68 



COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



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 

 1902-08, 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. 



Yield of '■ 



Fox Skins I'or the 19 years ending with 1860 the average annual 



catch for St. George island was 1,278. 



" I'or the 19 years ending with 1889, according to figures kindly 

 furnished me by the Alaska Commercial Company, 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 



*Occasionally the column, " total trapped ", includes skins of animals 

 found dead. 



" 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. 



