64 THE FUR TRADE OF AMERICA 



fox farming of Alaska, the foxes are not confined in pens but left 

 running wild. 



When seal killing dropped off on the Seal Islands in the '90's 

 blue fox life also decreased, evidently from starvation, or lack of 

 abundant meat. 



Great care is taken in Alaska to kill none but prime skins, and 

 for this purpose box traps are used instead of steel, poison or rifle. 

 If the fox trapped is found not to be full grown, to have defective 

 fur, to be a female with young, it is let out. Before the fox can 

 be killed, it must be examined by a government inspector who 

 decides from color of the fur, age of the animal, general heft, whether 

 it should be kept to multiply its kind or killed. The teeth are 

 examined for the age. Each animal let go is branded. No, don't 

 scream. They are not branded with red hot irons. A ring one 

 inch wide is cut with scissors in the fur of the tail and the little 

 captive is let hop off. If a blue fox so branded is caught by a fur 

 trapper, its fur will not be passed by the government inspector 

 but is confiscated. Blue fox pelts are prime only from November 

 to January. 



White foxes are found in litters of blue, but they are inferior 

 pelts ; and the government game wardens are trying to exterminate 

 white foxes on the blue fox farm islands. Every Arctic fox enter- 

 ing a trap is killed. The Indians are allowed to shoot them under 

 any circumstances. Very little disease is found among blue foxes, 

 but the infant mortality is high, owing to the mothers whelping 

 their young on naked damp rocky burrow, or on the open rock. 

 In 10 years the average of blue foxes trapped in Alaskan Islands 

 has run from 700 to 1400, about half of which have been turned 

 loose for breeders, the other half coming out as pelts to the trade. 



At first the attempt was made as down on the St. Lawrence 

 with silver foxes, to save all females, kill all the males but a few 

 and force polygamy ; but the fox did not thrive under man's regu- 

 lation of an animal's morals ; and now enough males are left for 

 monogamous mating; and blue fox life is increasing faster. 



