62 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



" While the animals eat a great deal of grass and other land and 

 marine vegetation, it is evident that they cannot long survive on a diet 

 that does not include animal food. 



"' The year 1890 may be considered the turning point in 

 Conditions fox life on the Pribilof islands, which, of course, include 

 St. George. At that time, or soon after, a scarcity of foxes 

 was everywhere apparent, and the government agents in charge, 

 wrongly attributing the diminution to over-trapping, forbade all trap- 

 ping for three different winters in the early nineties, with the result 

 that the total catch for the seven years ending with 1897 was only 

 2,198. The real trouble was a shortage of substantial food, such aa the 

 foxes had always been accustomed to, but this was not then under- 

 stood, or at least no steps were taken to supply the deficiency. 



" The slaughter of seals upon the ocean by pelagic hunters had so 

 decimated the seal herd, that in 1890 only 6,139 were secured on St. 

 George island, instead of the regular quota of 25,000. In 1891, 1892 

 and 1893, owing to the modus vivendi, the number of seals killed on 

 this island was further reduced to 2,500. The sea-lion herd of the island 

 had likewise been greatly depleted, so that but few^ of those animals 

 were' killed, and consequently there was little or none of that meat for 

 the foxes. 



" With the departure of the birds in the fall, the foxes as usual 

 scoured the beach for food and that source proving insufficient, recourse 

 to the seal fields, where formerly they were sure of something when 

 driven to extremities, proved unavailing. The limited amount of seal 

 meat was soon cleaned up. After that, there was nothing for them 

 but starvation, and those that succumbed were quickly devoured by the 

 survivors. 



.. , "■ Coincident with the regular feeding of foxes, the experi- 



Modern ^ , . , . i, , , j mu- 



Trapping ment of catchmg them m small box traps was made, inis 

 was successful from the beginning, as the foxes did not 

 hesitate to enter for the bait, and sometimes two would get in before 

 the trap was sprung, although it was intended only for one. The foxes 

 came in such numbers that at least 50 box traps would be needed to 

 accommodate them. This suggested the erection of a house trap, and 

 accordingly a rough corral or house trap 8 by 14 feet was con- 

 structed beside the coal house. Three or four seal carcasses were placed 

 in the trap for bait. The foxes entered with little hesitation and soon 

 40 or more would be inside. The man operating the trap stood inside 

 the coal house, and by pulling a rope, caused the door to drop, and the 

 foxes were prisoners. Subsequently a wire-mesh trap or cage 14 by 10 



