The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-23
TEE SEAL COMMISSION.
Some Interesting Facts In Relation
to This Industry.

TO This Industry.
Portland, Ore. Aug. 22-Dr. David Starr
Jordan. commissioner in-chlef of the fur
seal investigations, with George A. Clark,
secretary Of the commission. arrived in
Seattle on the revenue cutter Rush, Capt
w. H. Roberts, commanding. and passed
through Portland to-day en- route for San
Francisco
The party left Unalaska on the morning
OF Aug -. DR., Jordan reports the salts
factory completion of summers lnvestiga-
tons by the two commissioners. Mr. Ma
coun. the Canadian commissioner. had al
ready left the Prybloff Islands and the
British commissioner, Prof. Thompson,
was about to leave on H. NJ. s. Amphino.
Mr.. Lucas of the American commission
remained behind for a week er ten days
and will go direct to San Francisco on the
steamer Del Norte.
President Jordan said, speaking direct
ly regarding the results of mis- latest inves-
legations: The breeding grounds show a
shrnka9e of about Is per cent over the
conditions of last season, the hunting
grounds shrinkage of SO per cent This is
about what was predicted by the Ameri-
can commission last year and the conclu-
sions are fully indicated in all important
regards. The primary cause of shrinka ge
of females on the breeding grounds is the
pelagic catch of last fail and this spring
To this is added the loss due TO starvation
Of orphaned pups in 1894 which should this
year have lived to give birth to their first
pups. This starvation in 1894 affecting as
II aid in like measure the male herd, is the
cause of the dimnution of killabe seals
on the hunting grounds
The decline of the herd is everywhere
more distinctly marked than it was last
year, owing to the effects of the resump-
ton of pelagic killing in Behring sea after
the modus vivendi of 1893. For 1898 the
shrinkage viii be stin greater through the
destruction in 1894 of unborn pups with
pregnated females Killed. Thus the evil
effects of pelagic sealing in any particular
year are stll more clearly felt three or
four years after. Even if pelagic sealing
Should be stopped the decline of the herd
must go on until after 1900 because of the
after effects due to the destruction of the
nursing ana unborn offspring.
The pelagic fleet i'm Behring sea number
about twenty-nine vessels as against six
tv-eight last year.
''FhC report of the catches are unprofita-
bic. No seizures have been made. The
only new fact discovered this year has
been that a parasitic worm infesting the
sandy rocky areas is the cause of a large
part of the early mortality among pups
which was ascribed in a general way last
year to trampling.
THE early mortality, as a whole shows
a decrease relative TO the decreased num-
Der of animals. Branding of young fe-
male seals. which will be begun after
Sept. l, will be carried on by Col. Murray,
chief agent on the islands, and Mr.. e.
f. Farmer, electrician. The skins of the
branded cows returned this year to the
islands show clearly the permanency of
the mark and its efficiency to render the
skin unsuitable without injury to the an
imal or to the herd. Branding has the
same effect on the fur seal herd that
branding calves or shearing sheep has on
those classes of animals. The idea that
the seals might be driven away by brand
ing is sheer nonsense.
THE catch Of the schooner from the
japanese coast reported TO have taken
branded skins there was examined in
Unalaska by Capt. Hooper, and no such
skins were found. Nor were any brand
ed skins known to have been taken on
the Asiatic coast. The seals frequenting
this coast are a distinct specie. The salt
lagoon on ST. Paul Island has been fenc-
ed and the males too young to be killed
this year will be herded there until the
close of the pelagic sealing"