Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-05-17
NATURRLISTS
TO STUDY BIRDS
Party Of Five Going to the
AIeutlan Islands.
START TO Be MADE IN MAY.
Breeding of Rare Foxes as an Industry
Will 30 Investigated by a Biologist.
Eggs, Insects and Other Specimens to
30 Collected Why Alaska Was
Chosen.

Chosen.
Arrangements have been completed
by the Smithsonian institution at
Washington with the revenue cutter
service TO take party of five natural
lists to the Aleutian islands, where they
will put in the entire summer studying
the bird life of those islands as well
as Of the coast Of the Alaskan main
land
The expedition is intended mainly TO
enable A. @. Bent, a naturalist of
Taunton, Mass, who will head the
party, to complete the Life Histories
of North American Birds" a work
which the Smithsonian institution has
had under preparation for a number
Of years and OF which two volumes
have been published. Assisting Mr..
Bent will be DR.. Sanford, r. ii. Beck.
Alexander Wetmore of the biological
survey and one other collector to be
selected by Mr.. Bent.
Will Sail Early In May.
The party will leave Port Townsend,
Wash. early in May on the revenue
cutter Tahoma and will go first to Una
laska. where they will be transferred
to another revenue cutter. which has
been placed at their disposal through
the courtesy Of the revenue cutter serv'
Ice. The scientists will cruise along
the Aleutian islands in this vessel and
will visit every island OF any size In
the group before returning next fall
Extensive observations will be made OF
the nesting habits of the birds.
The Aleutian islands were chosen
for this work because many of the
shore birds common to other parts OF
the continent are found there In the
mating season and because the data
on birds nesting In the various parts
Of the arctic region are incomplete
Moreover. there Is considerable diff
ference among certain forms of LAND
birds found on each island. Collec
. tons will be made OF birds. insects ant
! the like, and a sharp lookout also vii
be kept for porpoises and other ceta
I ceans, as little Is known at present o
the Alaskan kinds.
, Birds. egrs. insects and other speci
mems collected by the party vii! b
turned over to the National museum
which has a general interest in tn
work
Breeding of Rare Foxes
r One of the things that win be locke
l into by the representative of the bic
logical survey is the rearing Of blu
foxes and other rare foxes as an II
dustry In the northern islands. A goo
= deal OF n fugitive nature Is printe
now and then in the newspapers abot
). some man who is making a success {
such a farm, but it Is hard to get r
liable information about such ente
prises. Blue fox skins are worth abol
$500 each, and the rarer black fc
p skins sometimes go over $1,000. IT
department of agriculture has been
y communication with one man In Ca
ada who has made q business Of bree
~, ing black foxes and has made a smt
fortune at it.. The work is simple. b
there are few people who have ev
carried 1t through successfully. u
til recently black fox sires for bree
ing purposes were worth $1,000. b
A the breeders have formed a combin
ton now whereby they refuse to s.
. any breeding stock, so that futu
breeding has to be left to natural self
ton and the occasional capture Of wi
specimens.
The expedition will find just what
i being done In the islands in the way
in fox farming.