The San Francisco call., 1898-11-27

have been depleted had not some means
 been adopted to stem the tide of pela-
 gic slaughter. And so rapacious
 have been the pelagic sealers that
 our Government has even con- templated the killing of all of our
 herds in order to circumvent the consciencelesS marauders of the north seas. But humane scruples intervened and no such extreme measures have
 been resorted to. Various methods. however, were adopted by our Govern
 ment by which the herds, although ter
 ribly decimated, have been kept intact
 and sufficient number of seals re- main, if properly protected, to perpetu- ate the species. The first step taken to- ward conserving the herds was the an-
 nual branding of the female seals. This
 experiment was suggested to MT. Mur-
 rays mind by the custom in vogue in
 Colorado and other States of the West
 of branding of cattle, with which he
 was well acquainted. The purpose to
 be attained was to make the skins of
 the female seals valueless for cOmn1er-
 cial uses. and thus render the animals immune from the ravageS of the pela-
 gic sealers. The idea was received by the higher authorities with but little favor at first, but consent was hnally given to have the experiment tried. | Those opposing it expressed fear that l if the branding did not absolutely de-
 stroy the life of the seal. it would inn | pair it's reproductive faculties. The 1 experiment was first tried upon adult
 seals. A full grown seal with pup at | her size was first to be branded. and | the iron was brought to a white heat
 and the animal branded to the very 1 quick, yet but little pain was mani- 1 fested bv the seal, and soon as the | operation was done the old seal went to 1 her pup and calmly nursed 1t. After | some $50 adult female seals had been | branded, the branding was confined to | pup seals between the age of three and | four months. The entire back of the
 animal from hip to shoulder. is grid | ironed with deeply burned scars, so | that the skin is rendered absolutely | and the animal is left to breed by the | open sea seaiers.
 The special agent then directed his 1 efforts to the preservation of the male
 seals. The open or pelagic season un- | der the present international agreement
 between the United States and Great Britain extends from the first of Au- | gust until the first of October This | period is included within the breeding
 season, when the seals. both male and 1 female. old and young. are inhabiting
 the rookeries. The breeding females
 are caring for their young, the breed
 ing males or bulls have charge of their | harems, while the non breeding males | or "bachelors" are compelled by the
 bulls to herd bv themselves. The males | take little or no IOOO OurlnS tnlS sea- l son. while the females are obliged to
 go to sea dail-- to obtain food in or 1 der properly to nourish their young | Scattered over the seal islands are
 numerous lakes and lagoons, connect l ing with the sea b. means of narrow | inlets, through which these smaller bodies of water are supplied with fresh water by the action of two tides daily. From San Francisco the special agent had transported a large quantity of
 wire nettin~ with which he fenced these lakes and lagoons about, leaving open- in~s through which the seals could be driven and which could be closed bv
 means of gates. The bachelor seals
 were driven into these inclosures about the first of August and kept until the l first of October, and having plenty of
 fresh water to disport in and by na-e ture requiring no food. were kept in l good condition until the open season
 had expired, when they were let out and allowed to frequent the open sea
 again. These methods have been so eff
 fective in their results that the pelagio
 sealers have become well nigh discour-
 aged.