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HABITAT 
OF NORTH-AMERICAN 
FUR-BEARING 
ANIMALS 


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Copyright, 1906, by Marous Petersen, Buffalo, N.Y. 


The Fur Traders 


and 


Fur Bearing Animals 


BY. 


MARCUS PETERSEN 


AUTHOR OF 


“THE WEASEL FAMILY AND ITS ALLIES;”’ ‘“‘SEALS—THEIR PRODUCTS, 
HABITAT AND HABITS,” ‘“ SOME FUR BEARING ANIMALS” 


’ 


FULLY ILLUSTRATED 


BUFFALO, N.Y. 
THE HAMMOND PRESS 
1914 


EN. 


fa 7 
Fr 
Z / w 


AZT] OR 


Copyright 1914 Ears “Wie 
By THE HAMMOND PRESS 
All rights reserved 


INTRODUCTION 


How little we know and how much there is to learn. 
Research and investigation along any given line 
show how incomplete is our knowledge even of the 
things with which we are most familiar. There is 
nothing new under the sun, but there is always some- 
thing we do not understand about the subjects to 
which we have given the most thought and study. 
The scientist who knows all about the origin of a 
species, sometimes has the least knowledge as to how 
it can best be conserved, or of its real worth to the 
community, while the breeder who thoroughly under- 
stands propagation problems, and the dealer who 
can exactly estimate the value of the products of fur 
bearing animals, often know little about their origin, 
nature, habits and habitat. 

The object of this volume is to bring within the 
reach of each of these classes the information pos- 
sessed by the others; and to give to students of na- 
tural history and the general public a synopsis of 
everything of value that has been written by others 
upon this subject, together with many facts that 
heretofore have not been matters of general infor- 
mation. 

The author has not attempted to write a new his- 
tory of any part of the Animal Kingdom, but to 
present in condensed form and simple language 
authentic information regarding the structural 
formation, external appearance and distinguishing 
features of the more important fur-bearing animals; 
and to show by comprehensive charts and tables the 
proper grouping, and the relations and affinities each 
to each, of the different species. Attention has also 
been given to Fur Farming, and the commercial 
value of the different skins; the quantities of each 
used annually by furriers in pursuit of their calling; 


the processes and methods employed in dressing, 
dyeing and improving the skins; and the rules by 
which the experts determine their values. 


Considerable time has been devoted to the prepara- 
tion of a map showing where the finest specimens of 
the North American mammals are obtained, and to 
the compilation of a Lexicon giving the English, 
French, German and Spanish names of the different 
animals, and the trade designations applied to the 
furs made from the various pelts. 


Fanciful exaggerations have been carefully avoid- 
ed; but the facts presented regarding the intelli- 
gence and sagacity of some of the species add to 
the interest of the book. 

While it was impossible to tell the whole story in 
‘the first paragraph, it has been told in as few words 
as possible, so that this work is in reality a text 
book, where the important facts about the fur-bear- 
ing animals and their products are, so arranged 
that the reader can readily find the data that could 
be obtained elsewhere only by long and patient re- 
search through the works of many writers. Those 
who may desire more detailed information are re- 
ferred to the following authorities which have been 
consulted, and in some cases freely quoted, by the 
author of this volume. 

Baron Cuvier’s ‘‘Animal Kingdom;’’ Richard Ly- 
decker’s ‘‘Royal Natural History ;’’ John Sterling Kings- 
ley’s ‘‘Riverside Natural History;’’ Henry Fairfield Os- 
borne’s ‘‘Age of Mammals;’’ Henry Poland’s ‘‘Fur Bear- 
ing Animals;’’ Captain Hiram Martin Chittenden’s ‘‘Fur 
Traders of the Far West;’’ Washington Irving’s ‘‘As- 
toria;’’ Sir Alexander McKenzie’s ‘‘Voyages From Mon- 
treal;’’ George Bryce’s ‘‘History of The Hudson’s Bay 
Company ;’’ Alexander Beggs’ ‘‘History of the North 
West;’’ P. L. Simmonds’ ‘‘Animal Products;’’ the me- 
moirs of Gabriel Franchere, Alexander Ross and F. A. 
Laroche; the reports of the investigations made by D. G. 
Elliott, Dr. E. Coues and Wilfred H. Osgood; the 
writings of Linnaeus, Buffron, Lamarck, Bell, Darwin, 


Professor Huxley, Henri LeCourt, W. T. Hornaday, Dr. 
Theodore Gill, R. Ramsey Wright, W. H. Blundell and 
W.N. Lockington; and the Government reports issued by 
the United States Department of Agriculture, and the 
Bureau of Fisheries of the Department of Commerce. 


