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Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission Seattlenwf THE FUR SEALS AND OTHER LIFE OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS, ALASKA, IN 1914 By Wilfred H. Osgood, Edward A. Preble, and George H. Parker I Blank page retained for pagination CONTENTS. Palll!. LgTTERS OF TRANSMITTAL........•...........'............................................. II LETTER OF SUBMITTAL................... ................................................. 12 INTRODUCTION............... .. 13 Personnel and instructions. ............................................................. 13 Investigations by Canada and Japan... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. IS Itinerary , .. " . .. IS Impartial nature of the investigation " '" . 16 Acknowledgments................. 16 THg PRIBILOF ISLANDS..................................................................... 17 General description...................... .. 17 Vegetation. 18 Climate............. 18 CHARACTER AND HABITS OF THE FUR SEAL IN BRIEF....... ................................. 18 G'eneral characteristics. ................ .. .............................................. 18 Range.................................................................................. 18 , Breeding habits ; ........................ 19 Habits of bachelors : ......................... 20 Age of seals... ;. ....................................................................... 20 SEALING HISTORY IN BRIEF................................................................. 21 Russian management " .. .. 21 American occupation and the leasing system : . .. ... 21 The growth of pelagic sealing , "".. .. .. .. 22 The Paris Tribunal and the modus vivendi. .. 22 Special investigations ".......................................................... 23 Sealing under Government management. ".............................................. 24 The law of 1910. ................................................................... 24 The treaty suspending pelagic sealing. .............................................. 24 The law of 1912.•...•.....•....................................••.......•. '. • • • • • 24 Revenue from fur seals. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 ,Tult CENSUS OF THE HURD IN 1914..... " ...........••......................... , ....•... " ., • 25 The nature of the census. .. .. .. 25 The count of harems '" .. 25 Preliminary counts ".."....................................................... 26 Height of season counts. " :............... 26 Harem charts " .. 27 The count of idle and young bulls. " .................................................... 28 The count of half bulls. ................................................................ 28 The count of bachelors " ................................ ............................. 28 The count of pups , 1. " ...• "... 29 Importance of 'the count. ............................................................ 29 The method of counting pups. ".................................................... 30 The count of dead pups ' 31 Participants in the count, and results " ','............................. 31 The estimates. ........................................................................ 32 yearlings " ", , . .. 33 Two-year-olds. .. .. .. 33 3 4 CONTEN'tS. Tu~ C~NSUS OF 'TH~ H~RD IN 1914-Continued. The estimates-Continued. Page. Three-year-old males. .............................................................. 34 Four-year-old males. .. 36 Five-year-old males. .. .. .. .. .. 36 Summary of estimates of nonbreeding seals. .. .. .. '36 The complete census of 1914. .. .. .. .. .. 38 R~SULTS OF TH~ CENSUS..... .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. 38 Independent results. ................................................................... 38 Comparative results. .. .. .. .. .. 39 Comparison of harems and idle bulls. ............................................... 39 Comparison of nonbreeding seals ..... " ..................................... .. .. 41 Comparison of cows and pups. ...................................................... 41 The census in the future : . 45 Tu~ BRSEDING OR HAREM BULLS.. 45 Strength and vigor " ., .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 45 Senile bulls. ........................................................................... 46 Adolescent harem bulls " . .. .. .. .. 47 Fighting of old bulls................................................................... 47 Significance of the increase of harem bulls. .............................................. 49 The ideal proportion of harem bulls "................... .. ........................ 49 IDLS AND YOUNG BULLS.................................................................. 50 Age and character ; . 50 Irregular distribution. , "...... .. .. 52 Idle bulls as a desirable breeding element. .............................................. 52 Idle bulls as a menace to the herd. ..................................................... 53 The ideal proportion of idle bulls " ., . .. .. .... .. 54 The utilization.of surplus bulls. ... .. .. .. ............................................... 55 TuE AVERAGE HARSM '................... 56 Value of the average harem '" '" 56 Variation of average harems , .. .. .. ............ .. 56 The average harem as a criterion of the capacity of bulls. ................................. 57 DIS'1'INCnONS BItTWSEN THE CLASSES OF SEALS ........................................... 58 General distinctions. ............................................................... .. 59 Special methods applied in 1914. .. .. ..................... ... 59 The yearlings , : . 60 Definition ,,.. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. 60 Limited knowledge of yearlings. .................................... 60 Records of yearlings. .. .. .. .. .. ................................. 61 Movements of yearlings. ...................................................... .. .. 64 The a-year-olds _ ." . 65 Two-year-old males. ........................................................ .. 65 Two-year-old females.... , .. .. .. .. .. .. 66 The 3-year-old bachelors. " .........•........................ :......................... 67 The 4-year-old bachelors.. .......................................................... ... 69 Summary of measurements , .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 70 MORTALITY OF SEALS.......................... ............................................. 70 Death of pups on land ; . 70 Death of young seals at sea " ......................................... 72 Death of adult seals '" "...... .. .. 73 THIt EFFItC'1' OF PEI.AGIC SEALING , 74 Losses due to pelagic sealing. .................................................... .. 74 Information to be gained from the cessation of pelagic sealing. .... .. .. ................... 74 Effect of pelagic sealing still evident : . 75 Pelagic sealing indirect cause of close land killing. ...................................... 76 CONTENTS. 5 Page. TH~ EFF~C'1' OIl'LAND S~ALING. ...........................................................• 76 TH~ MANAG~M~N'1' OF '1'H~ H~RD. .......................................................... 77 The general policy , ,........................................................... 77 The nature and extent of the property... .. .. .. .. .. .. 78 Management based on principles employed with domestic animals. .. .. 78 Requirements of a reserving system. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. ............................. 79 Confinement of killing and reserving to one class. 79 The method of marking reserves., " , .. .. .. .. .. .. 80 The proportion of males to be reserved. .... .................................•..... .. 80 M~'1'HODS OF DRIVING, KILLING, AND CURING SKINS......................................... 85 Need for shorter drives. ................................................................ 85 Killing '.. .. .. .. .. 86 Females and old seals in drives ' , .. ...... .. ................... 86 The sealing season. 88 Skinning. .............................................................................. 89 Curing of skinq ,........................................................... 89 Need of competent supervision , .. .. .. .. .. 90 Measurements versus weights. .. .. .. .. 90 Tagging of skins. ....................................................................... 92 PRACTICAL IMPROV~MENTS N~~DED.......................................................... 92 Present unimproved condition of plant. ................................................. 92 Reforms contemplated by lessees. .. .. 93 Better methods of transportation needed ,.........................•............. 93 Roads and trails. .................................................................. 93 Supply ship '... 94 Cold-storage plants , ............................................. 95 Rookery improvements. ................................................................ 95 Marked rocks. .. .. .. .. 95 , Observation stations....,............................................................ 95 Improvement of ground. ............................................................ 96 TH~ EFFECT OF EXISTING LAWS............................................................ 96 The law effective forlonger than intended......... ... .. 97 As a beneficial measure the law has served its purpose....... 97 Evils of leasing system not possible under Government management. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 98 Flexible regulations desirable , .. .. .. .............................. .. ..... 98 Reserves unduly large , , 99 Matters for special discretionary power. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ....... .. .. 100 Emergency action. .. .. .. .. .. ..... .. 100 Annual sale of skins ,...........................................................
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