BUREAU OF FISHERIES 305 
year. Of the total number 47,646 were taken on St. Paul Island 
and 12,827 on St. George Island. Insofar as possible the killings were 
confined to 3-year-old males, and a sufficient reserve of this age-class 
was left for breeding stock. 
Sale of Sealskins 
In the fiscal year 1940 two public auction sales of fur-seal skins were 
held at St. Louis. At the sale on October 2, 1939, a total of 21,764 
Pribilof Islands sealskins sold for a gross sum of $463,338.25. The 
sale included 8,030 skins dyed black, 8,516 dyed Safari brown, 5,100 
dyed Matara brown, and 118 raw and partly processed skins. Matara 
brown is a recently developed color which was offered at this sale for 
the first time and proved very popular. On April 1, 1940, a total of 
28,749 Pribilof Islands sealskins sold for a gross sum of $585,687. 
This sale included 9,599 skins dyed black, 9,595 dyed Matara brown, 
and 9,555 dyed Safari brown. In addition, 210 sealskins from Japan 
and 2 confiscated skins brought $3,150.75. 
Sealskins disposed of at private sales, under special authorization by 
the Secretary of the Interior, consisted of 277 dyed black, 170 dyed 
Safari brown, 265 dyed Matara brown, and 32 raw-salted skins, which 
brought a total of $17,224.89. In all, 51,469 fur-seal skins were sold 
for the account of the Government in the fiscal year 1940 for a total 
gross sum of $1,069,400.89. 
Foxes 
The management of the blue-fox herds on the Pribilof Islands con- 
tinued to be one of the important activities. During the winter of 
1939-40 a total of 1,258 fox pelts were taken, including 377 blue and 
8 white pelts from St. Paul Island, and 869 blue and 4 white pelts 
from St. George Island. Sufficient stocks were reserved for breeding 
purposes on both islands. 
In the fiscal year 1939 there were sold at public auction 1,018 blue- 
and 11 white-fox skins taken on the Pribilof Islands in the 1938-39 
season. The blue pelts brought $17,001.50, and the white pelts brought 
$143, a total of $17,144.50. 
Fur-seal Skins Taken by Natives 
The privilege of taking fur seals at sea is granted to aborigines 
dwelling along the Pacific coast, under provisions of the North Pacific 
Sealing Convention of July 7, 1911, although such sealing is restricted 
to primitive methods. In 1939 Indians under the jurisdiction of the 
United States took 61 fur-seal skins, and Indians under the jurisdiction 
of Canada took 576 sealskins, all of which were duly authenticated by 
officials of the respective Governments. 
292245413 
