98 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



annual take of skins by the aborigines residing in the United States 

 is quite small. From communications which the Bureau receives 

 from time to time, it is evident that some fur-seal skins are being 

 taken by IncUans in British Columbia. No information is at hand 

 to indicate that any considerable number of seals were taken by 

 Alaskan natives in the calendar year 1917. A few skins are known 

 to have been taken in the vicinity of Sitka, Alaska, by Indians in 

 the spring of 1917, the seals having been speared, and it is reported 

 that the natives still have these skins and miderstand that they 

 must be authenticated if they are to become items of trade. In 

 May and Jmie, 1917, certain Indians of the State of Washington 

 engaged in fur-seal hunting. The Bureau again secured, through 

 the Department of the Interior, the cooperation of Dr. C. L. Woods, 

 superintendent and physician in the United States Indian Service at 

 Neah Bay, Wash., in the matter of authenticating the skins. To date 

 (Aug. 17) the Bureau has received from Dr. Woods certificates in 

 regard to 513 of these skins. These certificates indicate that all 

 were speared from canoes and that 211 were taken from male seals 

 and 302 from females. 



MINOR FUR-BEARING ANIMALS OF ALASKA. 



WORK OF THE WARDENS. 



The force of wardens was active in the season of 1916-17, and was 

 located as advantageously as possible with reference to the trapping 

 operations. The shortage of funds for this service, occasioned by 

 the greatly increased cost of supplies for the Pribilof Islands, re- 

 stricted the movements of the wardens and impaired the efiiciency 

 of the service. 



There have been several complaints and prosecutions for violations 

 of the fur-bearing-animal laws and regulations of Alaska. Notwith- 

 standing that strong evidence was submitted in the cases taken to 

 court, no convictions resulted. The general sentiment, particularly 

 in the sparsely populated and remote districts, is such that convic- 

 tions for violations of the fur-bearing-animal laws and regulations 

 are secured only with the greatest difliculty. In addition, a number 

 of investigations have been made of complaints of alleged poisoning 

 and illegal trapping. 



REGULATIONS. 



No new regulations governing t^he taking of fur-bearing animals 

 were issued during the season 1916-17. 



In connection with the total prohibition of the killing of martens 

 for a period of five years from March 15, 1916, it has developed that 

 certain trappers wished to retain possession of skins legally taken; 

 and in order that no injustice might be done the ownere of such 

 skins, when they desired to ship them, arrangements were made for 

 recording all these pelts that it was proposed to hold in Alaska after 

 November 15, 1916. All shipments oi marten skins from Alaska 

 after that date will be checked against the records thus obtamed. 

 The Bureau has received 58 such reports, covering 3,031 pelts. 



