354 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



Fairbanks, I^nalaska, Akutan, and Tyonic, and in the States at 

 Seattle and-Tacoma, Wash. AVith the opening of the season on 

 beaver and marten, the warden service at San Francisco was discon- 

 tinued. In addition to the bureau's own force of fur wardens, excel- 

 lent cooperation has been extended by the Customs Division of the 

 Treasury Department and by agents of the Department of Justice 

 in Alaska. 



SEIZURES OF FURS. 



Because of the inadequate law under which prosecutions must be 

 made for violations of the fur law and the regulations thereunder, 

 there have been few arrests and seizures of furs and fewer prosecu- 

 tions. The use of poisons, trapping out of season, and the destruc- 

 tion of beaver houses are the most serious problems to contend with 

 under the law now^in operation. Unless a new Alaskan fur law is 

 soon enacted, an acute situation will develop as to the future sup- 

 ply of land fur-bearing animals, one of the most valuable natural 

 assets of the Territory. 



Of nine seizures made of contraband furs, two were later released 

 because of insufficient evidence. Furs seized included skins of 165 

 beavers, 96 martens, and 2 red foxes (unprime). Five convictions 

 for illegal beaver trapping were secured, each resulting in the im- 

 position of fines. The proceeds from the sale of seized furs during 

 the year amounted to $3,304.43. 



SHIPMENTS OF ALASKAN FURS. 



Shipments of furs from Alaska covering the period from Decem- 

 ber 1, 1920, to November 30, 1921, as reported by postmasters and 

 agents of transportation companies in Alaska, were considerably 

 below those of the previous year — due no doubt to trappers holding 

 their furs because of the prevailing low prices. The value of the 

 land furs shipped, exclusive of pelts of blue and white foxes from 

 the Pribilof Islands (under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Fish- 

 eries), amounted to $762,296.52, being $317,272.34 less than for the 

 previous year. The number of the principal pelts shipped and their 

 value are as follows : 



Kind of fur. 



Muskrat 



Blue fox 



White fox 



Red fox 



Silver-gray fox 

 Cross fox 



Kind of fur. 



Beaver 



otter (land) 



Mink 



Marten 



Weasel (ermine). 

 Black bear 



Number. 



236 



1,174 



18,091 



676 

 6,786 



719 



Value. 



$4,248 

 29,350 

 180,910 

 20, 280 

 4,071 

 10, 785 



PATROL SERVICE IN SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA. 



The bureau's seagoing power boat Regal., used in the waters of 

 southeastern Alaska, has been rechristoned '^ea Otter. It has a heavy- 

 duty gasoline engine, and as it is one of the best of the patrol boats 

 in those waters it will make it possible for the chief fur warden to 

 visit the entire coast line for securing better observance of the law 

 and investigating the fur farms on many islands to help establish 

 this growing industry on a sound basis. 



