62 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 
“While the animals eat a great deal of grass and other land and 
marine vegetation, it is evident that they cannot long survive on a diet 
that does not include animal food. 
“The year 1890 may be considered the turning point in 
apie fox life on the Pribilof islands, which, of course, include 
St. George. At that time, or soon after, a scarcity of foxes 
was everywhere apparent, and the government agents in charge, 
wrongly attributing the diminution to over-trapping, forbade all trap- 
ping for three different winters in the early nineties, with the result 
that the total catch for the seven years ending with 1897 was only 
2,198. The real trouble was a shortage of substantial food, such as the 
foxes had always been accustomed to, but this was not then under- 
stood, or at least no steps were taken to supply the deficiency. 
“The slaughter of seals upon the ocean by pelagic hunters bad so 
decimated the seal herd, that in 1890 only 6,139 were secured on St. 
George island, instead of the regular quota of 25,000. In 1891, 1892 
and 1893, owing to the modus vivendi, the number of seals killed on 
this island was further reduced to 2,500. The sea-lion herd of the island 
had likewise been greatly depleted, so that but few of those animals 
were killed, and consequently there was little or none of that meat for 
the foxes. 
“With the departure of the birds in the fall, the foxes as usual 
scoured the beach for food and that source proving insufficient, recourse 
to the seal fields, where formerly they were sure of something when 
driven to extremities, proved unavailing. The limited amount of seal 
meat was soon cleaned up. After that, there was nothing for them 
but starvation, and those that succumbed were quickly devoured by the 
survivors. 
“Coincident with the regular feeding of foxes, the experi- 
 ekaab ment of catching them in small box traps was made. This 
rapping ape? : 
was successful from the beginning, as the foxes did not 
hesitate to enter for the bait, and sometimes two would get in before 
the trap was sprung, although it was intended only for one. The foxes 
came in such numbers that at least 50 box traps would be needed to 
accommodate them. This suggested the erection of a house trap, and 
accordingly a rough corral or house trap 8 by 14 feet was con- 
structed beside the coal house. Three or four seal carcasses were placed 
in the trap for bait. The foxes entered with little hesitation and soon 
40 or more would be inside. The man operating the trap stood inside 
the coal house, and by pulling a rope, caused the door to drop, and the 
foxes were prisoners. Subsequently a wire-mesh trap or cage 14 by 10 
by 8 feet was procured and placed at one end of a house especially 
