170 
NATURE NOTES. 
THE SEAL BUTCHERY. 
HE following letter from the Saturday Review of July ii 
is another evidence of the interest that our leading 
journals manifest in that crusade against the wanton 
and cruel destruction of life carried on at the dictates 
of fashion, to which the Selborne Society and its magazine have 
always lent their support. — E d.N.N. 
The question of the seal fisheries is an old one, and one which seems not 
unlikely to settle itself eventually by the extinction of the species. The horrors 
of the trade are shown in the following extract from an article in the Century 
Magazine, by C. E. Borchgrevine : — 
“ The seals are killed either with guns or pikes. There is very little sport 
attached to seal-hunting, especially in Antarctic waters, as the seals there are 
tame through ignorance of man’s bloodthirstiness. Generally they were asleep 
when we approached, and many of them died without seeing their murderers. 
But, as a rule, the slaughter and skinning of the seal were most barbarous, bloody, 
and hideous — unnecessarily so. Specially cruel is the task when seal-pikes are 
used. Only rarely does a seal die from one or two blows of the pike, and if it 
is not dead it is generally considered ‘ all the better,’ for it is easier to skin a seal 
while it is half-alive. In the utmost agony, the wretched ‘ beast ’ draws its 
muscles away from the sharp steel which tears away its skin, and thus assists in 
parting with its own coat.” 
Is not this sufficiently horrible for anything? There are practical remedies, 
which I think might be soon applied, if people would sufficiently empha.size and 
impress the terrible truth that seal-fishing as it is now carried out is wholly 
unnecessary. Now I have little hope that seal-skin wearing will soon be dis- 
carded, however strenuously the really humane public may protest. We see 
every day that the craze of feather-wearing is as shame-faced [? shameless] as 
ever, despite all that has been said and written against it for years. So devout 
are the worshippers at the shrine of the Goddess of Fashion that, heedless of the 
blood and hideous barbarity which frequently has to be waded through by the 
men and women who are in her merciless meshes, they needs must ever deck 
themselves as she decrees, savage and brutal as that decree may be. But the 
powers at least might combine to give the seals protection from wantonness in 
their slaughter, in that the fishermen who go out to the “ rookeries” should be 
specially instructed to deal with the creatures considerately and with some 
appreciable degree of humanity. Government inspection would, I think, be able 
to secure this. 
That the seals are also threatened with total extermination is a further reason 
for some enactment of protection. The result of the Behring Sea arbitration and 
of the treaty made between this country and America, which we trusted might 
result in the affording of some sort of protection to the seals, has been a great 
disappointment. President Cleveland, in his late message, refers to the subject, 
admitting that the hoped-for benefit to the seals had not been attained. In some 
quarters I see no prospect is recognised of any better protection for the unfortu- 
nate creatures. A new commission, to consist of repre.senlatives from Japan, 
Russia, the United .Stales, and Great Britain, is now proposed, to consider the 
seal question with a view to preventing the threatened utter extinction of the 
species, though solely from commercial reasons. But it is just the matter of 
commerce that inspires hope. An extension of the close sea.son, beginning by 
including May, and embracing August and, if possible, September, would secure 
the protection of the mother seals until the offspring were able to care for them- 
selves. This does not ajipear to be impracticable, yet we have been told that 
everything practicable has been tried. Another regulation which would be found 
to work with considerable advantage to the seals would be the prohibition of the 
spear as an instrument of killing, and the substitution of the gun in its stead. .\t 
present the shooting of the seals is prohibited. “Almost all the seals killed in 
the Behring .Sea,” says a recent writer, “are females seeking food while their 