The helpful co-operation of my wife, the courtesies ex- 
tended to me by Dr. Francis A. Crandall, Jr., curator of 
the Buffalo Park Zoo, and many others whose names are 
not mentioned, and the assistance given by my pub- 
lisher, Mr. H. A. Hammond of Buffalo, are gratefully 
acknowledged. 


“KNOWLEDGE IS POWER” 


TABLE OF CONTENTS 


PART I. 


The Fur Traders—Their work as Empire Builders. 
First charter granted the Skinners Guild of 
London in 1327—History of the Hudson’s Bay 
Company and the Great French Fur Merchants 
—The Rise and Fall of the Northwest Com- 
pany—tThe Struggle for the Mastery—Lewis 
and Clark Expedition—John Jacob Astor’s 
attempt to control the Fur Trade of North 
America—The Voyage of the Tonquin—The 
Overland Journey to the Columbia—The Sur- 
render of Astoria—Lord Strathcona—The 
Passing of the Russian Traders—Under the 
American Flag—The Fur Traders of Today.. 

Fur Farming—Its Past, Present and Future—Suc- 
cessful Experiments—General Information— 
Fox Raising on Prince Edward Island—What 
can be done with other animals—Skunk Breed- 
ing—The Possibilities of the Industry—Mink 
Raising—The Obstacles to Success—Govern- 
ment Experiments with the Persian Lamb.... 

The Furriers—Relations to other Branches of the 
Fur Trade—The Old New York Houses, Where 
are they ?—Old and New Methods of Merchan- 
dising—Increase in Number of Small Factories 
—The place of the Specialty Man—Fur Dealers 
and Pur Wakirs) « ¢osscace tyes sae gw een aa 

Fur Markets—Seal Sales at St. Louis—Leipzig Fur 
Mart—The Fairs at Irbit and Nijni Novgorod 
in Russia—New York as a Fur Market—The 
London Sales—The Offerings—Mosecow, Tien- 
tsin and other Fur Centers................- 

Dressing, Dyeing, Improving and Grading—The 
Dressers—The Evolution of the Dyer’s Art— 
Plucking, Pulling and Machining—Imitations 
and Substitutes—How to Remove the Skins 
from the Carcasses—Stuffed Animals versus 
Scientific Taxidermy ................20000 

Size, Color and Quality—Largest Species near the 
Poles—Females smaller than the Males—In- 
breeding makes the stock become smaller— 
Larger Animals produced by Crossing—Most 
Powerful Animals on the Barren Wastes— 
Predominating Color—White as a Mark of Dis- 
tinction—The Influence of Cold on Color—Fur 
becomes lighter with Age—When Fur has its 
full Growth—Best at from One to Two Years 
of Age—Finest Specimens found in High Lati- 
tudes—The Effect of Climate.............. 


1-28 


29-40 


41-44 


45-46 


47-56 


57-58 


Quantities—Prices—Annual Supply—Upward of a 
Million Skins—Increasing Quantities—Com- 
parative Tables—Fluctuations in Value—Ship- 
ments from Alaska in 1912—Relative Dur- 
ability of Different Furs — Influence of 
Fashions on Quantities and Prices.......... 59-68 

The Tariff—Imports and Exports, Restrictions— 

John Jacob Astor’s Objections to the Tariff of 
1807—The Act of October 3, 1913—Imports 
and Exports of Furs and Skins in 1912— 
Restrictions—Closed Seasons ..............-. 69-73 

Fur Traders Lexicon—English, French, German 
and Spanish Names of the Different Animals 
dnd Wurs 4 vss eek ous eS eh ase Drew ew beet BPs 74-84 


PART II. 


