The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-08-28
PELAGlC SEALING

apidl Tending to determination OF h
Seal Herds-Result OF the Latest Invcsti-
cations by tine Joint Commission Ap-
pointed by the British, American and
Canadian GOvernments-Cruel Slaughter.
PORTLAND, Ore, Aug. 23.-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 cut
ter Rush, and passed through Portland
yesterday en- route for San Francisco.
The party left Unalaska on the morn
ing of August 8. DIR. Jordan reports the
satisfactory completion of the sum-
mer's investigation by the two commits
~sioners.
Mr.. Macoun, the Canadian commits
sioner, had already left the Pribylof
islands, and the British commissioner,
Prof. Thompson, was about to leave on
II. NJ. S. Amphion.
Mr.. Lucas, of the American commits
sion, remained for a week or ten days,
and will go direct to San Francisco on
the Del Norte. DIR. Jordan said, speak
ing directly regarding the result Of his
latest Investigations:
The breeding grounds show a ~shrinkage Of
about Is per cent. over the conditions OF last
season; the hunting grounds a shrinkage of So
per cent. This is about what was predicted by
the American commission last year, and the
conclusions are fully indicated in all impor-
tant regards
The primary cause OF shrinkage Of females
on the breeding grounds is the pelagic catch
Of last fall and this spring. To this is added
the loss due to starvation Of orphaned pups in
1884. which should this year have lived to give
birth to their first pups. This starvation in
1894, affecting, as it did, in like measure the
male herd, is the cause of the diminution OF
killaole seals on the hunting grounds
The decline Of the herd is everywhere moro
distinctly marked than it was last year, owing
to the effects Of the resumption OF pelagic kill
ing in Behring sea after the mOduS yivendi Of
1898. For 1s9S the shrinkage will be still
greater, through the destruction, in 1894, of IN
born pups with impregnated females killed
Thus the evil effects Of pelagic sealing in any
year are still more clearly felt three and four
years after. EVENT. pelagic sealing should be
stopped at once the decline Of the herd must
go on until after 1900 because of the after effect,
due to the destruction Of nursing and unborn
offspring.
The pelagic feet in Behring sea numbers
about 70 vessels, against IS last year. The re-
ported catches are Improbable. No seizures
uuNO W hlldC
The only new fact discovered this year has
been that 4 parasitic worm infesting the sandy
rookery areas is the cause OF a large part OF the
early mortality among pups, which was
ascribed in a general way last year to tram
pling.
The early mortality, as a whole, shows a de-
crease relative to the decreased number Of ami
mails.
Branding of young female seals, which will
be begun after September /, will be carried on
by Col Murray, chief agent on the Islands, and
Mr.. E. E. Farmer, electrician. The skins Of
the branded cows returned this year to the is
lands show clearly the permanently of the mark
and its efficiency to render the skin unSaleaDle
without injury to the animal 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 branding is
sheer nonsense.
The catch of the schooner from the japanese
coast, reported to have taken branded skins
there, was examined in UnalaSxa by Capt.
Hooper and no such skins were found, nor
were any branded skins known to have been
taken on the Asiatic coast. The seals fire.
Q~uenting this coast are a distinct species.
The salt lagoon on st. Paul island has been
fenced, and the males too young to be killed
this year will be herded there until the close Of
pelagic sealing.