Evening star., 1936-04-28

A fleet of IA armed ships including
nine Coast Guard cutters, now is escort
ing Uncle Sans herd of 100000 fur
seals from its Winter pastures in the
midPacific to the rocky Pribiloff Islands,
its Summer breeding grounds.
Out of this herd will come approx
mately 5000 genuine sealskin coats for
the worlds fashion marts next Winter.
If it were not for the protection of the
ships and all the other safeguards thrown
around the animals such coats today
would be extreme rarities-along with
the animals that furnish them.
When the United States, Japan and
Great Britain entered into a treaty to
protect the seals in 1911, the herd had
been reduced to less than 10000. Now
it is increasing at the rate of about
100000 year, besides yielding the Treas
ury a revenue of about 100000. The
increase, it is explained by Ward T.
Bower, head of the Alaskan fisheries
division of the United States Bureau of
Fisheries, which is guardian Of the herd,
has come almost entirely from protect
ing the animals against So-called pelagic
sealers. who used to spear and shoot
the creatures in the open sea, recovering
The Coast Guard cutters have put an
effective end to this business. Its toll
was enormous Mr. Bower estimates
that throughout the history of the seal
fishers the open-Sea raiders placed on
the market about 100000 pelts, which
meant total of 3,5O0,00O slaughtered
animals. Besides, most OF these were
females with unborn pups. Altogether,
counting the pups they would bear the
year they were slaughtered and those
they would bear the next year, 1t is
likely that close to a billion animals
were killed. Now killing a seal IN the
sea is close to piracy as crime.
This great annual migration of the
seals northward, Mr.. Bower told the
Biological Society of Washington the
other night, is one of the most remark
able phenomena of nature. 1t seems
to be without organization and without
leadership. Yet about the last OF March
every year the hundreds OF thousands
of animals scattered over thousands OF
square miles of water start northward at
about the same time in three great
groups bound for three specific places.
It has been the same for centuries.
Each animal moves at about the same
rate, so that all arrive within few
days of each other. They do not move
in compact mass. like birds.
The American herd is by far the larg-
est of the three. 1t goes straight to the
Pribiloffs where it lands on two almost
barren islands-St. Paul and st. George.
The Japanese herd, numbering about
10000, makes for Robben Island, on
Northern Japan. The Russian herd,
which now numbers about 100000, goes
to a few rocky islands of the Com
mander group, off Kamchatka. All three
are protected from pelagic seaiers In
much the same manner.
The moving herds consist mostly OF
COWS and pups. This is the correct
nomenclature for seals. The bulls Winter
further North, tend to be solitary during
the Winter, and proceed the COWS to the
Summer homes. Very few OF them ever
have fallen victims of pelagic sealers.
Among the almost unbelievable fan
tastes Of biology, Mr.. Bower told the
biologists, is the life OF the animals on
the breeding grounds. The season lasts
for about 60 days. During this time the
bull never eats or touches q drop OF
water. He never quits the land. He
arrives sleek and fat from the ocean
pasture and Is able to survive for couple
of months entirely on stored energy. This
keeps him alive, even while he fights
scores Of terrible battles with younger
rivals