82 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



General comparison of computations of the seal herd on the Pribilof Islands, 1920 



to 1931 — Continued 



Classes 



1929 



1930 



1931 



Harem bulls 



Breeding cows.. 



Surplus bulls 



Idle bulls 



6-year-old males 

 5-year-old males 

 4-year-old miiles 

 3-year-old males 

 2-year-old males 

 Yearling males.. 

 2-year-old cows. 

 Yearling cows... 

 Pups 



Total 



4,034 



244, 114 



2,002 



423 



13, 434 



16, 812 



17, 872 



17, 189 



38, 183 



56, 514 



44, 415 



62, 175 



244, 114 



761,281 



4,643 



263, 566 



4,827 



972 



13, 450 



16, 073 



14, 448 



9,730 



41, 252 



61, 026 



48, 186 



67, 131 



263, 566 



6,050 



284, 725 



5,285 



1,449 



12, 857 



13, 001 



7,798 



11, 133 



49, 087 



65, 861 



57, 061 



72, 481 



284, 725 



808, 870 



871, 513 



7,187 



307, 491 



5,207 



1,633 



10, 399 



7,016 



9,102 



13, 639 



64,354 



85,381 



67, 210 



85,417 



307, 491 



S,312 



332, 084 



3,963 



1,899 



5,612 



8,191 



11,327 



14, 871 



69, 674 



92, 232 



72, 605 



92, 247 



332, 084 



971, 527 



1,045,101 



9,233 



358, 642 



3,291 



1,888 



6,553 



10, 193 



12, 966 



13, 198 



74, 828 



99, 612 



78, 410 



99, 626 



358, 642 



1, 127, 082 



FOXES 



The care of blue-fox herds on St. Paul and St. George Islands is 

 incidental to the fur-seal work, requiring attention at a time when 

 sealing activities are at a minimum. Throughout the summer the 

 foxes find an abundance of natural food, consisting of seal carcasses, 

 birds' eggs, and marine life along the beaches. In the winter, when 

 the natural food supply is inadequate, the animals are fed preserved 

 seal meat and specially prepared rations. Captures are made in the 

 months from December to February, inclusive, to obtain pelts and to 

 mark an appropriate number of animals for future breeding stock. 



TRAPPING SEASON OF 1931-32 



During the season of 1931-32 there were taken 1,426 fox pelts, of 

 which 1,401 were blue and 25 white. Two hundred and eightj^-nine 

 blue and 25 white pelts were taken on St. Paul Island, and 1,112 blue 

 pelts on St. George Island. There were also trapped, marked, and 

 released for breeding purposes 37 foxes on St. Paul Island and 432 on 

 St. George Island. The breeding reserve includes, in addition, a con- 

 siderable number of animals that were not captured during the 

 season. 



REINDEER 



St. Paul Island. — During the year ended September 30, 1931, 

 19 reindeer were killed and used for food. A count of the animals in 

 the herd on September 29 showed a total of 453, of which 80 were the 

 3^oung of the season. The herd was apparently in excellent condition, 



St. George Island. — Five reindeer were killed and used for food 

 during the year ended September 30, 1931. A count made on 

 September 22 showed 47 animals in the herd, of which 5 were the 

 young of the season. 



FUR-SEAL SKINS 



SHIPMENTS 



Shipment of fur-seal skins taken on the Pribilof Islands in the 

 calendar year 1931 was made on the U. S. S. Vega, which arrived at 

 Seattle, Wash., on August 24. This shipment consisted of 39,871 skins 

 taken on St. Paul Island and 9,554 taken on St. George Island, a total 



