I06 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



and as these would probably come from regions where the normal phase predominates 

 it is likely that the majority of such immigrants would be white. Such infrequent 

 arrivals, however, can have had but little effect of any kind on the Pribilof herd within 

 historic times. 



Because of the beauty and rarity of the blue fox its value has always been much 

 greater than that of the white. Until very recent years the white skins were worth very 

 little, but the growing scarcity of all kinds of fur has resulted lately in a great increase 

 in their value. 



During the continuance of the leasing system the companies paid to the natives a 

 certain price for taking the skins and sold them in the best markets, the Government 

 deriving no benefit from the transaction. Since the discontinuance of this system in 

 1 910 the same methods have been followed by the Government, which now derives a 

 revenue from the animals. The gross proceeds of the catch of the wnter of 1910, 371 

 blue and 20 white skins, were $16,563.55; the expenses of marketing were $1,466.92. 

 The net price received was thus about $40 each for the blue skins and $6 each for the 

 white. Of the skins taken in 191 1, 12 blues netted over $50 each, and the whites about 

 $1 3 each, while an exceptionally fine lot of 3 1 blue fox skins brought a gross return of $1 3 1 

 each. Of those taken in 191 2, 13 brought slightly less on the average, a little under $40 

 each for the blue and about $1 1 each for the white. One lot of 6 fine blue skins brought 

 an average gross price of $158 each. The net proceeds to the Government from the sale 

 of fox skins for 1910-11 were $15,096.58; for 1911-12, $20,505.17; and for 1912-13, 

 about $16,000. It is plain that an industry which even in its present depleted state has 

 yielded this revenue deserves to be brought up to a higher state of efficiency. 



FORMER ABUNDANCE. 



According to the old records, foxes were present on the Pribilof Islands when they 

 were first visited, but regarding their numbers in early times we know very little. During 

 the period from 1842 to i860, inclusive, the Russian- American Co. took from the Pribilofs 

 an average annual catch of 1,829 foxes; more than two-thirds of these came from St. 

 George. From 1861 to 1870 the complete figures are not available. From 1871 to 1890 

 a total of 24,792 skins was taken from both islands; 20,412 of these came from St. George, 

 an annual average of 1,020 skins. During all this lime practically no attention was paid 

 to the care of the foxes, which subsisted mainly on the birds and on the bodies of the 

 seals which had been left on the killing fields. 



DECLINE FROM LACK OF FOOD. 



About 1890 the number of foxes begun to show a marked diminurion, undoubtedly 

 due to the smaller quota of seals killed. Within the next few years, during the modus 

 Vivendi, the catch of seals being limited to the food requirements of the human inhabit- 

 ants, the foxes suffered further reduction in numbers. During the period from 1891 to 

 1900 the total catch for both islands was only 6,245 skins. The decHne being attributed 

 to over-trapping, no foxes were killed on either island during the winters of 189 1-2 and 

 1894-5, 3^nd the season of 1898-9 was marked by a suspension of killing on St. Paul. 

 But the scarcity of food rather than excessive killing gradually becoming recognized as 

 the real cause of the decline, the special feeding of the animals was taken up in 1S96, 