Classification—The Animal Kingdom—tThe Verte- 
brata—Orders of the Class Mammalia— 
Genera and Families of each Order—Alpha- 
betical List of Species—Charts and Tables... 85-110 

The Mammals—Their Distinguishing Characteris- 
tics—Dentition and Structural Peculiarities— 
Nature, Habits and Habitats—Points of Simi- 
larity of Different Orders—Lines of Demark- 
ation—Carnivores ...........-. 00sec e eee 111-116 

The Bear Family—Different from all other Car- 
nivorous Animals—Allied to the Dog—Various 
SPOCleS als 2.sy mint au acide sGeea are omepial eee anata’ 117-122 

The Cat Family—Most Powerfully Armed of all 
Mammals—Domestic Cats—Various Species 
of Wild Cats—Jaguarondi—Leopards and 
Leopard Cats—The Lynx Tribe—The Lion— 
Jaguar—Puma and Tiger................04. 123-145 

‘The Civet Family—Stand Between the Hyaena and — 

Cat Families—True Civets—Their Commercial 
Value—The Genets — Fossa — Paradoxure — 
Rasse—Ichneumon and Mungoose........... 146-150 

The Dog Family—Its Origin—Domestic Species— 

Wild Dogs—Types—Plates—The Foxes—Dif- 
ferent Species and Varieties—Range of the 
Red Fox and its Color Variations—Silver, 
Aretic and Polar Foxes—Other Species—The 
Jackal—The Wolves, and their Distribution. .151-170 

The Hyaenas—Separate Family — Distinguished 
from the Dog and Wolf—Different Species— 

The Aard Wolf........... 020 ccc ec ee eee eens 171-172 

The Weasel Family—Composed of Six Groups— 
Widely Differing Genera and Species—Color- 
ation—The Martens, Minks and Sables—The 
Polecats—The Weasels—The Otter—The Bad- 
ger—The Wolverine...............000 eee 173-202 


The Raccoon Family—The Bassarisk—The Coatis 
—The Panda—The Kinkajou or Potto—The 
Raccoon or Raton............0. eee eee ee ees 203-206 


Aquatic Mammals—The Pinnipeds—Seal and Wal- 
rus—Hair Seals or Sea Dogs—Fur Seals or Sea 
Bears—Sea Lions or Eared Hair Seals—Dif- 
ferent Species of True and Eared Seals—Hair 
Seal Fisheries—Alaska Seal Rookeries—The 
Hauling Grounds—The Breeding Season—Gov- 
ernment Restrictions—Driving and Killing— 
Different Varieties of Fur Seal—Selection of 
Skins—Distinguishing Characteristics of Vari- 


OUS SPOCles sn ucwre captevariaraecwaaree ee ios 207-244 
Insectivora—Peculiarities and Dentition — The 
Mole—The Desman ...................-45. 244-249 


The Marsupials or Pouched Mammals—A Distinct 
Class — Opossums — Australian Marsupials— 
Bandicoot — Dasyure — Koala—The Common 
Phalanger (Australian Opossum)—The Kan- 
garoos—The Wallabies—Kangaroo Rats and 
HATS o8Ss4e%. oie cny ieee Nee aioe 250-265 


The Monotremata—Egg-laying Mammals—Struc- 
tural Peculiarities—The Platybus—Kchidna. .266-267 
The Primates—Bimana and Quadrumana—Illustra- 
tions—Different Families—Apes—Baboons— 
Monkeys — Marmosets — Lemurs — Common 
Monkeys—The Aye-Aye and Tarsier......... 268-276 


The Beaver—Largest and Most Interesting Rodent 
' —No Generic connection with other Mammals 
—Ingenuity and Intelligence—Beaver Dams 
and Their Construction—Beaver Lands—Com- 
mercial Uses.......... 00: eee ee eee tee eee 277-283 
The Chinchilla Family—Limitation of Range— 
Qualities—Real Chinchillas—Bastards—Chin- 
chillones—Viscachas ................ 000005: 284-285 
The Rodentia or Gnawers—Largest Order of the 
Mammalia—How They are Characterized— 
Habits and Coloration—The Hare Family 
and the Rabbits—The Rat and Mouse Tribe— 
Dormouse—Hamster—Lemming—Muskrat and 
Nutria—The Squirrel Family; Tree Squirrels, 
Flying Squirrels, Ground Squirrels, Chipmunk, 
Spermophile, Marmot and Gopher........... 286-308 
The Ungulata or Hoofed Mammals—True Rumin- 
ants—The Buffalo—American Bison—Yak— 
Musk Ox—Domestic Oxen—Rocky Mountain 
Goat—Camels—Antelopes—The Deer Family 
—The Goat Family—The Horse, Its Ancestors 
and Kin—The Sheep Family and its Value 
to Mami: s.a.cg cca sce cendesaaes Shdlecang Bsr ee oes 309-364 


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A CaLL FroM THE WILD, _ 


THE FUR TRADERS. 


