30 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
The following table, based upon official returns, shows the gradual increase until 
the present capacity of the island, about 200, was reached: 
Number of sea-otters killed on Coiiper island, 1872-lSSZ. 
Tear. 
Sea-ottors. 
Tear. 
Sea-otters. 
1872 
9 
1879 
*2 
1873 
14 
1880 
128 
1874 
54 
1881 
]90 
1875 
48 
1882 
200 
1«7fi 
33 
1877 
68 
840 
1878 
94 
* Thrown out by the sea. There was evidently no hunt that year. Dyhowskl (Wysp Komand., 
p. 64), upon the " authority of the overseer at Copper Island,” gives 20 for 1879. 
The arctic blue fox is common on both islands, most of the animals now found 
there being of the costlier dark ]ihase, only a few white ones occurring occasionally on 
Bering Island. These are killed regardless of place or season, to keep the strain as 
pure as possible. The Copper Island fox skins are of a better quality, being larger 
and darker. The capture of the foxes is subject to as stringent and efficient regu- 
lations as that of the sea-otter. The island is divided into a number of well-delined 
districts (19 in Bering Island) for fox-hnnting purposes, in each of which there is a 
hut (i/iH’t, or odinotslca) for the hunters. All the males between 18 and GO years take 
part in the hunt, which ordinarily begins on November 10 (old style) on Bering Island, 
and November 20 (old style) on Copper Island, closing December 31. In each district 
a certain number of men, forming a gang, are detailed. Each gang hunts in common, 
and the iiroceeds of the hunt are divided according to shares, or each man to take 
his own foxes, as each gang may decide. As the various districts are more or less 
lu’oductive, a certain rotation is established so that each man has his chance at the 
best xdaces as his turn arrives. Care, however, is taken that the old men are located 
in the more comfortable xilaces. 
The following table shows that the number of foxes decreases greatly when they 
are hunted for several successive years. The hunt is therefore suspended for one or 
two seasons, with intervals according to circumstances, in order to give the animals 
time to recuxierate. The imxiortauce of the hunt is also shown, and the relative 
scarcity of the white phase. 
Number of foxes hiUed on Bering and Copper islands, 1871-1883 
Bering Island. 
Copper Island. 
Season. 
Blue 
foxes. 
White 
foxes. 
Season. 
Foxes. 
1871 79. 
836 
4 
1872 
190 
1872 73 
580 
28 
1873 
457 
1873 74 
514 
24 
, 1874 
447 
1874 75 
1875 
1875 76 
1, 087 
50 
1 1876 
696 
1876 77 
573 
19 
1877 
1877 78 
1878 
1878 79 
789 
1879 
601 
1879 80 
1880 
503 
1880 81 
1881 
1881-82 
1,447 
20 
1882 
1,033 
1882-83 
872 
13 
' Tot.nl 
3, 927 
Total 
6,698 
158 
