The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-10
BREEDING SEALS AND Offers.
Tho Experiments That an Old Sealing Man Is
TO Make In Alaska.
From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat.

From the st. Louis GLOBE Democrat.
A FRANCISCO, Sept. 27.-Dr. David Starr
Jordan. who recently inspected the seal rock
cries on behalf OF the Government. has demon.
strated that the fur seals can be raised success
fully in captivity in their native waters, and
this fact has led to the organization Of a curious
expedition which will sail for the sealing
grounds early this month. DR.. Jordan. while in
the Behring Sea had several thousand seals cor
rallied in a salt lagoon on 81. Paul Island. one of
the largest Of the Aleutian Islands, and tho
young seals seemed to be so content with their
home that the question Of raising seals arti.
ncially came up for discussion. The lagoon was
completely surrounded with a specially con-
structed wire fence so the seals could not injure
themselves by beating against 1t.
Although they were all young pups confined
in the lagoon to keep the Canadian poachers
from destroying them before they reached ma
turity. it is believed that they would breed sat.
isfactorily in such a pen II the females we-e
turned loose In the lagoon. To test this matter
Capt; John schoonovcr. an old sealer who is
farm. So feasible does the scheme appear,
backed up by DR.. Jordan's experience. that cap.
OF land on the westerly point OF Nunivak Island.
OF the Alaskan coast. and there he intends TO
make his experiments on a large scale.
When engaged in the scaling business during
I pdili uhA0, u Japan lECQufIllN DTpuEAl
young seals 10 his home on Nnnivak Island. and
he cletms that he bred many seals there without
then elsewhere that itdid not pay to make much
effort TO raise them. They were so plentiful at
that time In the sea and on the Islands that a
dreds OF thousands of seals were killed annually,
and. twice as many boats were engaged in the
The Captain viii sail from this city thoroughly
equipped for his work. and he will either pur.
cfase or catch tho live seals at the rookeries
win which he lntRnda to stock HIS farm Ha
will engage native Aleuts to herd and keep the
seals after they are once transferred to his
experiments is very similar to that used by DR..
Jordan for corrailing the young pups on st. Paul
sea, and is surrounded on three sides by the
rocky coast OF the island. The arm that reaches
fence viii have to be Constructed probably aftvv
or sixty feet under the water. The lagoon will
have to be surrounded by a similar fence on the
land. for the seals can travel overland with as
much ease as In the water.
The question OF securing food for the captive
seals is not difficult Of solution. for the waters
all about abound IN fish that the seals like. The
seals, for that matter. cat any hsh they can cap
many Of the common sea fish; but after the herd
or seals increases in number and size he eN-
Pea se i% s"' Fsfs Witt MIii ,3 3f The be f tse moist wi.h d nft:
cult part OF the undertaking, and his men will
find themselves kept busy all Of the time. A
the weight and size. but This is about ali the
SalC II bttlS nttl. III AuuATluUS the 1uT seas
have been bred heretofore. but on such a small
scale that the experiments furnished very little
data for scientists TO base any conclusion on.
and the coming attempt will be viewed with
considerable interest.
The fur seals are polyEemous IN their habits.
and one old male fights for his position ON the
breeding grounds surrounded by his harem of
thirty 70 forty females; II my. be that the la
ing places where each herd or hnrem can be kept
by itself: The male seals are sometimes very
MES come tDEpthnF Ihpy fight nnt tho nTRGtiAn
OF supremacy 10 tho death, MANY bull seals
are killed or MANNED in this way, and ii Is quite
essential that nothing OF this Kind should occur
The male seals do not reach maturity until
young at three. An old male or "beachmaster'
i consequently a very precious animal. and it is
maies that the scaling ,iniS r indnsiry f has 6eeH r %f sno
T. cry effort will be made 10 secure some old
male seals Of the startand these will he started
in A. once with a herd Of females, No returns
Will naturally be expected from this seal farm
for several years. II the owners succeed in
starting good number on the island the first
season they are satisfied, and after that II they
breed and raise Young ones they will make n
large fortune out of the enterprise.
1t Is also Intended to start a sea otter farm on
the Nunivak Island. This valuable animal has
suffered almost complete extinction in the
water. It is esiimatcd" by D6r. Jordan that not
oceans, and that these will soon be killed of.
There is no way TO protect them. and the only
way 10 keep some FOR the future Is tn breed
them in captivity. At one time hundreds OF
thousands OF, skins Of the sea otter wcrc
now the business Is dead. and no furricr pre-.
tends to handle sea otter skins. Capt. SChOon-
over viii OFFER 500 for every, pair of live sea
offers that can he caught, and by this means he
hopes to secure enough males and females to
start = farm or colony. The otters will have a
deep sea pond opening upon the ocean. sur.
rounded with a salty meadow. where tho AMI.
mails can crawl up when they need rest. Nearly
the same conditions will be needed for them as
for the seals.