XXXVIII REPORT OF THE COMMISSIOXER OF FISHERIES 



larg'er breedino; stock, whicli it is felt can now bo maintained because 

 of feedin<r operations tbrouoh tlie winter and early sprin<»'. 



Fort,y-eioht blue foxes wei-e sold for breedino- purj^oses on Alaskan 

 fox farms at $175 eacli. It lias been decided to limit tbe sales of 

 foxes from the Pribilof Islands hereafter to ixissibly a few to natives 

 engaged in fox farming in the Aleutian Islands. 



FUR-SEAL SKINS TAKEN BY NATIVES 



It is reported that in the spring of 1024 Indians secured l,0-29 fur- 

 seal skins in the waters off the coast of Washington. These skins 

 were authenticated for the bureau ])y the superintendent of the Neah 

 Bay Indian Agency, Department of the Interior. Only 8 skins were 

 authenticated in southeast Alaska in the season of 1924. The latest 

 report at hand states that 2.162 fur-seal skins were taken by natives 

 of British Columbia in 1924, 



FI'R-SEAL PATROL 



A pati'ol of that portion of Bering Sea frequented hy the Pribilof 

 Islands fur-seal herd was maintained in the season of 1923 by vessels 

 of the United States Coast Guard. During the spring migrati(m of 

 the seals in 1924 the herd was protected in the watei-s ofl' the coasts 

 of Washington and Alaska by vessels of the Coast (luard and the 

 Bureau of Fisheries. 



PROTECTION OF WALRUS AND SEA LIONS 



In March, 1924, revised regulations for the protection of walruses 

 and sea lions in Alaska Avere issued. A close season was placed on 

 these animals covering the tAvo-vear jjeriod from ^NTav 1, 1924, to 

 April 30, 192(). 



VESSEL SERVICE NOTES 



The steamer Fish Hairl- has comi)leted the hydrographic and bio- 

 logical sui'A'e}' of Long Island Sound made in connection A\ith the 

 oystei' investigations, except for two tiips <leferred for lack of funds 

 and which were planned in order to check up previous observations. 



The fishery investigations in the Gulf of Maine Avere continued 

 with the steamer Ilaleyov. Current obsei' vat ions Avere made by 

 means of drift bottles on lines running 25 miles offshore — one off 

 Mount Desert, one off' Cape Elizabeth, one off Cape Ann, and one 

 oil' Cape Cod. During the sunnner of 192;> this vessel was used for 

 the tagging of cod. Two short cruises were made in Massachusetts 

 Bay for temperature observations. 



The usual vessels have been utilized for fish-cultural Avork at the 

 stations on the NeAv England coast and on the Great Lakes. 



After com])]etion of the Avork of installing a ncAv Diesel engine in 

 the Eider at Seattle in July, that vessel returned to Alaska and Avas 

 kept in commission througliout the remainder of the fiscal year. 

 Trans[)ortation Avas furnislied to agents engaged in salmon fishery 

 investigations, a number of tri])S Avere made to the I'ribilof Islands, 

 and considerable assistance Avas rendered in the si)ring of 1924 to 

 the round-tlie-Avorld flight expedition of tlie Army Air Service. 



