FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA, 1909. 21 
fields, also, were less numerous by 2,500 than in 1906. This shows at 
least that the seals had not increased. It is not out of the way, 
however, to infer that no decrease in the bachelor herd had occurred 
since 1906. 
1908. — The entire quota of 15,000, practically, was obtained this 
year, but only after sealing on St. Paul until the end of the season. 
The St. George quota, however, was obtained by July 25. The per- 
centage of killing on St. Paul was 5 less than the year before, while 
that of St. George was 2 greater. The number of small rejections 
in this year was 6,092, or in round numbers 1,300 more than the 
preceding year. There is everything in the killing statistics of this 
year to show that the bachelor herd did not diminish in the interval 
between 1907 and 1908. 
1909. — A decided decrease is apparent in the record of this season. 
Not only was the quota not secured, but the rejections from the killing 
field were less than at any time since 1903. 
The number of skins secured and shipped was 14,368, of which 37 
were charged to the preceding year. The percentage of killed was 
69 on St. Paul, an increase of 4 per cent, while on St. George it was 
63, or 17 per cent more than 1908. The number of small rejec- 
tions was only 1,416 in addition to 2,675 rejections of marked 
bachelors, or 4,091 in all, as against 6,092 the year before. 
As, outside of the breeding reserve, only 1,416 rejections of small 
seals were made in 1909, we may safely consider the bachelor reserve 
to have been almost eliminated. 
SUMMARY AND INTERPRETATION OF CONDITIONS. 
After this more or less detailed analysis of the killings during the 
years since 1903 we may summarize the main points as follows: 
1. The quotas for 1904 and 1905 were not obtained because of 
stringent enforcement of regulations designed to prevent close killing. 
2. These regulations were partially relieved of their severity in 
1 906, when the minimum weight was reduced to 5 pounds. Never- 
theless, in this year the quota was not secured because of scarcity 
of seals. 
3. In 1907 and 1908 the quotas were secured without special diffi- 
culty, although the rejections from drives were lessened from the 
number in 1906. 
4. In 1909 not only was the quota not secured, but the rejections 
were less than at any time since 1903, and the percentage of killing 
was higher. 
We may reasonably infer that in 1904 a quota of 15,000 was less 
than the herd would have afforded had the same methods of close 
killing been continued as were followed in 1903 and previously. 
From the statistics we might gather that the catch of 1904 under 
