Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-01
AN ENGLISH NAT URALIST
he Discusses the QUESTION Of Pelagic Sealing
From Biological Standpoint.
Contentious of the United States That
He Considers Based on Rea-
sOnable Grounds.


entitled 1.-The Fur Seals; The American
Case by one who signs himself "A Brit
ish Naturalist" appears In the Con-
temporary Review for December. This
really useful contribution to seal litera-
ture seems to have been melted by a COM
munication in the November Fortnightly
Review from Mr.. H. W. Wilson, who,
the Naturalist" by way of introduction.
says vigorously abuses our American
| kirsmen for their protests against the
continued destruction of the north Pacific
herds of fur SEALS" The writer then
n ost happily epitomizes the uniformed
Englishman's standpoint on the seal ques-
ton as follows: THE article (Mr. Wilson's)
treats the subject from a point OF view
| WI ich is now quite out of date. and Is IN
example of the misrepresentation Of the
American case which have done so much
to embitter difficult controversy. The
position taken by the United States in
reference to the seals of the Boring sea
admits of easy Misrepresentation. The
claim to vested interest in wild animals
at beyond the three-mile territorial
limit may be treated as the introduction
into international law of principle of
the :vorland' analogous TO the well-known
doctrine of the 'hinterland. If possession
of a coastline gives nation the right
to the wild animals of the adjacent seas
foreigners might be excluded from the
Newfoundland cod fisheries and the Dutch
tlawlers from the Doggerbank. Again the
selfish. it would allow Americans TO
continue killing seals on shore while it
would deny British subjects the right to
kill them anywhere. And it is easy TO
protest that the sole object of the United
States government is by raising new is
sues to reverse the decisions of the Paris
award.
A Problem of Statistic Biology.
Fortunately, however. the accurate in
designations of Professor D. Starr Jordan
and Professor Darcy Thompson and their
assistants during the past two summers
have raised the question to a stage in
which the habits of the fur seals are more
relevant than those Of politicians. AS the
question is now simply a problem of sta
tistical biology British naturalist may
be excused for asking whether the United
States has an arguaDle case or whether its
demands rest on such empty impudence
as Mr.. Wilson would have us believe
To understand the present aspect of
the question knowledge of the habits of
otaria ursina, the North Pacific fur seal.
is essential"
The writer then devotes several pages
to the life history of the seal, which he
pre- sents in SO condensed and satisfactory
manner that one is inclined to the be-
lief that he must have visited the haunts
OF this creature. He next takes uD the
destructive forces at work on the herd
both natural and artificial and compares
the effects of land and pelagic sealing. In
the course of the discussion he SAYS: I'm
fact the killing of matkas (mothers) is
the most wasteful method of getting seal
skis. Their skins are smaller and less
valuable than those of the males"
The killing of non-breeding males on the
other hand is ideally economical The
hoiluschickie Immature young rnalcs) are
full grown and their fur Is In prime con-
oition. 1t follows therefore that
the seal herds may be exploited to the
best advantage by adopting system sim
liar to that used in cattle breeding. The
females should be protected and the take
coEhned to the surplus non-breeding
"A comparison therefore of land and
peiagic sealing shows that the former is
economically satisfactory and that the
latter Is extravagant and wasteful. Hence,
II the present drain on the herd is Excess
slVe, protection must be given by some
reform of pelegic sealing"
Inc evidence Of the numerical decadence
OF the seals by reason of hunting at sea
is carefully and favorably reviewed, and
he concludes that with the present natural
and artificial destructive agencies at work
the number left for the reinforcement of
me nerd must be very small, If, indeed,
there be any margin left" and pointedly
calls attention to Commissioner Thomp-
sons official statement that the margin
OF safety is a narrow one, If it be not
already IN some measure overstepped."
Reasonable Ground for Contention.
In summarizing his conclusions, .the
writer expresses the belief that the hi
illogical evidence at present available
shows that the United States has at least
reasonable grounds for the following con-
tentions:
]. That the Pribylov Islands seal herd is
diminishing in size.
2. That the majority of seals killed at sea
are females.
3. That all females two or more years
old are pregnant when killed.
4. That the death of any female seal
three or more years old, between June
and November means the death of her
pup by starvation.
.. That the deaths Of the pups on the
islands between August 10 and November
are largely due to pelagic sealing
u. Ihat therefore the regulations insti-
tuted by the Paris award for the protection
OF the seals are Inadequate.
In view of the earlier date of their pub
LEGATION, these conclusions are in striking
harmony with the findings of the recent
fur-seal conference.
Continuing, he says: IF these cOnclu-
sions be correct, then the condition of the
seal herds can only be improved either by
extending the close time until the pups
are weaned or by prohibiting the killing
of female seals until the herds have again
increased to such size that wasteful
methods may be risked. There is, there
fore, nothing unreasonable in the request
of the United States that the existing reg
ulations should be revised by the beginning
of 1895 instead of in August of that wear.
1t may be objected that these con-
ccssions would give the United States a
great deal for nothing. But the CONNER.
cial value of the industry (pelagic seaIing)
is really insignificant. Lord Sails
bury has already referred to the industry
as on the verge of bankruptcy, and the
only people who make much profit out of
it are the London fur dressers and fur
dealers. Practically all the sealskins come