REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 57 



Trust Co., Wnshiiiirlon, I). ('., iuid draw interest at the rate of .3 per 

 cent per annum, calculated on monthly balances. Liberty bonds pur- 

 chased by the natives throu<rh the Bureau of Fisheries had, at the 

 end of the fiscal year lO'JO, been forwarded to their owners or dis- 

 l)osed of in accordance with their wishes. 



The purchase of supplies for the Pribilof Islands has been a lar<^e 

 undertalvin<>:. In IDIJ) the j^oods were assembled at Seattle, Wash., 

 whence transportation was afforded to the Pribilof Ishuuls chiefly 

 by the U. S. S. lyanshan^ throuf^h the co()i)eration of the Navy De- 

 partment. Certain supplies in excess of the Nanshaii's capacity were 

 forAvarded by commercial steamer to Unalaska. In 1920 the Navy 

 Department a<rain cooperated by shippin<^ supi)lies on the the U. S. S. 

 /Saturn, which vessel also acts as tender for the Alaska naval-radio 

 stations. 



The Coast Guard, throuo;h its vessels detailed for Alaska service, 

 has from time to time rendered valuable assistance in the transporta- 

 tion of supplies and persons in connection with the Bureau's work at 

 the Pribilof Islands. 



The Eider, a vessel with carrying capacity of from 40 to 50 tons, 

 purchased last year by the Bureau for use as local tender at the Pribi- 

 lofs and for trips betAveen there and Unalaska, the nearest port. 250 

 miles distant, has proved of great value. It is noteworthy that the 

 Eider made a trip from Unalaska to the islands in the middle of 

 winter. No vessel had ever before visited the islands at that time. 



Among more notable improvements at the islands in the past year 

 have been the construction of two new salt houses for curing seal- 

 skins, the erection of a garage to house the four tractors and two 

 trucks in use on St. Paul Island, the construction of tAvo new native 

 dwellings, one of concrete, and improvements to the landings both on 

 St. George and St. Paul Islands. The four tractors sent to St. Paul 

 Island in the fall of 1919 have been of great value in hauling seal- 

 skins from killing fields to the salt houses, and in moving seal car- 

 casses from the fields to the by-products plant. 



The Navy Department has continued the maintenance of radio 

 stations on St. Paul and St. George Islands. They have been of in- 

 calculable value in affording communication with the outside world 

 at all times of the year. 



Attention is invited to the necessity of augmenting the personnel 

 of the Pribilof Islands. The best interests of the GoA^ernment re- 

 quire that the present staff be increased by a biologist or naturalist to 

 give sustained consideration to the scientific problems invoh^ed in the 

 fur seals, foxes, and other life on the islands, and by several technical 

 assistants. 



THE FUR-SEAL HERD. 



The census of the seal herd as of August 10, 1919, showed 524.235 

 animals of all ages in the herd, an increase of 27,803 oA^er the corre- 

 sponding figure for 1918. The tentatiA'e figures for the census of 

 1920 indicate 548,473 seals as of August 10, 1920. or an increase of 

 slightly over 24.000 in the year. The increases from year to year are 

 net, the seals killed in the period betAveen the censuses having been 

 deducted. The census in 1920 Avas again taken under the immediate 

 supervision of Dr. G. Dallas Hanna. 



