a species of seal valued for its fur. The fur seal is found in the waters of the cool temperate or polar regions north and south of the equator, though in the Antarctic regions they are now almost extinct. The northern fur seal is found only in the North Pacific, where for many years it has been hunted to such an extent that it is being rapidly exterminated. In the northern species the male is much larger than the female, often being twice as long and weighing four or five times as much. In color the seals vary with the conditions under which they are found, as well as with age, but the adult is usually gray or gray-brown. The fur consists of a thick, woolly hair next the skin, very fine and compact, usually of a dark brown color, and over this a long, coarser hair which is of some shade of gray. The fur seal is now taken off the Pribilof and Saint Paul islands near Alaska and to some extent in the open ocean. The capture is carefully regulated by the United States and Canadian governments, and only a small number of animals are allowed to be killed each year. The animals are killed by clubbing them when they are on the land, where they are nearly helpless. The skins are salted and packed in the holds of vessels until the close of the season, when they are brought to San Francisco, whence they are shipped to London. This beautiful fur is seldom seen in its natural state. As usually prepared, the long gray hair is removed by scraping the pelt on the under side until the roots of this hair, which penetrate the skin farther than those of the fine hair, are cut; then by whipping the pelt the long hair is easily removed. The skins are then dyed dark brown, and in this form constitute the ordinary sealskin of commerce.