The use of skins for winter garments dates back to the 
period when the groves were God’s first temples, and a 
man’s wants were limited to his necessities. It is a long 
call back to the time when the Paitriarchs clothed them- 
selves in the skins of the animals they had slain in the prim- 
eval forests from the present day when furs are often 
worn, like pearls and diamonds, for ornament rather than 
the protection they afford the wearer, and in some cases 
are so valuable that a fashionable woman’s collection of 
furs is often worth more than a king’s ransom. All 
through the intervening centuries peltries have formed an 
important article of traffic, even though the ingenuity of 
man, in inventing processes for the manufacture of other 
materials from which to fashion his garments, has in many 
cases caused the furs to become a subsidiary luxury in- 
stead of a primary necessity. 

One of the oldest guilds in the city of London is the 
Skinners’ Company which was originally a combination of 
fur traders, but at a later period the ‘‘Upholders’’ and 
““Tawas,’’ as the furriers and skin dealers were then 
respectively called were admitted to membership. There 
are no documents from which the particulars of its origin, 
or the date of its founding, can be traced; but it is inter- 
esting to note that a charter granted the company on 
March Ist, 1327, by King Edward III of England, contains 
a provision that the members must not sell old fur for 
new. A second charter granted by Henry VI, on February 
24, 1487, gave the company authority to regulate the 
exposure of furs for sale and the mixing of old and new 
furs; as well as the right to scrutinize the work, places of 
business, and the wares offered for sale by the furriers 
in London and other parts of the Kingdom. Evidently 
even at that early day there were those who were bring- 
ing reproach upon an honorable calling by taking advan- 
tage of the opportunities for deception offered by the 
fur trade. 

Charles I, seized and confiscated the lands of the 
Skinners’ Company, but they were returned to them later. 


2 Tue Fur TRADERS. 


On June 28, 1667, Charles II granted a new charter, which 
again gave the company jurisdiction over the manufacture 
of furs, muffs, and linings for fur garments; and the cut- 
ting, clipping and dividing of the wool from the pelts. By 
this charter they were also given authority to sue and 
seize wares, and the power to search out offenders against 
the law of the guild and to present them before the proper 
authorities for punishment. Another provision of this 
charter limited the time of service of apprentices to seven 
years. 

The Skinners’ Company has long since ceased to exer- 
cise jurisdiction over the fur trade in England, but it still 
has a corporate existence and owns property in London 
and the north of Ireland. 

The ancient name of this company was the ‘‘Guild or 
Fraternity of the Body of Christ, of the Skinners of 
London.’’ 

The first fur traders on the North American continent 
were the French and Russian companies; the former tak- 
ing possession in Canada in 1535, and the latter establish- 
ing their first station in the Northwest in 1553. 

The West Indian Company, a Dutch organization which 
established headquarters in New York in 1621, shared for 
a time with the Plymouth Company of England a mon- 
opoly of the business of exporting beaver skins from the 
New World. The real history, however, of the development 
of the fur trade on the North American continent is found 
in the records of the Hudson’s Bay Company, established 
under the patronage of Prince Rupert, on May 2, 1670, and 
those of the great French Merchants and the English and 
Seotch Traders, who for more than a century refused to 
recognize the rights of the Hudson’s Bay Company to 
exclusive trading privileges on the shores of the bay and 
the rivers tributary to it, and who often contested their 
claims by force of arms. 

The original title of the Hudson’s Bay Company was, 
‘‘The Governor and Company of Adventurers, Trading into 
Hudson’s Bay.’’ Its origin was as follows: In 1659, two 
French traders, Groeilliers and Radisson, made their way 
into the wilderness beyond Lake Superior, and having sat- 
isfied themselves of the practicability of reaching Hudson 
Bay by continuing: overland to the north, returned to 


Tue Fur TRaApDERs. 3 


Montreal with a load of furs. While they were making 
other journeys to the Northwest for exploration and profit, 
the French Government gave to other parties a patent 
conveying to them the exclusive right to trade in those 
regions. Groeilliers returned to France to protest against 
this action, and failing to obtain redress from his own 
government he went to England and succeeded in inter- 
esting Prince Rupert, under whose patronage he sailed for 
Hudson Bay in 1668. The success of this trip resulted 
in the granting of.the charter which gave to the Hudson’s 
Bay Company privileges such as no other company ever 
enjoyed before or since. 


