Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-06-24
The Story Of the Seal.

There is probably no part of the
eArth's surface, used for farming ol
stock raising. that produces so hand
some yield to the acre as the narrow
beaches of the Prybilov islands in Beh.
rings strait. These are four in number,
St. Paul's, with q, 120 acres, st. George,
with about $1,000 acres, Otter island, a
mile and half long and less than half a
mile wide, and Walrus island, a mere
fiat rock, rising but little above the surf,
a quarter of mile long and hundred
ards wide. The first two have together
seventy -one miles of coast line, but so
much Of the shore is bold and rocky
that only eighteen and three quarter
miles are visited by the seals.
On st. George several thousand sea
lions have taken possession of half q
mile more OF landing. The beaches on
which they breed are narrow reaches of
sand varying from forty to 150 feet
wide, and covering total area of G,387,-
$40 square feet, or not quite LAT acres.
On this area about 100000 seals are
killed yearly, worth 100000. This is q
yield of "a, 1852 an acre. The United
States government obtains from these
islands a rental of $55,OO yearly and
$262, 500 for 100, 900 sealskins. This is
taxing these barren sand beaches to the
amount of 50, ,150 per acre. Figures
like these deserve consideration, for it
is only by such computations that the
value of fisheries to the country will
ever be made apparent. In the present
case it is satisfactory to know that the
government tax is blessing to the
world.
The total number of seals which
breed annually on the islands is COM
puted at 3,193, $40, and before the re-
strictions placed on the hunt by govern
ment they were killed at the rate of
240, 900 monthly. This would have ex-
tirpated them in less than five years.
Now the number is limited to 100000 q
year, and they are said by some obser-
vers to be increasing at the rate of five
per cent. annually. The above number
does not include those which are killed,
but the breeding community which is
preserved. OF breeders, the num-
ber is estimated ut 1,5OO, 900, so that
the total seal population is about 4,7OO,-
600.
The male seals land first, in the latter
part Of April usually, or in May. They
always choose for their resting grounds
or "rookeries" such beaches as are
strewn with large powders, where the
seals can have some protection
against the sweep of the surf. On land
ing they give themselves up entirely to
sleeping, but meanwhile keep sharp
lookout to prevent young bachelors and
old weak patriarchs from coming to the
rookery. This system of natural selec-
tion is advantageous to the race and to
their human pursuers also. 1t keeps
the stock strong and hardy and sends the
bachelors of less than six years (the age
of maturity to haul themselves up at
some other point, where they collect to-
gether and can be readily herded by the
hunters without alarming the breeders.
The females do not land for q month
after, and are then taken possession of
by the male nearest to the point at which
hey leave the water. The selection is
not made without tremendous fighting,
md some of the old seals are wounded
md killed, or driven off. Prof. Elliott
says 1t appears to be a well under
stood principle among the able-bodied
oulls that each one shall remain undis-
;urbed on his ground, which is usually
lbout ten feet square, provided that he
IS strong enough to hold it against all
,omers. Some of these bulls show won-
lerful strength aud courage. I have
marked one veteran, who was among the
irst to take up his position, and that
,ne on the water line, where at least fifty
or sixty desperate battles we're fought
by him with nearly as many
different seals, who coveted his position,
md when the fighting season was over
after the COWS have mostly all hauled
1p) I saw him covered with scars and
yashes, raw and bloody, an eye gouged
)ut, but lording it bravely over his |
,arem of fifteen or twenty COWS, all |
,uddled together on the same spot he
had first chosen" The fighting is done |
vith the mouth, and when the Jaws have |
.losed on q foe the effort of shaking |
hem loose leaves an ugly wound "the
harp CANNES tearing out deep cutters
n the skin and blubber, or shredding
he fappers into ribbon strips"
The families average about fifteen
,ows each, and they take up 80 little
DOM that space two feet square suffices
or a COW, while the bull, being much
arger, needs about twice as much room.
Within two days after landing the young
re born, and in three or four days more
he guardian patriarch allows the mother
o retreat to the water, where she spends
most of her time, returning to land
whenever the young seal requires food.
seals are good mothers, and nurse their
'oung for nearly year, or for more than
year if they do not have another birth.
While the mothers are playing in the
Tater the old male remains on shore and