150 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



CENSUS 



In 1924 the census of the Pribilof Islands fur-seal herd was taken 

 by Edward C. Johnston, who has done this work for a number of 

 years. His report is printed on pages 164 to 169. The following is a 

 comparative statement of the numerical strength of the various 

 elements of the herd in the years 1913 to 1924, inclusive. 



General comparison of recent censuses of the seal herd on the Pribilof Islands 



Classes 



Harem bulls 



Breeding cows 



Surplus bulls 



Idle bulls. _ 



Young bulls (chiefly 5-year-olds). 



6-year-old males 



5-year-old males 



4-year-old males 



3-year-old males 



2-year-old males 



Yearling males. 



2-year-old cows 



Yearling cows 



Pups 



Total. 



1913 



1,403 

 92, 269 



105 

 259 



2,000 

 10, 000 

 15, 000 

 20, 000 

 15, 000 

 20, 000 

 92, 269 



268, 305 



1914 



1,559 

 93, 250 



172 

 1,658 



9,939 

 13, 880 

 17, 422 

 23, 068 

 17, 422 

 23, 067 

 93, 250 



1915 



2,151 

 103, 527 



11,271 

 15, 848 

 18, 282 

 23, 990 

 30, 307 

 23, 990 

 30, 306 

 103, 527 



1916 



3,500 

 110,977 



2,632 



294, 687 



363, 872 



11, 167 

 15, 494 

 15, 427 

 19, 402 

 24, 169 

 33, 645 

 24, 245 

 33, 646 

 116, 977 



417, 281 



1917 



4,850 



128, 024 



8,977 



2,706 



15, 397 

 14,813 



16, 631 

 19, 507 

 26, 815 

 38, 013 

 26, 917 

 38, 018 



128, 024 



468, 692 



1918 



5,344 



142, 915 



17, 110 



2,444 



13, 755 



11,941 



7,114 



9,117 



30, 159 



41, 595 



30, 415 



41, 608 



142, 915 



496,432 



Classes 



Harem buUs 



Breeding cows . . 



Surplus bulls 



Idle bulls 



6-year-old males 

 6-year-oId males 

 4-year-old males 

 3-year-old males 

 2-year-old males. 

 Yearling males.. 

 2-year-old cows.. 

 Yearling cows... 

 Pups , 



Total 



5,158 



157, 172 



9,619 



2,239 



8,991 



5,282 



5,747 



13, 596 



33, 081 



46, 444 



33, 287 



46, 447 



157, 172 



524, 235 



4,066 



167, 527 



6,115 



1,161 



4,153 



5,007 



5,667 



10, 749 



39, 111 



51, 074 



39, 480 



51, 081 



167, 527 



552, 718 



1921 



3,909 



176, 655 



3,301 



747 



3,991 



4,729 



6,780 



14, 668 



41, 893 



50, 249 



43, 419 



54, 447 



176, 655 



581, 443 



3,562 



185, 914 



2,346 



508 



3,771 



6,080 



11,807 



7,459 



40, 920 



52, 988 



46, 280 



57, 413 



185, 914 



604, 962 



1923 



3,412 



197, 659 



1,891 



312 



4,863 



10, 612 



5,710 



22, 786 



43, 112 



55, 769 



48, 801 



60, 422 



197, 659 



653, 008 



3,516 



208, 396 



2,043 



390 



8,489 



5,132 



18, 670 



21, 551 



45, 685 



59, 291 



51, 359 



64, 240 



208, 396 



697, 158 



DEVELOPMENT OF FOX HERDS ON PRIBILOF ISLANDS 



The work of developing the fox herds of the Pribilof Islands, 

 inaugurated in 1923, was continued in 1924 under the immediate 

 supervision of Dr. H. L. Van Volkenberg, an expert specially secured 

 for that duty. 



ST. PAUL ISLAND 



As it appeared that a scarcity of food during certain seasons of 

 the year was the probable reason why St. Paul Island had not pro- 

 duced larger numbers of foxes, attention was devoted primarily 

 to providing an adequate food supply for them. Accordingly cookers 

 and ovens were purchased for baking biscuits and preparing cooked 

 foods to be put out at intervals in places where foxes might congre- 

 gate. These ovens were very satisfactory. The biscuits contained 

 oat groats, corn meal, rice, calf meal, seal meal, and seal oil or lard. 



