Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1913-10-09

has diminished so considerably that
| as a result laws have been enacted by
which the herds will be conserved and
future catches increased.
The Greatest Evil.
This great diminution of the herds
| has been the result of pelagic sealing
the killing of seals in the open sea.
Whole fleets would sometimes lay off
the seal islands while their crews
killed the female seals which swan
out to sea seeking food.
At sea the sexes cannot be dis
tinguished, and the females predom-
mating the pelagic catch is made up
largely Of this class, the percentage
being from IS to 80 per cen of fe-
males. The death of a female seal
was not the only evil. She was out
seeking food for her pup which she
had left on shore, so that her death
meant also the death of the young
one.
L ne SlilSS, nuSSld, JdpdIl
and Great Britain have made a pact
which stipulates that no longer shall
the fur seal be killed on the high
seas.
King of the Harem.
The seal is a p%olygamist. The lar
ger and stronger males have harems,
ranging from 20 to 40 in number &C
cording to the fighting strength of the
kind of the harem." One bull has
been known to have 200 cows in his
harem.
Naturally there is a large surplus Of
mateless males whose sole object in
life Is to get a harem of their own,
entailing continuous warfare and
bloodshed in which often the female
is torn to pieces or MANNED in the
struggle for ownership. To kill off
a goodly number of these disturbing
bachelors Of the herd is therefore nee
essary-not only for the good of the
herd itself but also for the good Of
the skins, for naturally a mutilated
skin or an old one has but very little
market value.
Nearly two years ago Congress made
a law stopping the killing of seals
entirely on U. S. islands, for five
years, except seals needed for food
by natives on the islands. While
from the usual standpoint Of game
preservation this seemed a good thing
biologists and experts on seal life are
not in favor of it. They say that
the ruling regarding the preservation
of deer or grouse does not apply to
the seal. They claim that If the num-
Der of male seals is not kept down
they will continue to fight and kill
each other, and the pups and females
of the harem as well-that only a
small percentage Of male seals is
needed to increase the herd. But be-
sides this II the killing is closed for
five years thousands of skins will be
lost, because a skin older than four
years and a half lis worthless. Scien.
tifc men say that killing rightly gov
erned. with none on the open sea, will
mean quick growth Of the herd.
However Congress decided the 9TH
err way, and closed the season for i've
years. The skins Of the several thou
sand seals killed u~nder@the laW4as
food for natives are not to be sent
to London as formerly. Secretary
Redfield has ordered otherwise. After
a thorough investigation he has or
dered that the entire quantity be sold
In the United States. After i close
study Of the fur markets of the world
he selected Funston Bros. q Co. OF
st. Louis To & as agents of the gov
eminent Ia their disposal.
How II Affects Prices.
IN 1ss7 i seal skin fetched from 81
to SO; III 1890, s17 to $40; while In
1909 The price reached the $40 mark.
The prices on seal garments. how
ever, have indicated 4 fictitious value,
due 70 tho heavy duty entaiied By
London shipments. and fur dealers
have had 10 demand an e~xhorbitant
figure Tor On article which n home