Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-06-24

TO retreat TO bne wafer, Wnere Sne SpenuS
most of her time, returning to land
whenever the young seal requires food.
Seals are good mothers, and nurse their
young for nearly year, or for more than
year if they do not have another birth.
While the mothers are playing in the
water the old male remains on shore and
takes care of the pups. 1t is thirty-fve
or forty days before the pup can be
taken to the water, and four months be-
fore he is strong enough to follow the
mother on her migratory journey through
the ocean. AS each mother has one pup,
the four square feet of ground which
formed her resting place carries two
lives, and the computation given, above
of 3,193,670 breeding seals on these
islands is made from a measurement of
the area occupied by the rookeries. "
Prof. Elliott found their distribution so
uniform that he calls it ga fine instinc-
tive law of distribution, and says the
government agent can always safely re-
port upon the condition of the seal crop
by observing the area occupied by the
animals between the tenth and twentieth
of July. That is the week,of their great
est expansion. When the purpose for
which they have landed isaccomplished,
the systematic organization breaks up,
and the seals scatter, some straying in
land, and the whole herd may cover
twice its normal ground. Of every
100, 900 breeding seals more than IS, 900
are COWS and less than 15, 900 bulls, and
in few weeks after the females begin
to land, there are about 10000 parents
and pups on the same ground.
In the autumn and early winter the
seals take their departure. Where they
go is not ascertained definitely, but they
probably spread themselves over the
North Pacific, following schools of fish
or frequenting banks and shoals where
they can find food. The amount Of
food required by them is immense. At
five pounds each per day, which is not
I half enough for a full grown male,
they, the seals of these two islands, will
eat up no less than three million tons
of fish in a year. This immense guam
tity makes it evident that human care
can do nothing to assist their propaga-
tion. In the sea they have enemies,
but it would be simply impossible to
obtain food enough for them at the
islands, even if it. were the only point
to be considered. To get such sup
ply they spread themselves over the
ocean, and there come in contact with
enemies as voracious as they are.
Killerwhales and sharks make such
havoc among them that of a million
pups, which is the estimate of years
Increase, not more than one-half return
the next spring. Some observers put
the proportion much lower, and with
greatprobability considering thehelpless-
ness of the sucklings. The second year,
however, they are better able to care
for themselves, and do not lose more
than one-tenth of their numbers. After
that they do not suffer much during
their lives of fifteen or twenty years.
From natural enemies the pups have
most to fear, for they are probably the
| helpless. In the stomach of one killer
whale no less than fourteen small harp
seals were found. But man also has
his share in their destruction, and he
strikes what he finds without regard to
age. The seal loves to sleep on the
surface of the water, and are often sur
prised in this condition by whal-
ers and the natives. 1t is quite common
to find shot and even bullets imbedded
in the blubber, just under the skin, of
the young seals killed on the islands.
Were it not for these various enemies,
there is no knowing where their increase
would stop. Out of a million pups born
every year, $4,000 are destroyed at sea
in the first two years of life, 100000
more are killed for their skins, and
probably $4,000 are killed by natives, or
die soon after birth. This isa total loss
of 675,000 of less than five years of age
yearly, by accountable causes, and yet
the increase is reported at five per cent,
or 200, ,000 seals year. AS the artificial
destruction of one-tenth the annual in
crease by man does not interfere in the
least with their perpetuation, Prof. Ell
lott considers that they have arrived at
their maximum expansion. One reason,
however, for the slight effect of the
hunt upon their numbers is that none
but males are killed. OF the 45O, 900
which survive at the end of the second
season, one-half are probably males.
But their family relations are such that
only one-ffteenth of the males are
l needed, and the remainder, or more than
200, 900, can be killed in their second,
third, and fourth years without disturb
ing their natural increase. In fact, on
its present basis, the seal hunt can safe
ly supply about 180, 900 skins year.
The conditions of this business are
such that there is no reason why, with
out unexpected accident, the seals
should not continue to earn at least
100000 year for the United States
government for centuries to come. To
make this certain it is proposed to have
them carefully mapped as they lie on
their breeding grounds, and compared
from year to year. They bear this in
spection very we'll. Those which arrive
earliest are sometimes timid, but when
the males are in great numbers they
take no notice of the inspector. They
are fortunately not affected by village
sounds, unless very near, nor the stencil
of the slaughter field.
The habits of seals are as interesting as
those of any animal known. The mere
fact that, If the observers are not mis-
taken, only one-fifteenth of the males
can set up q family, indicates that the law
of selection must be in active use among
them. The COWS do not come to land
until their young are ready for birth,
and having borne them, they leave the
principal care of the pups to husband
who is not the father. There is no
proof, but evidence to the contrary, that
the seals, male or female, seek the same
rookery year after year. The strongest
warriors get the first pick, and the sys-
tenn of unlimited roguery in which they
indulge makes it impossible for COW to