REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 59 



herd on Robben Island. Tliis number represented the 10 per cent 

 slmre of tlie United States of the take of 555 skins in each of the 

 years 1918 and 1919. Tliese skins, which had been taken and cured 

 in an excellent manner, were forwarded in March, 1920, to the De- 

 partment's agents in St. Louis for sale. 



BY-PKODUCTS OF THE SEAL INDUSTRY. 



Sliii)ments in the fiscal year 1920 of commodities prepared at the 

 by-products plant on St. Taui Island aggregated 20,508 pounds of 

 animal meal, or fertilizer, and 3,000 gallons of oil. The amount re- 

 ceived from tiie sale of fertilizer w^as $771.80, and for the oil $H,G40. 

 An e.xcellent grade of oil was produced. The plant was again oper- 

 ated in tlie season of 1920, but shortage of labor and fuel limited 

 oi)erations, with the result that 29.000 pounds of fertilizer and 1,800 

 gallons of oil were produced. An expert was employed for the op- 

 eration of the ])lant. It is expected that hereafter the work will be 

 conducted along more extensive lines. 



FOXES AND REINDEER. 



The blue-fox herds on the Pribilof Islands as a source of revenue 

 to the Government are largely dependent on the sealing industry. 

 AVithout the food provided from seal carcasses the fox herds would 

 disappear as a commercial proposition. St. George Island is a far 

 more prolific producer of fox pelts than St. Paul. On St. George 

 there has been developed a method of c(mtrol that has not yet been 

 adopted on the other island. The animals are fed regularly through 

 the winter with seal meat preserved from killings of the preceding 

 summer, and they are captured in specially constructed traps which 

 permits the release of an adequate and healtliy breeding reserve. 



In the season of 1919-20 tnere w^ere taken on St. Paul Island 155 

 blue-fox pelts and 33 white-fox pelts, and on St. George Island 746 

 blue-fox pelts and 4 white-fox pelts, a total of 901 blue pelts and 

 37 white pelts. This was the largest production in many years. The 

 yield of both islands in the preceding season w^as 667 blue skins and 

 30 white skins. The Avhite fox on the islands represents a color 

 phase of the blue fox. and, as it is far less valuable, every effort is 

 made to eliminate it from the herds. It is expected that over 1,000 

 blue- fox skins may be taken in the coming winter. 



The blue and wdiite fox skins taken at the Pribilof Islands in the 

 winter of 1918-19, with the exception of two withheld for exhibition 

 purposes, were sold at public auction at St. Louis on September 10, 

 1919. Six hundred and sixty-five blue pelts and 30 white pelts made 

 up the sale. The blue pelts 'brought $130,274.50, an average of $195 

 each, and the white pelts $1,660, an average of $53.33 each. 



According to the best available figures, there were 164 reindeer on 

 St. Paul Island and 123 on St. George Island at the end of the year 

 1919. This is a net increase of 18 over the year before. During 1919, 

 36 reindeer were used for food, thus affording a welcome change in 

 diet. The herd is in a flourishing condition, having increased to 

 its present ]:)roportions from the original stock of 40 animals intro- 

 duced on the islands in 1911, 



