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The Fur Seals and Other Life of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, in 1914

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The Fur Seals and Other Life of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, in 1914 (lass Ah Book. 7 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/fursealsotherlif01osgo THE FUR SEALS AND OTHER LIFE OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS, ALASKA, IN 1914 By Wilfred H .Osgood, Edward A. Preble and George H. Parker From BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OE FISHERIES, Volume XXXIV,, 1914 Document No. 820 ; Issued June ig, 1915 WASHINGTON ::::.:: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1915 THE FUR SEALS AND OTHER LIFE OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS, ALASKA, IN 1914 By Wilfred H. Osgood, Edward A. Preble, and George H. Parker From BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES, Volume XXXIV, 1914 Document No. 820 : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Issued June 19, 1915 WASHINGTON :::::: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ::::::::: 1915 #m ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAT BE PROCURED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS GOVERNMENT PRrNTTNG OFFICE WASHINGTON, D. C. AT 50 CENTS PER COPY o; ofq: AUG 5 A THE FUR SEALS AND OTHER LIFE OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS, ALASKA, IN 1914 By Wilfred H. Osgood, Edward A. Preble, and George H. Parker CONTENTS. Page. Letters op Transmittal n Letter op Submittal 12 Introduction 13 Personnel and instructions 13 Investigations by Canada and Japan 15 Itinerary 15 Impartial nature of the investigation 16 Acknowledgments 16 The Pribilop Islands 17 General description 17 Vegetation 18 Climate 18 Character and Habits of the Fur Seal in Brief 18 General 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 The Census of the Herd 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 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 CONTENTS. The Census of the Herd in 19 14—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 Results of the 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 The Breeding 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 Idle 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 The Average Harem 56 Value of the average harem 56 Variation of average harems -. 56 The average harem as a criterion of the capacity of bulls 57 Distinctions Between 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 2-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 The Effect of Pelagic 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. The Effect of Land Sealing 76 The Management of the Herd 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 Methods 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 skins 89 Need of competent supervision 90 Measurements versus weights 90 Tagging of skins 92 Practical Improvements Needed 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 The Effect of Existing Laws 96 The law effective for longer 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 101 Specimens for scientific purposes 101 Effect of restricted sealing on the fox herd 101 The treaty 102 Early solution of practical problems important 103 Gradual development of efficiency necessary 103 Conclusions '. 104 The Foxes 105 General considerations 105 Former abundance 106 Decline from lack of food 106 Diseases 108 Food ' 108 Seal meat 108 Birds and eggs 108 Miscellaneous food 109 6 CONTENTS. The Foxes—Continued. Food Continued. — Page . Needs of foxes according to season no History of special feeding no Breeding habits in Methods of capturing '. 112 Recommendations 1 13 Feeding and method of capturing 1 13 Reserves for breeding 1 14 Elimination of white foxes 114 Care of skins 115 Sale for breeding 115 Experiments in domesticating foxes 116 The Reindeer 117 Introduction and growth of herd 117 Limited capacity of the islands 1 18 Indifference of natives regarding reindeer 1 18 Use and value of the herd 119 The Sea Lions 119 Early abundance and uses 119 Breeding habits 120 Numbers killed in former years 120 Measures for preservation 121 The Birds 121 Murres 122 Gulls 122 Auklets 123 Ducks and geese 123 Shore birds 123 Cormorants 124 Measures for protection 124 Fishing 125 Introduction op New Animals 126 Domestic animals 127 Horses and mules 127 Cattle 127 Sheep 127 Swine 128 Cats 128 Poultry 128 Wild animals 128 Hares and rabbits 128 Ground squirrels 129 Muskrats 129 Sea otter 130 Mink and otter 131 Lemmings and other small mammals 131 Ptarmigan 131 The Natives 132 Origin and early history 132 Relation to lessees 132 Conditions under Government management 134 Present system of support 134 Population 139 Practical ability of natives 139 CONTENTS. 7 The Natives—Continued. page . Knowledge of seals overestimated 140 Proposed removal of natives impractical 140 Present appropriation inadequate 141 Food requirements < 142 Housing 142 Hygiene and sanitation 143 Morals 145 Religion 145 Education 145 Conclusions 147 Summary 147 Existing conditions 147 Conclusions 148 Bibliography 149 Description of Maps 168 TABLES AND NUMERICAL RECORDS. Page. Early count of harems, St. George Island 26 Harems and idle bulls at height of season, 1914 27 Bachelors on land at one time 29 Count of pups, Pribilof Islands, 1914 32 Comparison of actual counts of pups with estimates based on an average harem 34 Estimate of nonbreeding seals, 1914 37 Complete census of fur seals, 1914 38 General comparison of recent censuses 39 Comparison of harems and idle bulls, 1912-1914 41 Demonstration of probable abnormal mortality of old cows, 1913-1914 43 Number of pups and percentages of decrease or increase in 1913 and in 1914 compared with the year before 44 Percentage of idle bulls on different rookeries, 1914 52 Mortality in relation to idle bulls 54 Prices received for skins of large seals 55 Comparison of average harems, 1912-1914 57 Branded yearlings seen on St. Paul Island, 1913 62 Branded yearlings seen on St. George Island, 1913 63 Measurements and weights of male yearlings, St. George Island 63 Measurements and weights of two-year-old males 66 Measurements and weights of two-year-old females 67 Measurements of three-year-old males, with weights of skins, St. Paul Island, July 1, 1914 69 Measurements of four-year-old males, with weights of skins, 1914 69 Condensed measurements of young males 70 Mortality of pups, summer of 1914 71 Estimated minimum number of females, 1914-1926 81 Estimated maximum number of females, 1914-1926 81 Estimated mean number of bearing and virgin cows, 1914-1926 81 Estimated minimum number of males, 1914-1926, under operation of law of 1912 82 Harem and idle bulls and annual increments required under various estimates at ratio of one bull to thirty-five cows 82 Comparison of results of present law, and of a reserving system based on an estimated mean rate of increase of cows 82 Bulls provided by law in excess of requirements of maximum, minimum, and mean estimates of cows 83 Extracts from St. Paul log regarding cows in drives 87 Number of foxes taken on Pribilof Islands, 1890-1913 107 Sea lions killed on St. Paul Island, 1870-1890 120 Number and size of households on Pribilof Islands, 1914 143 .
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