The trade of the company at first was small. The rec- 
ords show that in 1672 it only purchased 200 fowling 
pieces, 200 brass kettles, 12 gross of knives, and 900 hat- 
chets; but the quantities of merchandise needed to 
carry on the trade with the Indians increased every year 
and other articles were steadily added. Fifteen years after 
the founding of the company they had fifteen forts; one 
at Albany River, two at Hayes River, three at Ruperts- 
land, four at Port Nelson, and five at New Severn. In 
1856, the company had forts in thirty-four districts, with 
about ten thousand whites and half-breeds and about forty- 
nine thousand Indians under their rule. The stock of the 
company in 1890, was divided into one hundred thousand 
shares, of a par value of fifteen pounds sterling each. 


To convey a clear idea of the variety of articles in a 
trading equipment in the early part of the nineteenth cen- 
tury, as well as the prices they were rated at west of 
the Rockies in 1826, we publish an extract from a bill of 
sale by which on July 18, 1826, an outfit was transferred 
in Utah. 


‘*Gun powder of the first and second quality at one dollar 
fifty per pound, lead at one dollar per pound, shot one dollar 
twenty-five cents per pound, three point blankets at nine 
dollars each, green ditto at eleven dollars each, scarlet cloth 
at six dollars per yard, blue ditto common “quality from 
four to five dollars per yard, butcher knives at seventy-five 
cents each, two and a half point blankets at seven dollars 
each, North West fuzils at twenty-four dollars each, tin 
kettles different sizes at two dollars per pound, sheet iron 
kettles at two dollars twenty-five cents per pound, square 


4 THE Fur TRADERS. 


axes at two dollars fifty cents each, beaver traps at nine 
dollars each, sugar at one dollar per pound, coffee at one 
dollar twenty-five cents a pound, raisins at one dollar 
fifty cents per pound, grey cloth of common quality at five 
dollars per yard, flannel common quality at one dollar fifty 
cents per yard, calicoes assorted at one dollar per yard, dom- 
estic cotton at one dollar twenty-five cents per yard, thread 
assorted at three dollars per pound, worsted binding at fif- 
teen dollars per gross, finger rings at five dollars per gross, 
beads assorted at two dollars fifty cents per pound, vermil- 
‘lion at three dollars per pound, files assorted at two dollars 
fifty cents per pound, fourth proof rum reduced at thirteen 
dollars fifty cents per gallon, bridles assorted at seven dol- 
lars each, spurs at two dollars per pair, horse shoes and 
nails at two dollars per pound, tin pans assorted at two 
dollars per pound, handkerchiefs assorted at one dollar 
fifty cents each, ribbons assorted at three dollars per bolt, 
buttons at five dollars per gross, looking glasses at fifty 
cents each, flints at fifty cents per dozen, moccasin awls at 
twenty-five cents per dozen, tobacco at one dollar twenty- 
five cents per pound, copper kettles at three dollars per 
pound, iron buckles assorted at two dollars fifty cents per 
pound, fire steels at two dollars per pound, dried fruit at 
one dollar fifty cents :per pound, shaving soap at two 
dollars per pound, first quality James River tobacco at one 
dollar seventy-five cents per pound, steel bracelets at one 
dollar fifty cents per pair, large brass wire at two dollars 
per pound.’’ 


At that time the wages of a hunter were four hundred 
dollars per year, and the common laborers about the 
camp received two hundred per year. Buffalo skins were 
worth three dollars each, beavers four dollars each, otters 
three dollars each, raccoons twenty-five cents each, musk- 
rats twenty cents each, and deer skins thirty-three cents 
per pound. 

In estimating the profits of the traders we cannot fig- 
ure the difference between the value of skins received 
and the factory cost of the merchandise exchanged for them; 
but must allow for an expense account, amounting to sev- 
eral hundred per cent. on the goods. There is no doubt that 
the net profit remaining was heavy for money seldom 
changed hands in these transactions, and whether buying 
from the Indians direct, or paying the trappers employed 
by them on a salary, or dealing with the free white hunters 
and trappers, the company settled nearly all its accounts 
in merchandise. 


Tue Fur TRADERS. 5 


Washington Irving said that two great commercial pur- 
suits were the ‘‘pioneer precursors of civilization on the 
Western Hemisphere—the search for gold and the traffic 
in peltries. The one led the Spaniards to explore the lands 
scorched by the tropic sun, and the other caused by buoy- 
ant Frenchman and the calculating Briton to penetrate the 
trackless forests of the north.’’ 


