BLUE FOX-FARMING 



79 



"Mr. Chichester reports three dymg of kidney disease and one of 

 tuberculosis in 1906, and one of perforation of the stomach caused by 

 an ulcer in 1907. In that year, he killed four that were suffering from 

 mange, and in 1908, Major Clark killed nine that he found afflicted 

 with the same disease. 



"An unusual number of dead on St. Paul island the winter of 

 1902-03, taken in connection with symptoms of mania noticed by Mr. 

 Lembkey, led him to believe that an epidemic of some sort affected the 

 foxes that year. 



"When foxes starve to death a dark discharge issues from the 

 anus. 



"Statistics of the catches prior to 1840 are not available. 



Fox Skins For the 19 years ending with 1860, the average annual 



catch for St. George island was 1,278. 



"For the 19 years ending with 1889, according to figures kindly 



furnished me by the Alaska Commercial Com.pany — the former lessees 



of the sealing privileges — the average annual yield was 1,074. 



"The following table shows concisely the entire trapping since 

 steel traps were abandoned, which is coincident with the inauguration 

 of regular feeding. 



Blue Foxes Trapped 



"During the first three years shown in the above table, the work 

 was under the supervision of the government agents, the next five un- 

 der that of the company agents, and, since 1906, again under the gov- 

 ernment agents. The ebb and flow in fox life as shown by the trapping 

 is capable of explanation, but the details cannot here be considered. 



♦Occasionally the column "Total trapped" includes skins of animals found dead. 



