FUR-FARMING IN CANADA 69 



" Females were immune from killing during the first sir 

 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 in- 

 stance, that, by saving all females and a small number of males, poly- 

 gamy would become general among the foxes as is the case with domestic 

 animals. Eesults 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 gen- 

 tleman 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 vrise 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 mount of 

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

 in the hands of the government agents. 



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

 since the present methods were adopted is less tlian 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 tlie 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." 



