172 



TABLE 2 -AVERAGE SKULL SIZE ' IN INCHES OF POLAR BEARS TAKEN BY AIRPLANE HUNTERS BASED IN ALASKA, 



1966-69 



Nonresident 



Resident— White 



Total 



Male 



Female 



Male 



Female 



Male 



Female 



Hunting area 



Size N» Size N^ Size N« Size N^ Size N^ Size N^ 



''"'&'"'■ 25.1 139 21.0 9 24.1 48 



967 24.9 79 21.2 6 23.1 14 



968'":':"::::::::. 25.2 121 21.3 12 24.5 24 



1969 . 24.5 119 21.3 24 24.0 10 



'^•=''l'=966""^ - 24.1 25 20.5 6 22.4 44 



967 — 23.6 22 20.0 5 22.6 14 



968'" 23.7 23 21.1 12 23.0 5 



1969 23.4 20 21.2 20 22.5 10 



21.4 

 22.1 

 19.1 

 21.3 



19.9 

 19.9 

 19.7 

 20.0 



20 

 4 

 4 

 3 



26 

 7 



10 

 7 



24.8 

 24.6 

 25.0 

 24.4 



23.0 

 23.2 

 23.6 

 23.1 



187 



93 



145 



129 



69 

 36 

 28 

 30 



21.5 

 21.6 

 20.8 

 31.3 



20.0 

 19.9 

 20.4 

 20.9 



29 

 10 

 16 

 27 



32 

 12 

 22 

 27 



1 Skull size Is greatest length without lower jaw plus greatest width. 

 » N = Number measured. 



Source: Table from Brooks & Lentfer, 1969. As above. 

 TABLE 3.-AVERAGE AGE BASED ON TOOTH CEMENTUM LAYERING OF POLAR BEARS IN HUNTER HARVEST, 1966-68 



Note: Numbers in parentheses are numbers in sample. 

 Source: Table from Brooks & Lentfer, 1969. As above. 



The time span covered by the data in Tables 2 and 3 is probably of too short 

 a duration to show any conclusive trend. 



Concerning the matter of population, the real weakness continues to be the 

 diflBculty of making a reliable census of the total Arctic population, or any of 

 its regional (national) segments. 



The Walrus 



The walrus of the north Pacific has responded well to the protection it has 

 received since the turn of the present century. This population presently is 

 considered an underexploited and increasing one. Closely comparable counts of 

 this animal are diflBcult to make, since most of them "haul out" on ice floes. 

 Sometimes the massing of the floes is such that great numbers of walrus are 

 congregated in a relatively small area. At other times, these animals are 

 widely dispersed. Added to this are the hundreds of square miles in which no 

 animals are seen at all. 



A Bureau biologist (Karl Kenyon) reported (by telephone) the results of 

 four surveys made by himself and an associate. All the walruses seen in a 1- 

 mile strip (one-half mile from each side of the plane used) were counted as 

 were also the individuals seen beyond. Their results follow : 



Count 



Survey No. 



Time 



1-mile strip 



Total 



1. 

 2. 

 3. 

 4. 



Feb. 23-Mar. 2, 1%0 3,914 4,382 



AprI 23-30, 1960 3,323 5,223 



Mar. 20-30, 1961 4,929 5,475 



Apr. lfr-23, 1968.. 4,666 8,547 



