The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-23

PORTLAND. Or. Aug 22-Dr. David
starr Jordan commissioner n charge Of
the FUR seal Investigations. with George
b Clark. secretary OF Ehe commission. ar
rived ia Seattle On the revenue cutter
Elsisara Rush. Capt W II. Roberts COM
EaanclnE. and passed Through Portland to-
day. ea route for san Francsscs. The
party ieft Unalaaka On the morning q
August ls. Dr. Jordan reports the salts
factory completion Of the summers iEves-
tigati0ns BY the two commissions. Mr..
AGcoan, the Canadian commissioner. had
already left the PFibiiof islands. and the
British commissioners. Prof. Thompson.
was about 10 leave on II. NJ. 5. Ampnson.
Ar. Lucas. OF the American commission.
remained behind for q week or ten days.
and viii so direct 20 san Francisco on
the steamer Del Norte.
The breeding grounds show a shrinkage
Of about Is per cent over the conditions
o. last season. the hauling grounds a
shrlpkags OF s3 Per cent. This Is about
wa2t was predicted BY the American COM
mission last year, and their conclusions
are faIly vindicated Ia all important re-
CARDS.
The primary cause of the shrlnkaee q
females on the breeding grounds is the
peiagic catch OF last fan ard the present
spring To this Is added the loss due to
tho starvation Of orphaned pups IN 1885,.
which should this year have appeared 10
give birth 70 their first pups. This star
walton in lsss} affecting as IL did In ike
measure the male herd. IS the cause of the
dlmlnuitou OF kiiiable seals on the haul
ing grounds. The decline OF the herd IS
everywhere more distinctly marked than
4 was last year owing 10 the effects Of
the resumption OF pelagic killing in Berng
sea after the rn0sius vivendi of 1893. For
lS's the shrlnkage VIII be stiil 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 more clearly
felt three and four years after. Even II
peiagic sealing should be stopped al once,
the decline OF the herd must 20 on until
after Iao. because Of the after effect. due
to the destruction Of nursing and unborn
offspring.
The pelaEie fleet In Bering sea numbers
about twenty y-nine vessels. as against
sixty-eight last year. The reported catches
are light and Improbable. No seizures
have heen made. The only new fact dis
covered this year has been that a para
site worm infesdng the sandy rookery
areas IS the cause of A large part of the
early mortality among pups. which was
ascrihed In a general way last year TO
trampiing. The early mortality as a whole
shows decrease relative TO the decreased
number of animals.
Branding of young female seals, which
Will be begun after September J. viii be
carried on BY Col. Murray. chief agent on
the islands, and Mr.. +. r. Farmer cleo
trician. The skins OF the branded cows
returned this year to the islands show
the permanency Of the marx and It's ef-
fcienCy % render the skin unsaleab bic
without injury 20 the animal or 10 the
herd. Branding has the same effect on the
fur seal herd that branding calves or
shearing sheep has on these classes OF
animals. The idea that the seals might be
driven away by branding Is sheer non
sense.
The catch OF the schooner from the
Japan coast reported TO have taken brand
81 skins there was examined IN Unalaska
by Capt. Hooper and no such skins were
found. Nor were any branded skins known
70 have been taken on the Aslatic coast
The seals frequcntinE this coast are a dis
tinct species The salt lagoon on s.. Paul
island has been fenced and the males too
young 20 De killed this year VIII be herded
there until the close Of pelagic sealing.