30 



BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



The foUowinj;' table, based upon official returns, shows the gradual increase until 

 the present capacity of the island, about 200, was reached: 



Number of sea-oilers IciVed on Copper island, 1S72~1SS2. 



* Thrown out by the sea. There was evidently no hunt that year. Dyhowski (Wysp Komand., 

 p. 64), upon the " authority of the overseer at Copper Island," gives 20 for 1879. 



:^ 



The arctic blue fox is common on both islands, most of the animals now found 

 there being of the costlier dark phase, only a few white ones occurring occasionally on 

 Bering Island. These are killed regardless of place or season, to keep the strain as 

 pure as possible. The Copper Island fox skins are of a better quality, being larger 

 and darker. The capture of the foxes is subject to as stringent and efficient regu- 

 lations as that of the sea-otter. The island is divided into a number of well-defined 

 districts (111 in Bering Island) for fox-liunting pui'poses, in each of which there is a 

 hut {ijurt, or odinot-slcu) lor the hunters. All the males between 18 and CO years take 

 part in the hunt, which ordinarily begins on November 10 (old style) on Bering Island, 

 and November 20 (old style) on Copi)er Island, closing December 31. In eacli district 

 a certain number of men, forming a gang, are detailed. Each gang hunts in common, 

 and the proceeds of the hunt are divided according to shares, or each man to take 

 his own foxes, as each gang may decide. As the various districts are more or less 

 productive, a certain rotation is established so that each man has his chance at the 

 best places as his turn arrives. Care, however, is taken that the old men are located 

 in the more comfortable places. 



The following table shows that the number of foxes decreases greatly when they 

 are hunted for several successive years. The hunt is therefore suspended for one or 

 two seasons, with intervals according to circumstances, in order to give the animals 

 time to recuperate. The importance of the hunt is also shown, and the relative 

 scarcity of the wliite jdiase. 



Number of foxes killed on Bering and Copper islands, 1S71-1S8S 



