, 1876-06-07
A Hundred Thousand Seals Killed
There Yearly, Worth
100000.
How The Male Collects Hls 1laretn...
None bnt tile Brave Secure
tho Fair.
Rapid Increase Of seal-Population-
raoity Of the Animals.

lands In Behring's StraltR. These are four III
nunbcr,--St. rnal'a, with 2l,l20 acres; s..
George, with about II COO acres; Otter Island, q
nile and hull long and less than lialf mtllc
w,lc; nnd Wn1rus Island, mere fiat rock, ris-
Ing but little above tho surf, quarter Of milo
long and 100 yards Wide Tho first two have to-
gcthcr II mica Of coast line, but so much Of
the shurc Ia bold and rocky TINT only 1SX miles
arc visited by aeals.
On St. Georges, several thousand sca.lions
have taken possession Of hnlf.a-nl!le morc Of
landing. The benches on Which they breed arc
narrow reaches Of sandt varying from 10 10 15O
feet wtlc, and covering Total area Of 0357, $40
square feet, Or not quits 147 acres. On this
urea
ABOUT 100000 sEA1s ARE K1I1gp YEARLY,
worth 900. This Ia yield Of Si,7G2 an
acre. Thu United States Government obtains
from these isla,lls rental OF 900 yearly,
anil s2o2, zoo for 100, 900 scalskina. rl,s Is tax-
ing these barren santl-bcncl,ts to the amount Of
s2 l50 per asrc. Figures like these deserve
eIcrattot, for IL Is only by such computations
that the ynluc Ut fisheries to tho country will
ever be- made apparent. In the present caso 1t
Ia satisfactory tU know thnt the Government tax
is blessing to tho world.
The total number OF scals which hrccil as4!!ualy
OH tue lslal,s Ia computed ut ., loJ, go, md, be-
fore the restrictions placed on the hunt by tho
Government, they were killed at tile rntc ct
2iO, ,U0o monthly. This would have cxtlrpntcd
Is limited to loo 00D year, and they arc sad by
some observers to ho increasing at tlic rate OF
per cent annually. The aboYc number tues not
include those witch are killed. but tho breeding
era, thu number Is estimated at 1,500, 900, SO
that the total seal-populaElon Is a1n,lt 100 900.
Tho mule acas lat1 first, n the lnttcr rnrt Of
Apriil usually Or In May. THY always chooas
for tsr s Or 9ach
where tho newborn sculs tatl have some protce-
ton aganss the Rwcep Of tho surf. On land-
ng, they gy& themselves up entirely to sleeping,
patriarchs from coming to tho roolscry.
THIS sTsTEM or NATURAL. SELECTION
Is advantageous to tlio race, mud to thcIr human
pursuess nlso II keeps thu stock strong and
hardy, aud sends tic baclulurs of less than 8
years (tllo ago of maturity to liaul themselves
| up ut some Other point, where they COLLECT to-
gttl,cs, aud eau be readily hcrtlcl by the hunters
without nlarninE the breeders. The females
do not lnnd for 4 month after, and arc taken
| possession Of by tho tnnlo nearest TO tho point
at which they lGavu the water The selection ts
not matlr Without trcmcnlons lighting, and
u driven Oft. Prnf. Elliott snys: "1t appears
to be a wel-sllldcrstood principle anoIig tlIs
lble-hnicd bulls tlat cach one shall rGmain
undisturhed. IN Ills ground, which ia usually
T.. .trn,,,. o,nrh -, 1 II nDonss ,,, nn,,o,.
So,ue OF these bulls show wonderful strength
Mu coiae. nv, a't ~ tui1 ~ J,a s wI,9
sn. Ms aS @ ~ w H. "t"rn rnra r. 1na.t nftu au
! or sixty desperate battles wero fought ylctol1-
ouely by him with nearly as many different
seals, who coveted his position; md, "hcn the
,ge SIafu ,,,s %H ,,n "scF a, tI, IT, lug G"ms nse &
XII ~ aosfes ro o h1"n,v M nv g,1sd mssI
@ out but but 1loTiing il Traypiy oyer hii hsrela of
Ieem OF .wSnIy ~ III III rst M csan H. g On
G saU & sui t1' ~ a % nth an ,rbsn n ~, n n
M uuS W., 1 @ te ..ti,r ~. u, ahsa,, se ; Snms
oosn ,eves @ a. ngy w9unu t sFp e9''es n',
teai1n5 ohs 49," e,nrs ~ t,t aau ni,'a
ocs, .a,,,, ~ @n3cu'''as tn' Appc'o tA'o '1ppon'
s,s,ls "r . ,rs .yeu.oa .uo,yr vrrrrau roxva
TIE FAMILIES A's"Aus Auoof flffEaa cows
.,, .ox +,.s u, al hAu'l, t;ttio, ,,o,n tbo, .n,co q
au hmsy aam1 ~ - @ ae,, tr, ~ i' r.
se1 Sees i9r oe" eo fsn T" ,,c on1 r
eys atsr pne tho Yoaus arc
eor ad in tfee os t1ar dayf gre the guar
uia'! patslue! n,i"m IT, sne !usnst ~ iGleas "
.e wates' M'icre snn epvus ,h h,oS. III ea tne,
retushG 70 'a.u % "!s.'cssa e tsa {ou"s sSal ~,
te yohs shs e m et enl sens anr n st hrh tla Wa
tS o.eta NV Pays ~ trI tnl,,s "acu, ro. 'c ~ ~
aas ~ I'LL ~ ,s ~ W. st, eo ~ .o
no null f,,,n
pup cAA ~ tnhet ~ ..e VALET, n.'A 1nuf months ~
%pu.vso % ~ r =" I;rn,v ~ thean KS tc
mother on her ,!'grGqay 1uushey tnlongn tAe
ocean, ~ AZ q GaGn o1nGs 1sn,l ,as f ono Pup. .ns
a9uatu 'cJa u 1s @Ss n, t ss
place Arrles lw9 ~, iisTs TX a!l t.e e9tlpntaton
given aooVcoi p lE,u.o pseeostl5 seals oh these
slillius IL ulaau tso! u lcasu.slcs Z. r u , ny
ua H., - tn ",' ,,nsf,x s
Y s te n,v 10 Of tas u = e snd
ia nhs slst!lctlYa NV III osst1aonlloM'. any
says tne @ uosefn,cht ~, gii ngGnI can a!"ays saaey y
aeport upIm sorvin she eo'u ~" sra, " c, ns se 10
ctop ny ohseFvlng the area o.3 .63ccaplGa ooa nY
tne ni'''l1ns Deimeeai tne ivth anu .u.n
OF auy II iHat ~ t,e waeK ot tnelF gieates! ex
pAns19tl. Mnca the PURPOSE los WLlch thty
lave aea ss .s ncco,nps,',e tnS systcmasc Dr.
ganlk4tlos 91oa.s up anu tno sc'tie beattet, soMo
straylnE inland and Inc who!o hcru may & soSes ,
hreeuahs sea!s, . u1ote tnan no'ovg Afo COWS atla
issa thn iopou nul!s, anu @ ~ tew "enSs @ 9Iasf ~
nrns m,ns No nn usu .a,ue
IN tte hsa!nh ast1 eAfiy Winter tio seais take
the!r aepartuss,. WhcLo tlloy ~ Is hot ascef
tnlnea definitely, nsst tMey probably ~
sl'nEAn TliEMsftsEs OVER TIE aohIn PACIFIC,
following tile ss!l9nls ni hsll. OF 1rsquentlng
UA1lkH atA 6nuukb WEGFH tuey call Ilfu InOA. lIlt