BUREAU OF FISHERIES 145 
on both islands. Hight hundred and forty-seven blue and 16 white 
foxskins, taken on the Pribilof Islands in the 1937-38 season, were 
sold at public auction in the fiscal year 1939. The blue foxskins 
brought $16,452.50 and the white skins brought $216, a total gross 
sum of $16,668.50. 
FUR-SEAL SKINS TAKEN BY NATIVES 
The North Pacific Sealing Convention of July 7, 1911, provides 
that aborigines dwelling along the Pacific coast may take fur seals 
under restricted conditions. In 1938 Indians under the jurisdiction 
of the United States took 184 sealskins and Canadian Indians took 
1,367 sealskins, which were duly authenticated by Government officials 
of the two countries. 
FUR-SEAL PATROL 
Vessels of the Coast Guard were again assigned by the Secretary 
of the Treasury to patrol waters of the North Pacific and Bering 
Sea for the protection of the fur seals and sea otters. One vessel 
of the Bureau of Fisheries also participated in the fur-seal patrol 
during the northward migration of the herd. 
e 
PROTECTION OF SEA OTTERS, WALRUSES, AND SEA LIONS 
New regulations for the protection of walruses and sea lions were 
issued on June 29, 1939, extending the closed season on these animals 
until June 30, 1941, while continuing permission for their capture 
under certain specified conditions. The killing of sea otters is pro- 
hibited at all times. 
PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD AND GAME FISHES 
The preliminary records of production for the hatcheries operated 
by the Division of Fish Culture show an output of 8,094,000,000 eggs, 
fry, and larger fish. With the 1938 production amounting to slightly 
over 8,121,000,000 it is evident that there was little variation in the 
scope and magnitude of the activities. Forty-six species were handled 
at the hatcheries and in the rescue fields. Among the individual 
species an increase was recorded for 16. As usual the greatest increase 
was shown with the commercial or semicommercial species. ‘The 
Bureau initiated the propagation of Kentucky bass, which had not 
premonsly been handled at its hatcheries. No glut herring, carp, or 
umped-back salmon were handled at the hatcheries during the fiscal 
year 1939. The conduct of repair and improvement work rendered 
some of the fish-cultural facilities inoperative during the season with 
consequent curtailment of production of fish. The output of brook- 
trout eggs was unusually low because of the fact that a disease 
epidemic at the York Pond, N. H., station, the principal point of 
production for this species, necessitated a complete elimination of all 
stock on hand and reduced the distribution to negligible proportions. 
The production of fingerlings and large fish was 84,459,000, which 
presents a sharp drop in comparison with the previous year when 
119,000,000 were handled. This, however, does not indicate any 
limitation upon the hatcheries’ activities but is rather a reflection of 
the virtual cessation of rescue and salvage work in the Upper Missis- 