Every careful student of American history knows that 
the call of the wild alone withont any prospect of gain, 
while it might have attracted men to the luxuriant tropics, 
would hardly have induced them to push on into the frozen 
northland until the way to the Arctic Circle was opened 
up by their daring enterprise. 

“It was because the early French adventurers who set- 
tled on the banks of the St. Lawrence River found that in 
the rich peltries of that territory they had sources of 
wealth that would rival the mines of Mexico and Peru,’’ 
that they pressed ever further into the unexplored regions 
of the interior, establishing along the line of their progress 
the trading posts and supply stations which gradually 
evolved into the great commercial centers of Canada. When 
the rapid growth of the settlement at Montreal compelled 
the Indians to extend the circle of their hunting operations, 
many of the fur traders accompanied them in their expe- 
ditions to more distant regions, and in that way became 
acquainted with the best hunting grounds and the more 
remote tribes, and by trading direct with the Indians in 
their own country diverted much business from Montreal 
and the other places where the large organized companies 
had their stores. 


As the Indians at that time had no real knowledge of 
values, and bartered the most precious furs for worthless 
trinkets and cheap commodities, the profits of these wan- 
dering traders were enormous; and on the rare occasions 
when they returned to Montreal to dispose of their collec- 
tions and purchase new supplies they startled the settlers 
with their display of reckless prodigality. 


It is not within the province of this work to follow the 
fortunes of these Couriers-des-bois or rangers’ of the 
woods, or to relate how their example corrupted the sim- 
ple natives, among whom they spent most of their 


6 Tue Fur TRADERS. 


lives and of whom they took every unfair advan- 
tage, until the French Government issued an order pro- 
. hibiting all persons from trading in the interior without 
a license in writing from the Governor-General under 
penalty of death. The facts stated have simply been men- 
tioned to show how large and important a part the fur 
traders had in the development of the Northwest. They 
were for many years, lawless as some of them were, the 
only civilized beings in the country in which they operated ; 
and but for the French voyageurs, and the English and 
Scotch adventurers and explorers working under the 
authority of the Hudson’s Bay and the Northwest Com- 
panies, New Caledonia or British Columbia might never 
have been discovered, and Canada might still be shut out 
from access to the Pacific Ocean. It was the erection of 
fur trading posts by the French that aroused the jealousy 
of England and was the primary cause of the French and 
Indian War, which resulted in the overthrow of the French 
dominion in Canada. The Treaty of Paris, signed May 2, 
1762, left England undisputed sovereign of North America, 
except to the west and southwest of the Mississippi and on 
the Pacific coast, and ‘‘marked the passing of the great 
French merchants who for generations had lived the lives 
of commercial patriarchs at their trading posts, in easy fa- 
miliarity with their retainers and the train of Indians and 
canoe men of all nations always hanging about their estab- 
lishments and eating and drinking at their expense.’’ It 
also put a stop to the feuds and contests arising from the 
infringements of territorial limits, and the acts of violence 
and bloodshed that up to that time had been of frequent 
occurrence between the factors of the Hudson’s Bay Com- 
pany and the agents of the French merchants in Canada. 
There was a period of depression after the Treaty of 
Paris. The Hudson’s Bay Company when it found itself in 
control of the situation decided to trade only wtih the 
Indians direct as the surest way to prevent the extermina- 
tion of the fur-bearing animals; and the Scotch merchants 
of Montreal, the natural successors to the French traders 
in the upper lake country, being uncertain as to territorial 
rights were for a time inactive. When they did begin 
operations they were at first ignorant of the country 
and distrustful of the natives; and the couriers-des-bois and 


