INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 579 



in addition, and as these skins have a value of $52 a piece, according 

 to press dispatches of the St. Louis sale, the total loss will be in the 

 neighborhood of $4,250,000, 85,000 seal skins, at a value of say $50 

 apiece. 



Mr. McGutre. That is for what length of time ? 



Mr. Clark. In the next 14 years. The law provides for a closed 

 season of five years; then for a period of nine years in which there is 

 to be set aside a breeding reserve of 5,000 animals annually, young 

 males, and as no more than 1,000 a year can be used by the herd in 

 that time, 4,000 will be wasted each year. 



Mr. AIcGuire. Now, I believe you stated before that the Govern- 

 ment lost $500,000 in 1913 by not lolling the available or killable 

 animals. That was on the estimate of 10,000 that should have been 

 killed and were not killed. What other waste to the Government 

 besides this $500,000 worth of skins is there by reason of those 10,000 

 males not having been killed ? 



Mr. Clark. The blue fox herd, which depends largely for its winter 

 food upon the surplus carcasses of the killing fields, will be driven to 

 desperate straits this winter, and being short of food, they will eat 

 one another. 



Mr. McGutre. Are they cannibalistic? 



Mr. Clark. Yes, sir. I found in 1912 in a cave the four paws of a 

 young fox which had been freshly eaten by his companions. Instances 

 are on record on Otter Island, a small islet which gets peopled with 

 the foxes when the ice joins it to St. Paul. When the natives go there 

 to catch foxes they sometimes find just one strong, vicious fox, an 

 animal that has survived because able to eat his weaker companions. 



Air. McGuire. Then, in addition to the loss of $500,000 for 1913, 

 there is a diminution of the fox herd by reason of not having sufficient 

 food? 



Mr. Clark. Yes, sir. 



Mr. McGuire. You think that if 10,000 had been killed that they 

 would have furnished quite sufficient food for the foxes on the 

 islands and leave sufficient for increase ? 



Mr. Clark. Yes: I believe it would have had that effect. 



Mr. McGuire. I think you stated the other day briefly that the 

 department was feeding the natives canned goods. Is that cus- 

 tomary ? 



Air. Clark. They have a supply of canned and salted meats in the 

 stores, but ordinarily the natives would eat the fresh and salted seal 

 meat in preference to these canned goods. During the present year 

 they must, however, be existing exclusively on them. 



Mr. McGutre. There is no seal meat for this year stored ? 



Air. Clark. Well, there was no seal meat put aside during the 

 killing season. 



Air. AIcGuire. How many seals could have been killed last year 

 by the department under the present laws and regulations ? 



Air. Clark. I have stated that in addition to those killed for food 

 10,000 could have been taken. 



Air. AIcGuire. I know; but my understanding is that the depart- 

 ment is prohibited now from taking seals except a certain number 

 for food under the law. 



Air. Clark. Yes; there is a provision made in the law for a food 

 killing. 



