ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1931 83 



of 49,425. Ill all probability there were actually shipped from St- 

 George Island 9,560 skins, the total number taken there in 1931, as 

 it is believed that a miscomit was made in packing the skins and 

 that tlie error will be rectified when they are unpacked. The stiip- 

 nient was forwarded from Seattle by freight on August 25 and was 

 delivered to the department's selling agents at St. Louis, Mo., on 

 September 2. 



One barrel containing 93 skins, inadvertently omitted from the 

 shipment at St. Paul Island, w\as forwarded later on the Penguin, 

 reaching Seattle on September 26, whence it was forwarded to St. 

 Louis by express. 



SALES 



In 1931 a total of 45,711 fur-seal skins taken on the Pribilof Islands 

 were sold at three public auction sales held at St. Louis. There were 

 also sold through special sales 271 fur-seal skins taken at those islands. 

 With the following statements of these sales the sales of other fur-seal 

 skins by the Department of Commerce for the account of the Govern- 

 ment are included in order that the records may be complete. 



Public auction sale, March 30, 1931. — At the spring sale 21,071 fur- 

 seal skins taken at the Pribilof Islands, dressed, dyed, and machined, 

 sold for $453,699.75. Of these skins, 11,503 were dyed black and 

 9,568 logwood brown (Bois de Campeche). There w^ere also sold 

 137 dressed, dyed, and machined Japanese fur-seal skins for $3,155.50; 

 33 raw-salted Japanese skins for $16.50; and 2 raw-salted confiscated 

 skins for $1, making a grand total of $456,872.75 for fur-seal skins at 

 this sale. 



The Japanese fur-seal skins were the United States Government's 

 share of such skins taken by the Japanese Government in 1929, 

 delivered pursuant to the provisions of the North Pacific Sealing 

 Convention of July 7, 1911. 



Public auction sale, August 21^, 1931. — At the August sale 15,125 fur- 

 seal skins taken at the Pribilof Islands, dressed, dyed, and machined,, 

 sold for $282,642.75. Of these skins, 9,125 were dyed black and 

 6,000 logwood brown. 



Public auction sale, October 19, 1931. — At the October sale 9,515 fur- 

 seal skins taken at the Pribilof Islands, dressed, dyed, and machined, 

 sold for $153,938.50. Of these skins 5,535 were dyed black and 

 3,980 logwood brown. There v>'ere also sold 32 confiscated skins, raw^ 

 for $15.25, making a total of $153,953.75 for fur-seal skins at this sale. 



Special sales. — In the calender year 1931, 271 fur-seal skins taken at 

 the Pribilof Islands w^ere sold at special sales for $6,915.16. Of these 

 skins, 200 were dressed, dyed, and machined, 75 being of the black dye 

 and 125 logwood brown; 61 were raw^ salted; and 10 were specially 

 prepared for exhibition purposes showing (1) a section of the pelt in the 

 natural hair, (2) a section unhaired with the fur in natural color, 

 (3) a section with the fur dyed black, and (4) a section with the fur 

 dyed logwood brow^n. The dyed skins included 150 that were sent to 

 Paris and made up into coats, whicri were returned to this country and 

 used for advertising. 



The following tables give further details in regard to the sales of fur- 

 seal skins by the Department of Commerce for the account of the 

 Government in 1931: 



