as yet rep- 
resent a new breeding ground. The ability of the natives to distinguish females 
and bachelors on shore at some distance is not always to be trusted, as the writer 
has had opportunity to observe on several occasions. We have even seen thenl 
quarrel over individual seals in the mixed drives on Bering Island. On the other 
hand, if cows returning from the feeding groxmds to the northwest of the island 
should happen to pass by a band of half bulls and bachelors hauled out on a beach 
or reef there would be nothing surprising in their going ashore, either for a rest or a 
frolic. With the large number of superfluous bulls and half bulls on the Bering 
Island North Rookery it is quite likely that some of them hauled out by themseh^es 
in their search for stray cows. It is therefore improbable that we have here to deal 
with the incipient formation of new rookeries, although it is possible that when bulls 
kre disproportionately abundant new breeding grounds may become established in 
just such a way. 
SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS IN 1922 1 
In view of the above, the condition of the Commander Islands seal rookeries 
in 1922 must be characterized as highly deplorable. Large and flourishing rooker- 
ies, the breeding population of which as late as 1897 was still to be reckoned in 
thousands, had entirely vanished, while those remaining had shrunk to about one- 
tenth of what they were at that time. 
In addition to this numerical decline there is another ominous circumstance to 
be recorded, which bodes ill for the future of the Commander Islands herd, viz, 
the great superabundance of old males on the breeding grounds. The evil effects 
of the five years' prohibition of killing after the conclusion of the treaty of 1911, 
which in spite of the predictions of experts was established on the Pribilof Islands, 
have proved even more disastrous on the Commander Islands. With the 
number of seals fallen below the 18,000 mentioned in Article XII of the treaty, 
the continued suspension of land killing of males except such as may be necessary 
for the support of the natives of the islands is bound to increase the handicap of the 
herd. The disorganization of the orderly rookery service, the trampling of the 
■newborn seals, and, as mentioned above, the possibility of the unmated bulls at- 
tempting to start rival rookeries, are logical consequences of the policy of leav- 
ing the management of biological problems like those involved in this business 
to persons unversed in such matters. 
wlUn' EXPLANATION OF CONDITIONS ' ^ .r,f OfK f ,,Tf, , , i 
■Air- The debacle of the Commander Islands fur-seal herd is not of to-day or yester- 
day; it dates back to the beginning of pelagic sealing on the Asiatic side of the 
North Pacific Ocean. It will not be necessary to go into detail with regard to the 
origin and early phases of this destructive business, as they have already been 
fully dealt with in a previous report (Asiatic Fur-Seal Islands, pp. 190-216)y and 
it will suffice merely to quote from the summary of that paper on page 203: 
♦ * * the known pelagic "Asiatic catch" from 1892-1897 was about 295,000 skins. AUow- 
ing 8,000 skins for the Kurils and Tiuleni, the known loss in that period to the Commander Islands 
herd was about 287,000 seals, apart from the loss of wounded ones, etc. The number of seals 
