80 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



"Females were immune from killing during the first six 

 Summary years; since then, approximately an equal number of males 

 and females have been released for breeding purposes, and 

 the remainder killed, regardless of sex. It was thought, in the first 

 instance, that, by saving all females and a small number of males, 

 polygamy would become general among the foxes as is the case with 

 domestic animals. Results not meeting with expectations, the scheme 

 of leaving a number of pairs and saving them for breeders was adopted. 



"Evidence of promiscuous sexual intercourse among the foxes is 

 confined to a very few cases, none of which appear in the printed re- 

 ports of the agents of the Department of Commerce and Labor. Only 

 one case has come under my observation. The different method of 

 branding males and females is reported by Mr. Chichester as showing 

 that pairs of foxes often seen playing together in the spring are not 

 always male and female. He also observed a female fox bring up a 

 litter of young alone and unaided. Later on, however, the same 

 gentleman found the first authentic case of paired foxes jointly engaged 

 in feeding and guarding the same litter of young. 



"It is possible that some of the females do not mate or become 

 impregnated, and there is evidence that others abort; so, on the whole, 

 it would seem wise to leave a surplus of healthy vigorous females, in- 

 stead of adhering rigidly to the rules now in vogue. 



"At present the business is carried on under a contract, by which 

 the North American Commercial Co. gets all the skins taken, com- 

 pensates the natives for their labour, and furnishes a certain amount of 

 fox food; but the feeding, trapping and entire conduct of fox affairs 

 is in the hands of the government agents. 



" While the regular annual catch of fox skins on St. George island 

 since the present methods were adopted is less than half what it was 

 from 1870 to 1890, as herein shown, it is evident that the herd, and 

 with it the annual catch of skins, can be indefinitely increased. The 

 fact that on St. Paul island, where nothing was done to perpetuate 

 fox life, the species is about extinct, justifies the opinion that the 

 measures taken on St. George island have preserved the foxes thereon. 

 Summing it up, it may be stated that the preservation and increase of 

 the foxes on St. George island depend, primarily, upon the bountiful 

 feeding of proper food for about eight months every year; and second- 

 arily, upon the careful and methodical selection of the animals reserved 

 for breeding purposes." 



