122 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



the Pribilof Islands fox herds. It was planned at the same time 

 that attention would also be given to the reindeer herds and, if 

 occasion arose, to the seals. 



Experiments in the feeding- of the foxes on St. Paul Island were 

 begun, and various Idnds of food and different methods of prepara- 

 tion were studied. No difficulty was experienced in inducing the 

 foxes to come to the established feeding places for food. While the 

 work this year was necessarily somewhat preliminarj- in character, 

 the results were quite promising. 



SALE OF LIVE BLUE FOXES 



The policy of selling a limited number of blue foxes for the pur- 

 pose of assisting in stocking privately owned fur farms was con- 

 tinued in 1923. During the year 48 animals were thus sold at a 

 price of $175 for each animal. The foxes were delivered to the 

 purchasers or their agents at Unalaska. Sales were as follows: 

 3 to George Marks, .Yakutat ; 3 to E. M. Axelson, Yakutat ; 39 to 

 the Goldstein-Glacier Fur Faniis (Inc.), Juneau; and 3 to N. E. 

 Bolshanin, Unalaska, Alaska. 



The foxes were all secured on St. George Island. Shipments 

 were made as follows: 20 pairs by the Coast Guard cutter Algdn- 

 guin^ September 11, for the Goldstein-Glacier Fur Farms (Inc.), 

 one of which animals died before delivery to purchaser's agent at 

 Unalaska; 3 foxes each for George Marks and E. M. Axelson by 

 the Eider ^ September 14; and 3 foxes for N, E. Bolshanin by the 

 Algonquin, September 27. A pa3'ment of $5 for each fox sold was 

 made to the natives employed in capturing the animals. 



It has been decided to discontinue the policy of selling blue foxes 

 from the Pribilof Islands hereafter except to natives and possibly 

 white residents of the Aleutian Islands Reservation. The shipping 

 of foxes long distances, especially from western Alaska, where 

 transportation is infrequent and slow, necessarily involves some risk 

 of loss. This risk, after the animals are delivered to the purchasers 

 at Unalaska, must be borne by them, and any loss inevitably leads 

 to some dissatisfaction. The securing of any considerable number 

 of foxes in the summer season causes an undesirable disturbance of 

 the herd. Furthermore, the removal of a large number of the 

 choicest animals from the herd lowers its average condition. Assist- 

 ing fur farmers in the Aleutian Islands Reservation will not involve 

 any considerable number of foxes, and the problem of making ship- 

 ments will be* much simplified. 



REINDEER 



Reindeer were introduced on both St. Paul and St. George Islands 

 in 1911. Statistics in regard to the size of the two herds and the 

 use made of the animals for each year to 1922 were published in a 

 corresponding report (Bureau of Fisheries Document No. 951) for 

 1922. 



At the end of the year 1923 the St. Paul Island herd numbered 

 approximate!}' 150 animals and the St. George Island herd approxi- 

 mately 145 animals. During the year 14 reindeer were killed for 

 food on St. Paul Island and 34 on St. George Island. 



