The herald., 1897-08-23
Marching Steadily Toward
Extinction
PREDICTIONS OF COMMISSION
FULLY INDICATED IN EVERY
REGARD
Professor Jordan Returns From the
Breeding Grounds and Reports
on the Work Done
Associated Press Special Wire.


PORTLAND, Or, 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. H. Roberts command
ing, and passed through Portland today
en- route for San Francisco. The party
left Unalaska on the morning of August
18th
DR. Jordan reports the satisfactory
completion of the summers investiga-
tions by the two commissioners. Mr..
Macoun, the Canadian commissioner
had already left the Pribyloff Islands,
and the British commissioner, Prot.
Thompson, was about to leave on H. M.
s. Amphion. Mr.. Lucas of the American
commission remained behind for week
or ten days and will go direct to San
Francisco on the steamer Del Norte.
The breeding grounds show shrink
age of about Is per cent compared with
last season; the hauling grounds a
shrinkage of 3S per cent. This is about
what was predicted by the American
commission last year, and their conclu-
sions are fully vindicated in all import
ant regards. The primary cause Of the
shrinkage of females on the breeding
grounds is the pelagic catch of last fall
and the present spring. To this Is added
the loss due to the starving of orphaned
pups in 1894, which should this year have
appeared to give birth to their first pups.
This starvation in 1894, affecting, as 1t
did. in like measure the male herd, is the
cause of the diminution of killable seals
on the hauling grounds.
The decline of the herd is everywhere
more distinctly marked than it was last
year, owing to the effects of the resump-
tion of pelagic killing in Bering sea after
the modus vivendi of 1891. For 1898 the
shrinkage will be still greater through
the destruction in 1894 of unborn pups
with impregnated females killed. Thus.
the evil effects of pelagic sealing in any
particular year are still most clearly felt
three and four years after. Even if pc
lagic 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 un-
born offspring.
The pelagic fleet in Bering sea numbers
about twenty-nine vessels, as against
sixty-eight last year. The reported
catches are light and Improbable. No
seizures have been made.
The only new fact discovered this year
has been that parasitic worm infesting
the sandy rookery areas is the cause of
the early mortality among pups which
was aScribed in general way last year
to trampling.
The early mortality, as whole shows
decrease relative to the decreased
number of animals. Branding of young
female seals, which will begin after Sep
tember 1st, 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 islands show clearly the per-
manency of the mark and it's efficiency
to render the skin unstable without in
jury to the animal or to the herd Brand
ing has the same effect upon the fur seal
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
Japan coast reported to have taken
branded skins there was examined in
Unalaska by Captain Hooper and no
such skins were found, nor were any
branded skins shown to have been taken
on the Asiatic coast. The seals fire.
quenting this coast are 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.