MINOR FUR-BEARING ANIMALS. 67 



In the fall of 1918, Abraham Ericksson, at Kenai, purchased two 

 pairs of silver foxes at a cost of SI, 700 and placed them in pens. 

 During the year both males killed their mates. In October he traded 

 one male for a female, thus giving him a pair for breeding in 1920. 



Joseph Falardeau, operating a fox farm at the head oif Kachemak 

 Bay, reports encouraging results in 1919. At the beginning of the 

 year he had on hand five male and seven female silver foxes. Three 

 pairs of these produced a total of nine pups, five being males and 

 four females. This enabled him to increase his breeding stock to 

 nine pairs. Mr. Falardeau regards it as important that each farmer 

 endeavor to raise farm produce, also other products wliich may be 

 required for fox food, to supplement the natural food resources of the 

 region, such as fish, rabbits, and birds. Milk and eggs are especially 

 desirable as food for young foxes. 



Andrew Siewertson, who is using Perry Island as a fox farm, 

 reports that out of a breeding stock of 12 blue foxes he lost 4 fami- 

 lies by theft or' desertion, raised 36 young, killed 2 for their skins, 

 and sold 12 pairs. 



J. D. Jefferson has stocked Bald Head Chris Island with blue 

 foxes and the Dutch Group with cross foxes, having entered upon both 

 in the spring of 1917. The increase of blues is not definitely known 

 by Mr. Jefferson, but he estimates that there are now from 20 to 25 

 foxes on the island. One male and two female cross foxes, placed on 

 the Dutch Group in 1917, have done nothing. They were taken off 

 this year. The islands will be stocked with blue foxes under the 

 ownership and management of C. L. Hoyt, who is fox farming on 

 Axel Lind Island, a few miles from the Dutch Group. 



Lee E. Dickinson operates a fox farm on Flemming Island in the 

 western part of Prince William Sound, having stocked it in 1919 with 

 dark-blue foxes. He reports that the foxes are fed fresh fish, chiefly 

 cod and halibut, and that they thrive on that diet. This is in striking 

 contrast with the statement of Mr. Jeft'crson, who reported that his 

 foxes did not like cod and would not eat it ordinarily unless cooked 

 and mixed with other things. 



Passage Island, situated in the entrance of Port Graham, is used as 

 a blue-fox farm by J. A. Herbert, of Seldovia. This farm was estab- 

 lished several years ago and has been fairly successful. At the begin- 

 ning of 1919 the stock consisted of 25 pairs. These produced about 

 100 pups, but heavy losses occurred, as approximately 80 per cent of 

 the young were killed and carried away by eagles. Only 23 pups 

 reached maturity. Twenty-seven foxes were sold for breeding 

 purposes, 25 were killed for their pelts, and 10 pairs were held as stock 

 for 1920. Salted fish heads were used as food for the animals. These 

 are easily obtained at the cannery of the Fidalgo Island Packing Co. 

 at Port Graham. 



Hesketh and Yukon Islands, in Kachemak Bay, are used for fox- 

 breeding purposes by U. S. Ritchie, who began this work more than 20 

 years ago. His foxes run at large, and can pass from one island to 

 the other at low water. A few were killed for their skins, wliile 10 

 pairs were obtained elsewhere with which to restock, as the old stock 

 was degenerating from inbreeding. 



D. F. Dunagan, H. H. Waller, and J. L. Waller took over the fox 

 corrals of N. P. Shular at Anchor Pomt and will continue operations 

 under the name of the Anchor Point Silver Fox Farm. When owned 



