BUREAU OF FISHERIES XV 



Through the cooperation of the Navy Department the annual 

 suppUes for the Pribilof Islands were transported from Seattle, Wash., 

 on the U. S. S. Siyius, and the sealskins and fox skins then ready for 

 shipment were brought back on the return voyage. 



SEAL HERD 



The computed number of animals in the Pribilof Islands fur-seal 

 herd on August 10, 1929, was 971,527— an increase of 100,014, or 

 11.48 per cent, over the corresponding figure for 1928. 



TAKE OF SEALSKINS 



In the calendar vear 1929 there were taken on the Pribilof Islands 

 40,068 fur-sealskins, of which 33,216 were from St. Paul Island, and 

 6,852 from St. George Island. This was an increase of 8,969 over 

 the number taken in 1928 and is the largest take of any year since 1889. 



MARKING RESERVED SEALS 



In 1929 the number of 3-year-old male seals marked for the breeding 

 reserve was 8,085, of which 6,430 were on St. Paul Island, and 1,655 

 on St. George Island. The marking was done by shearing a patch 

 of fur, and on St. Paul Island 200 of the animals so marked were also 

 branded with a hot iron. 



SALE OF SEALSKINS 



Two public auction sales of fur-seal skins taken on the Pribilof 

 Islands were held at St. Louis, Mo., in the liscal year 1930. The 

 first was on September 30, 1929, when 5, 022 black-dyed and 9,000 

 logwood brown-dyed skins were sold for a gross price of $349,648. 

 At the same time 142 logwood brown-dyed and 10 raw-salted Japa- 

 nese fur-seal sldns brought S3, 486. 50. ' These 152 skins were the 

 United States Government's share of sealskins taken by the Japanese 

 Government in 1928. In addition, 2 confiscated fur-seal skins, 

 dyed logwood brown, were sold for S33. and 5 confiscated sea-otter 

 skins were sold for S963. 



At the second sale, held on April 7, 1930, 8,011 black-dyed and 

 6,035 logwood brown-dyed skins were sold for S319,290, and 4 

 confiscated skins (2 dyed logwood brown, 1 dressed in hair, and 1 raw 

 salted) brought $16.50. 



Special sales of sealskins, authorized by the Secretary of Commerce, 

 in the fiscal vear 1930 consisted of 125 black-dyed and 75 logwood 

 brown-dyed skins at a gross price of $8,807.86. .\ll were taken at 

 the Pribilof Islands. 



FOXES 



The care of foxes on the Pribilof Islands is incidental to sealing 

 operations, requiring attention only during the winter months. 



Five hundred and forty-four blue and nine wliite fox skins taken 

 in the season of 1928-29*^ were sold at public auction on September 

 30, 1929. The blue pelts brought $35,865 and the whites $556, a 

 total of $36,421. 

 9751—30 3 



