CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 



35 



I'l-ics rank seooiid with an output of pro- 

 auels valued at $1,120,226. In the order 

 of iiroduction, the herring fisheries come 

 at'xt. with a yield of products valued at 

 $707,729. The value of the cod products 

 was $744,970. Whaling operations re- 

 turned products worth $653,852. The 

 Iiroduction of miscellaneous fishery pro- 

 ducts including clams and other shellfish 

 aggregated $340,396 in value. 



This unprecedented yield of fishery pro- 

 ducts in Alaska at a time when the world 

 is in need of food is called an achievement 

 for which the country may justly feel 

 gratified. 



The fur products of Alaska are also 

 of considei'able importance and value, as 

 evidenced by the fact that in the year 

 from November 16, 1916, to November 

 15, 1917, shipments from that territory 

 reached an aggregate value of $1,031,688, 

 exclusive of fur-seal skins and fox skins 

 shipped by the government from the 

 Pribilof Islands. In the calendar year 

 1917 the government shipped from the 

 Pribilof Islands fur-seal skins valued at 

 $274,291 and fox skins valued at $35,680. 

 — Science, June 7, 1918. 



NOVA SCOTIA USES WAR METHODS 

 TO CAPTURE VIOLATORS. 



I'he fact that most of the illegal fishing 

 in Nova Scotia has been carried on by 

 gangs of men in the darkest hours of the 

 night when it is impossible to discover the 

 olVciidcrs without some means of artificial 

 illumination has prompted authorities to 

 liuiiish wardens with "Trench Light" 

 pistols. These lights which have been 

 very eftective by the allied armies and 

 navies are contained in metallic cartridges 

 and are fired from a breach loading four- 

 bore pistol which throws the magnesium 

 stars to a distance of 400 or 500 feet. The 

 lights burn for five or ten seconds and 

 light up the whole neighborhood so that 

 everything can be distinctly seen even on 

 the darkest night. In addition to its 

 effir-acy in illuminating, it acts as a 

 weapon of self-defense which poachers will 

 learn to fear as much as the revolver. 



The "trench light" has been decided upon 

 only after experiments with acetyline 

 searchlights, electric searchlights, and 

 magnesium Roman candles. 



CALIFORNIA TRAPPERS AND THEIR 

 CATCH. 



Fur the open season 1917-18, nearly 4000 

 trappers' licenses were issued. As the 

 trappers' license law provides for the kill- 

 ing of fur-bearers destroying poultry and 

 domestic animals, no record can be ob- 

 tained of those so killed and the reports 

 of trappers of the take for the year do 

 not give the total number of animals 

 taken. However, the reports do give a 

 basis for a computation as to the value 

 of the annual take of furs. According to 

 the reports of those holding trappers' 

 licenses the take for last year was as 

 follows : 



Nuinliur 

 taken 



Aveiusc 

 piifo 



Skunk 



Mink 



Pine marten .. 



Fisher 



Weasel 



Badger 



Raccoon 



Ring-tailed cat 



River otter 



Fox 



Bear 



Coyote 



Mountain lion - 



Wild cat 



House eat 



Opossum 



Miiskrat 



Wooilrat 



Mole . 



10,480 



804 



127 



28 



59 



82 



2,309 



1,381 



2S 



2,26S 



55 



1,941 



7 



1,488 



111 



IS 



00 



20 



The wolverine is apparently a very rare 

 furbearer and not a single skin of this 

 animal was reported. It is also interest- 

 ing to note that such well-known fur- 

 bearers as the marten and fisher are so 

 reduced in numbers in this state that 

 only a small number were taken in 1917- 

 18. The average price indicated was ob- 

 tained by averaging the amount received 

 for at least 100 different pelts of a species. 



