Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1904-01-02
FOR FOX PROPAGATION.
Use Made OF Islands on Coast of
Alaska.

James w. Witten, special inspector
of the general land office, has submit
ted a. report on fox propagation" on
the islands along the coast of Alaska.
In ii he says
About twenty years ago the propaga-
ton Of foxes upon small, unproductive
islands in Alaska was commenced.
These Islands We're at first stocked
with one or two pairs, male and female.
of silver-gray foxes, selected for this
purpose on account of it's fur being
so much more valuable than that Of
any other species. The wild and IN
tanable nature of the silver-gray fox
untitled it fer a life of this kind, and
blue foxes were substituted. and a large
number of islands in Prince VIII am
sound adjacent othe islands of Afog-
max and KGdiak and other islands fur
Their to TIE southwestward, are now oc-
cupied for that purpose
The blue fox is much moro sluggish
and stupid kind and flourishes better
in the semi-domesticated state neces-
sary in this propagation. In speaking
of this fox in his report on the fur
seals. Professor F. w. True, in refer
ring to the islands upon which it is ma
tive, says:
"Ore is not long on the island before
making his (the fox's1 acquaintance
and his movements ere continued
source of interest. Now he will be seen
trotting along in the distance turning
neither to the right ror to the left. and
again he viii spring up almost from IN
der ones feet, giving utterance to his
high pitched and querulous bark. There
is something uncanny IN the logged
persistence with which he follows ones
footsteps, falling back and barking If
one faces about, and trotting near
again the instant one proceeds. 1 took
pains on one occasion when a fox had
been following me for some distance, to
ascertain whether these little fcotpad=
could be readily frightened away. l
commenced by throwing large stones in
the direction Of the animal thinking to
alarm it, but It simply drew aside and
let the missiles pass and continued to
bark as before. Finally I aimed some
small stones directly at the fox, one Of
which STRUCK 1t forcib,y in the fore
head The fox merely drew b OK and
barked defiance. AS I proceeded the
fox drew near again and followed me
to the boundary of his domain, for each
fox. like his neighbor the bull seal,
y
which he regards as his own. and upon
which he resents intrusion. I once OBJ
served a fox trotting along toward his
barrow with 4 fresh fur seal placenta
in his mouth. and foxes mat frequent
~ be seen on the outskirts of the rock
cries hunting after the placentas. Dur
ing the summer these articles. IS well
as birds eggs, are eaten by the foxes,
but in the wlntersthey lead a somewhat
precarious existence. subsisting largely
upon seq urchirs, which they obtain at
low water"
1t may be readily perceived that very
soon after the small islands referred to
have been stocked with foxes, all of
the small birds, vermin and other food
supplies naturally found upon the is
lands, would be exhausted and the con-
@ecuent lack of sources from which he
could obtain his food makes it neces-
sary that the foxes be constantly fed.
For this purpose keepers and attend
ants arc stationed on each of the is
lands where they catch and prepare
fish for the foxes and distribute them
in small houses built along tia sea-
shore for that purpose. These foxes
are homogeneous, thus Decessitating an
equal number of males and fem les
who appear to live separate. They bear
from four to eight and sometimes as
high az a dozen young at a time. They
live apart, &c a great extent secluded,
and and seldom seen about the resi-
dence quarters of the keepers. and for
this reason it is impossible to determine
the eXact number OF live foxes on any
part of the island at any given date
They slip into the feed houses at night
for their food. and when the killing sea-
son arrives the houses are so converted
Into traps as to afford ingress and pre-
vent egress. and when sufficient num-
Der Of them have been thus confined in
the food houses, they are caught and
tsl'en alive out 10 sea. where they are
slaughtered and skinned.
although the industry has been pro-
NOTED for number Of years. it is said
to be still IN the experimental stage.
and hes not been fully established as
satisfactorily remunerative to warrant
itS CQntipnaN ,at,ra g.