Evening star., 1901-08-10
The Big Beasts Are Accused Of Kill
ing Salmon.
ARE IN DANGER OF DETERMINATION
Many NaturaIists Declare That the
Charges Are False.
FISHERMEN SAY OTHERWISE
Written for The Evening Star.

dioHS In0 entire racine coast Is a QueS-
tion which is just now being argued with
the utmost vigor. The fishermen declare
that the sea lions must go. and contend
that otherwise the fishing industry will
ere long be virtually ruined. On the other
hand, many scientists, naturalists and 9TH
ers-some Of them occupying prominent po-
sft1ons in the governmental service-de-
clare emphatically that the sea lion Is not
guilty Of the crime OF fish destruction
charged against him, and have appealed to
Secretary Gage Of the Treausry Depart
ment to stop the wholesale destruction Of
these animals. which have long been priced
by lovers Of nature as one of the great at
fractions Of the coast, and which constitute
one Of the most interesting families in the
animal kingdom
The controversy regarding the sea lions
mas been In progress for a good many
years, but 1t Is only lately that it has as
sumed so virulent form. Lately the fish
ermen of the north Pacific coast have
Joined their San Francisco brethren in
movement for the destruction Of the sea
lions, on the ground that the animals were
making appreciable inroads upon the sal
mon In the vicinity of the Oregon and
Washington coast. At the last session of
the Oregon legislature a bill was passed
offering bounty Of $3.50 for each sea lion
killed In the waters Of the state within
league of shore but the appropriation Is
not yet available, and in the meantime the
fishermen have raised fund by private
subscription, and have engaged men to
shoot the sea lions at their breeding
grounds.
The California state board OF fish COM
mfssioners has taken steps in the past two
years to kill off large number of the
sea lions on the Californian coast, and al
ready many have been slaughtered. In
letter to the government at Washington
Mr. Alexander T. Vogelsang. the president
OF the California board. has explained that
1t Is not the intention of the board to ex-
terminate the sea lions. but merely to kill
about ten thousand of the thirty thousand
which, he claims, now fnfest the coast.
The friends Of the sea lion. on the other
hand. assert that the number Of animals
has been greatly exaggerated, and that long
before the authorities of the Golden Gate
state have killed the contemplated ten
thousand there will not be living sea lion
remaining on the entire coast.
DIR. Merriam's Contention.
One of the eminent men who are making
a spirited defense OF the sea lions Is Dr.
c. Hart Merriam Of the Department of Ag-
riculture. The stand which DR.. Merriam
has taken Is particularly significant, since
he is engaged through the biological sur
vey in the most elaborate study of animal
foods ever made, and Is therefore enabled
to deny authoritatively the popular I'M
preston that sea lions live exclusively on
fish, The contentious Of DR.. Merriam are
supported by the testimony Of Prof. L. L.
Dyche Of the University of Kansas who
visited the California coast and cut open
and examined the stomachs of twenty-five
sea lions which had been slaughtered in
the interests of fishermen. In not one was
there found 50 much as a trace Of fish.
On one occasion eight sea lions which had
been shot, because, according to assertions,
they were caught in the act of feeding on
salmon, were cut open in the presence Of
fisherman scale
detected.
The assertions of the fishermen remain
unshaken. however, by the testimony pre-
sented at Washington on behalf OF the
sea lions. They claim that hundreds Of
thousands Of salmon are killed each year
by the lions, and assert that the animals
have virtually convicted themselves by
their practice Of taking one bite from the
choicest part Of salmon, leaving the re-
mainder of the fish to float ashore. The
fisherman are rendered still more bitter
and determined In their warfare by the i'm
mense amount Of fishing gear destroyed
every year by the sea lions. The large
males play havoc with the expensive gill
and trap nets, literally tearing them into
shreds.
Interesting Brutes.
The sea lions now so seriously threatened
with speedy determination are among the
most interesting representatives Of brute
creation to be found on the continent.
west coast of North America, from Alaska
to the southern limit Of floating ice. There
are in reality two species of sea lions, the
lions of the California coast. which have
of late years attracted so much attention,
being somewhat smaller than the species
found in more northerly waters. Many OF
these sea dwellers. particularly Of the
larger species, are really leonine In ap-
pearance, and their majestic bearing is en-
hanced by their ferocity Of appearances.
kHa@1 hvp{rw
of the vicious little eyes. A well-grown
bull will weigh thousand pounds. The
sea Hon has hippers. but he cannot begin
to make as good use of them as does the
fur seal. Where the latter can crawl five
or six miles in twenty-four hours, the sea
lion will progress barely two miles in that
length OF time.
The sea lions have harems, but they are
not nearly so jealous as the fur seals. They
are shy and wary in the extreme, and on
the approach OF man stampede Into the
water. The bulls fight most ferociously
among themselves. and turn Off from the
breeding ground all save the largest and
strongest animals. The cow sea Hon Is
about one-half the size of the male, meas
uring In the case Of the larger species,
eight or nine feet In length and weighing
baby sea lions are about two feet in length
and weigh perhaps twenty pounds.
Lons-Range Hunting.
Almost all the hunting of the sea lion IL
done at long range with guns. and is about
as sportmanlike as shooting the family
cow would be. But occasionally an expe-
dition goes forth to capture some OF the
animals for exhibition purposes. or to sell
to some seaside hotel, where the animals
are wanted as the main attraction In an
artificial lake. Then there Is sport. The
hunters usually wear bathing suits and go
unshod or with rubber-soled shoes, as the
clatter of soles would alarm the prey. Then
they either make q wide approach by
water keeping behind the shelter OF an adj
iacent point, or contrive to lower them
selves down the cliffs. at the base Of which
the quarry is summing itself II they can
get half as near to the Hon as the Hon IL
to the water unobserved the rest Is easy.
They fall upon the creature with rope, tie
him up and carry him In triumph. But II
the capture fs made at the waters edge
there II likely to be trouble. Even . half
grown sea Nen-and the hunters know bet
ter than to tackle an adult bull, who would
probably drag them into the sea and drown
them-is hard fighter and particularly
slippery customer. He wrfthes, does dip-
fiops strikes out with his f1nA flaps his
powerful propeller and tries to btta but all
the while he Is edgfng nearer the water.
The aim Of the hunter II to get the rope
around his body, but. though they throw
themselves upon him at full length. good
grip h seldom gained. and stfn less often