FAUNA OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AND ALASKA PENINSULA 289 



trolled artificially. We can no longer find the dark kinds in any 

 numbers on Unalaska, where they were first found. 



The following table shows the proportions of these color phases 

 in the cargoes of three ships. The records of other cargoes are 

 not used here because they appear to have been of a selective 

 nature, not comparable for this purpose. For example, some 

 cargoes showed only black fox, and some cargoes showed no cross 

 fox. 



At the time of these expeditions, the red fox probably had not 

 reached as far west as Kanaga (where a few have been present 

 in recent years). It is difficult to evaluate the present distribu- 

 tion because of the extensive commercial manipulation of the 

 Aleutian fauna. We can be confident, however, that the red fox 

 originally occupied the so-called Fox Islands, as far west as 

 Umnak at least; it may have occurred as far as the Andreanofs, 

 much farther west. Though Bancroft, writing a general history 

 of Alaska, was not specific in mentioning the Aleutian fauna, he 

 did make some helpful observations. His generalization on fur 

 bearers at least gives us helpful indications : 



The distribution of fur-bearing animals during the last century was of 

 course very much the same as now, with the exception that foxes of all 

 kinds came almost exclusively from the islands. The stone-foxes — blue, 

 white, and gray — were most numerous on the western islands of the Aleutian 

 chain and on the Pribilof group. Black and silver-gray foxes, then very 

 valuable, were first obtained from Unalaska by the Shilof and Lapin 

 Company and at once brought into fashion at St. Petersburg by means 

 of a judicious presentation to the empress. 



This passage confirms the general conclusion that blue foxes 

 were confined to the western islands and red foxes (with their 

 color phases) were limited to the eastern islands. 



Turner (1886) reported the red fox "as far west as Umnak." 

 Speaking of the cross and silver fox, he said that they occur in 

 "All of Alaska, except the extreme western Aleutian Islands." 



