Professor D'Arcy Thompson
for England, and Professor David Starr Jordan for America, will be among
the number.

Russian and Japanese experts are also to make statements on the subject;
but a report from Canada says that the Canadian representative intends
to ask that these gentlemen shall not be allowed to speak, as she does
not think they are sufficiently well acquainted with the life and habits
of the seals to be able to offer an expert opinion.

Up to the moment of receiving Great Britain's refusal to treat with us,
every one supposed that it was only necessary to explain to England the
damage that was being done to the herd, for her to join us in making
arrangements to protect them.

Now every one is feeling uncertain what the result of the conference
will be.

We told you the cause of this difference of opinion between the two
countries was the careless and wasteful way in which the hunters have
killed the seals.

Instead of waiting till the animals have reached their feeding-grounds,
they have killed many in the open sea; this is called pelagic sealing,
and is against the law. In addition to this they have killed them in an
unlawful way at their feeding-grounds. Instead of separating and killing
the young bachelor seals, who are tiresome fellows, and hang round the
colonies annoying and fighting the father seals who are trying to bring
up their families, the sealers have entered the colonies or rookeries
themselves, and slaughtered the mothers, leaving hundreds and thousands
of motherless puppies behind to die for want of proper care (see p.
736).

Because of this the seal herd has been decreasing so rapidly that fear
has arisen that it will disappear if the seals are not properly cared
for.

The object of the conference is to decide whether the seal herd is
really decreasing, and if so, to make strict laws to protect the mother
seals and their poor helpless little puppies.

A British war-ship, the _Wild Swan_, which is stationed in the Bering
Sea to protect the sealing interests of Great Britain, has just arrived
at Victoria, British Columbia.

The officers state that the seal herd is undoubtedly very much smaller
this year; so small indeed that there is the gravest reason to fear that
the seals are really dying out.

The Englishmen lay the blame of the smallness of the herd on the
shoulders of Professor Jordan, and declare that it is due to the
branding of the seals.

They insist that the seals