New-York tribune., 1897-08-23
m Tons of Roses
~ Years Success.
Colgate's
Soaps and Perfumes.
SEAL HERDS SHRINKING.
DIR. JORDAN BRINGS BACK AN1NTEREST-
ING REPORT FROM BEHRING SEA.

| EVIL EFFECTS OF PELAGIC SEALING OF FORMER
| YEARS Just NOW BECOMING APPARENT
THE AMERICAN CONVENTIONS VERIFIED.
Portland. Ore Aug. 22-Dr David Starr
Jordan. Commissioner in Chief of the fur-seal
Investigations. with George A. Clark secretary
of the Commission. arrived in Seattle on the
revenue cutter Rush Captain w. II. Roberts
commanding and passed through Portland to-
day on his way 10 San Francisco. The party
left Unaaska on the morning OF August IL.
Dr. Jordan reports tie satisfactory completion
of the summers Investigations by the two Com
missoners.
Mr. Macoun. the Canadian Commissioner. had
already left the Pribyloff Islands, and the Brit
ish Commissioner. Professor Thompson. was
about to leave on II. NJ s. Amphion. Mr.. Lucas.
OF the American Commission, remained behind
for a week or ten days and Will so direct to
San Francisco on the steamer Del Norte. Pres-
dent Jordan said, speaking directly regarding
the results of his latest Investigations:
The breeding grounds show shrnkage Of
about IL per cent over the conditions of last
season, and the hunting grounds shrinkage OF
33 per cent This is abou; what was predicted by
the American Commission last year. and the
conclusions are fully vindicatcd IN all important
regards.
The primary cause Of shrinkage of females
on the breeding grounds is the peagic catch of
| last fall 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. affect
Ing as it did. in a like measure the male herd
is the cause of the dmnution Of the killable seals
on The hunting grounds
''Tha decline Of the herd is everywhere more
| distinctly marked than il was last year. owing
| to the effects of the resumption of pelagc kill
| ing in Bchring Sea after the modus vivend of
| 1885 For 1898 the shrinkage will be still
greater, through the destruction in 1884 of un-
| born pups with impregnated females killed.
| Thus the evil effects of pelagic sealing in any
particular year still more clearly felt three
| and four years after. Even if pelagic sealing
| should be stopped at once. the decline Of the
herds must go on until after 1900. because OF
the after effect. due to the destruction Of nurs-
| ing and unborn OffspIfngs.
| The pelagic fleet in Behring Sea numbers
about twenty nine vessels. as against sixty
eight last year. The report of the catches are
| unproftable No seizures have been made
The only new fact discovered this year has
been that parasitic worm investing the sandy
rock areas is the cause of large part of the
| early mortality among pups which was ascribed
| in general way last year 10 trampling.
| The early mortality a whole shows a de-
| crease relative to the decreased number Of
| animals.
Branding Of young female seals which will
be begun after September l. Will be carried on 10y
| Colonel Murray. chief agent on the islands. and
| f.. p. Farmer. electrician. The skins of the
| branded cows returned this year TO the island
| show clearly the permanency Of the mark and its
! efficiency to render the skin unstable without
| injury the animal or 10 the herd. Branding
has the same effect upon the fur seal herd tina
| branding calves shearng sheep has on the
| classes of animals. The idea that me seals
might be driven away by branding is sheer non
| sense.
| "The catch Of the schooner from the japanese
| coast reported 10 have taken branded skins
| there was examined in Oonalaska, by captain
| Hooker and no such skins were found. Noi
| were any branded skins known TO have beer
| taken on the Asiatic coast. The seals frequent
ing this coast have a distinct species
! '.Th-xalt lagoon st. Paul Island has beer
| fenced and the males too young to he Killed TINS
year will he herded there until the close OF
| pelagic sealing.