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  ALASKA 
  FISHEKIES 
  AND 
  FUR 
  INDUSTEIES 
  IN 
  1914. 
  

  

  The 
  blue 
  skiiis 
  might 
  have 
  been 
  graded 
  through 
  probably 
  30 
  or 
  40 
  

   different 
  categories, 
  the 
  limits 
  between 
  which 
  only 
  an 
  expert 
  would 
  be 
  

   expected 
  to 
  decide 
  with 
  precision. 
  They 
  ran 
  all 
  the 
  way 
  from 
  pelts 
  

   with 
  long, 
  dark, 
  glossy 
  guard 
  hairs, 
  of 
  regular 
  length 
  and 
  deep 
  evenly 
  

   colored 
  underfur, 
  through 
  many 
  gradations 
  in 
  each 
  important 
  

   feature, 
  to 
  the 
  short, 
  patchy, 
  irregular, 
  pale 
  and 
  parti-colored 
  hair 
  

   and 
  mottled, 
  stained, 
  dirty, 
  and 
  uneven 
  fur. 
  

  

  The 
  white 
  skins 
  were 
  more 
  easily 
  graded, 
  and 
  fell 
  readily 
  into 
  three 
  

   classes 
  of 
  exactly 
  equal 
  numbers. 
  

  

  Some 
  of 
  the 
  poorest 
  blue 
  skins 
  were 
  so 
  pale 
  as 
  almost 
  to 
  intergrade 
  

   with 
  the 
  least 
  desirable 
  class 
  of 
  the 
  white, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  thought 
  that 
  

   there 
  is 
  a 
  tendency 
  toward 
  reversion, 
  by 
  the 
  St. 
  Paul 
  herd, 
  to 
  the 
  

   original 
  white. 
  In 
  1913, 
  with 
  a 
  total 
  catch 
  of 
  175 
  foxes, 
  the 
  percent- 
  

   age 
  of 
  whites 
  was 
  16§; 
  in 
  1914, 
  of 
  a 
  total 
  of 
  212 
  foxes 
  of 
  both 
  colors, 
  

   the 
  whites 
  were 
  represented 
  by 
  22^ 
  per 
  cent, 
  an 
  alarming 
  increase 
  if 
  

   this 
  ratio 
  should 
  be 
  continued. 
  

  

  For 
  purposes 
  of 
  local 
  record 
  and 
  future 
  comparison 
  and 
  study, 
  the 
  

   blue 
  pelts 
  were 
  grouped 
  into 
  four 
  classes 
  and 
  the 
  whites 
  mto 
  three, 
  as 
  

   follows 
  : 
  

  

  Blue 
  fox 
  skins. 
  — 
  First 
  grade: 
  Deep 
  and 
  glossy, 
  dark 
  guard 
  hairs 
  of 
  

   even 
  length, 
  and 
  prime 
  fur 
  of 
  even 
  color 
  and 
  quality. 
  Second 
  grade: 
  

   The 
  same 
  except 
  with 
  a 
  slight 
  sprinkling 
  of 
  white 
  among 
  the 
  guard 
  

   hairs 
  and 
  a 
  somewhat 
  lighter 
  colored 
  fur. 
  Third 
  grade: 
  More 
  white 
  

   among 
  guard 
  hairs 
  and 
  a 
  reddish 
  tinge 
  to 
  the 
  pelt 
  in 
  general, 
  paler 
  fur, 
  

   shorter 
  and 
  less 
  even 
  hair 
  and 
  fur. 
  Fourth 
  grade: 
  All 
  the 
  least 
  

   desirable 
  skms, 
  such 
  as 
  those 
  with 
  pale, 
  mottled, 
  mixed, 
  and 
  patchy 
  

   hair 
  and 
  fur; 
  short 
  and 
  uneven 
  hair 
  and 
  fur; 
  chafed 
  areas; 
  stamed 
  

   and 
  dirty 
  appearance, 
  etc. 
  The 
  palest 
  of 
  these 
  practically 
  inter- 
  

   grade 
  with 
  the 
  darkest 
  of 
  the 
  white. 
  

  

  White 
  fox 
  sHws.— 
  First 
  grade: 
  Prime 
  hair 
  and 
  fur 
  of 
  even 
  length 
  

   and 
  color. 
  Second 
  grade: 
  The 
  same, 
  but 
  with 
  bluish 
  fur 
  and 
  some- 
  

   what 
  shorter 
  hair. 
  Third 
  grade: 
  All 
  inferior 
  pelts. 
  

  

  St. 
  George 
  Island. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  fall 
  of 
  1914 
  the 
  season 
  for 
  trapping 
  foxes 
  for 
  their 
  pelts 
  began 
  

   on 
  December 
  13, 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  that 
  month 
  63 
  blue-fox 
  

   pelts 
  and 
  1 
  white-fox 
  pelt 
  were 
  secured. 
  The 
  killmg 
  was 
  confined 
  

   to 
  foxes 
  considered 
  undesirable 
  as 
  breeders. 
  Durmg 
  the 
  same 
  

   period, 
  December 
  13 
  to 
  31, 
  there 
  were 
  branded 
  and 
  released 
  for 
  

   breeding 
  purposes 
  207 
  blue 
  foxes, 
  of 
  which 
  122 
  were 
  males 
  and 
  85 
  

   females. 
  

  

  SALE 
  OF 
  BLUE 
  FOXES. 
  

  

  In 
  1913 
  the 
  Department, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  encourage 
  fox 
  raising 
  in 
  Alaska 
  

   and 
  elsewhere 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  offered 
  to 
  sell 
  under 
  competitive 
  

   bids 
  blue 
  foxes 
  from 
  the 
  Pribilofs. 
  It 
  was 
  planned 
  that 
  the 
  Depart- 
  

   ment 
  would 
  undertake 
  to 
  deliver 
  at 
  Unalaska 
  any 
  foxes 
  which 
  might 
  

  

  