When  the  season  of  propagation  is  past  they  again  betake  themselves
to  the  sea,  and  the  breeding  grounds  are  given  up  to  the  intermingling
of  young  males,  females,  and  pups,  but  during  that  eighty  or  ninety
days  the  immature  males  from  1  to  5  years  of  age  have  been  compelled
to  consort  together  upon  the  hauling  grounds,  and  thus  there  is  given
an  opportunity  without  in  any  way  interfering  with  the  course  of  events
upon  the  breeding  grounds,  to  drive  away,  select,  and  slaughter  such
of  these  young  males  as  will  furnish  desirable  pelts.  These  are  the
only  skins  shipped  from  the  islands.
Can  anyone  successfully  maintain  that  in  the  case  of  polygamous
animals  the  taking  of  the  surplus  male  life  and  reserving  the  females
can  destroy  the  herd?  If  this  can  be  demonstrated,  then  our  stock-
raisers  are  at  fault,  and  the  evidence  derived  from  Russian  manage-
ment goes  for  naught.
THE  FACTS  OF   PELAGIC   SEALING.
Before  the  breath  of  life  can  be  breathed  into  this  theory  of  decadence
through  excessive  killing  on  the  islands  there  must  be  removed  from


324  SEAL    LIFE    ON    THK    I'KIBILOF    ISLANDS.
Jfche  record  books  certain  well  established  tacts  concerning-  pelagic  seal-
ing. It  will  be  necessary  to  dispose  of  the  tact  that  while  in  1878  there
was  but  I  vessel  engaged  in  pelagic,  sealing,  the  number  steadily
increased  until  in  181)2  there  were  ll'2  to  follow  on  the  migration  tracks
of  the  herds,  to  harry  them  eight  months  out  of  the  twelve,  and,  if
permitted,  to  accompany  them  to  and  even  upon  their  chosen  resorts.
