THE STORY OF THE SEAL. 
When the killing of wild animals is done for commercial purposes only 
it is deprived of all elements of sport and becomes merely a trade or occupa¬ 
tion. 
The true sportsman, therefore, takes no enjoyment in “sealing,” as 
the killing of seals is called, yet the*seal is by far the best of the fur-bearing 
animals. It possesses remarkable intelligence and is of an affectionate dis¬ 
position. 
The best skins are afforded by the young seals, and these are prepared 
for use by the inner layer of the skin being shaved away with a sharp knife, 
thus causing the long hairs, which are deeper rooted than the woolly underfur, 
to fall out. 
During the early part of the last century fur seals existed in countless 
numbers in many parts of the world, but human greed and folly have suc¬ 
ceeded in so reducing their numbers in most regions that their pursuit is 
no longer profitable. Fortunately, however, the seal rookeries of the Pry- 
biloff Islands in Bering Sea have been placed under such restrictions as to 
restrict the annual slaughter in proportion to the number of births. As an 
indication of the number of fur seals formerly existing in various parts of 
the world, I may say that in the year 1798 Captain Fanning, of the ship 
Betsy of New York, after obtaining a full cargo of skins from the island of 