Tue Fur Travers. 7 


other adventurers whom they tried to enlist in their serv- 
ice missed the indulgent freedom of the old trading houses, 
and did not take kindly to the haughty reserve and exacting 
methods of the British traders. With the revival of trade 
in 1766, came new rivalries and jealousies, until business 
was again injured by the efforts of the various individuals 
engaged in the traffic to outbid and undermine one another. 
The Indians were debauched by the sale of spirituous 
liquors which had been prohibited under the French rule, 
and once more scenes of drunkenness and brawls were fre- 
quent in the Indian villages and around the trading posts; 
while bloody conflicts often resulted when rival trading 


parties met ‘‘in the lawless depths of the wilderness.’’ 
ft 


It was to put an end to these conditions that the famous 
Northwest Company was organized in 1783 by the Montreal 
merchants under the directorship of Sir Alexander 
McKenzie; so that, instead of scattering their energies along 
a dozen or more individual lines of endeavor, the opposing 
forces might present a united front in their competition 
with the Hudson’s Bay Company. The only organization 
whose rivalry the new company had cause to fear, Pond, 
Pangman & Co., was absorbed in 1787; and from that time 
on ‘‘the Northwest Company held lordly sway over the 
lakes and boundless forests of the Canadas’’ until it in 
turn was absorbed by the Hudson’s Bay Company, in 1821. 
For nearly two generations the McTavishes, McGillivrays, 
McKenzies and Frobishers, who were the resident agents 
of the Northwest Company at Montreal and Quebec, formed 
a commercial aristocracy at those places, while the part- 
ners in charge of the interior stations, each with his score 
or more of retainers at his command, lived like Highland 
chieftains in their wilderness fastnesses. The headquarters 
of the Northwest Company were at Montreal, and its prin- 
cipal depot was at Grand Portage. Its operations ex- 
tended into the Northwest between the Hudson Bay terri- 
tory on the one side and Louisiana on the other. When a 
survey showed that the headquarters were on United 
States territory a new post was built further north and 
named Fort William. It was here that the annual dinners 
of the company were held. Irving says: ‘‘ At these meetings 
the house swarmed with traders and yoyageurs. The coun- 


8 Tue Fur TRADERS. 


cils were held in great state, for every member of the com- 
pany felt as if he were sitting im Parliament, and every 
dependent looked up to the assemblage with awe, as to the 
House of Lords. 

‘Tn the banquet hall, the tables groaned under the weight 
of delicacies and there was no stint of wine for this was 
a hard drinking period. While the chiefs thus reveled in 
the hall, and made the rafters ring with bursts of elo- 
quence and song, their merriment was echoed and prolong- 
ed by the legions of white adventurers, half-breeds, Indian 
hunters, and vagabonds of every class, who feasted sump- 
tuously outside on the crumbs that fell from the great 
men’s tables.’’ 

The glory and wonderful success of the Northwest Com- 
pany stimulated further enterprise in this ‘‘open, and ap- 
parently boundless, sea of profit ;’’ and in 1795, a combina- 
tion was formed by several partners who had retired from 
the Northwest Company because they were dissatisfied 
with the part allotted to them in the management of its af- 
fairs, and Forsyth, Richardson & Company, an independ- 
ent Montreal firm that for a number of years had main- 
tained a trade around Lake Superior, which resulted in the 
organization of a New Northwest Company or as it was 
more generally known, the X. Y. Company. This organiza- 
tion continued in existence until 1804. Another British 
company which was founded after the Northwest Com- 
pany had started on its prosperous career was the Mack- 
inaw Company, so named because its principal station was 
at Machilimackinac. It operated mainly within the terri- 
tories of the United States upon the shores of Lake Michi- 
gan and westward to the Mississippi, and in Canadian 
territory east of Lake Erie. 

Up to this period the fur trade in:the United States had 
not been organized along any regular line; for while skins 
were casually collected by traders in their dealing with 
the Indians and white hunters, the main supply of furs 
used in the United States came from the Canadian com- 
panies. 

‘“The Government of the United States had for some time 
viewed with apprehension the growing power of these for- 
eign combinations among the native tribes upon its bor 
ders ;’’ and in an effort to counteract their influence had 


THE Fur TRADERS. 9 


as early as 1796, established rival trading posts on the 
American ‘side of the frontier to secure the trade of the 
Indians within its own territory. The experiment was not 
successful. Then, as has proved to be the case so many times 
since, ‘‘the keen activity of private enterprise was more 
than a match for lethargic government patronage.’’ The 
Government could not resort to the methods pursued by its 
competitors. Its representatives could not meet misrepresen- 
tation with misrepresentation, or secure the favor of the 
Indians by supplying them with liquor; the importance 
of this last fact will be realized by those who know how 
violent is the attachment of the Indian for liquor, and that 
he who gave the most of it was almost sure to obtain the 
furs. The Government was also bound to patronize only 
home industries, and this made it impossible for its agents 
always to give the natives the best article of its kind in 
exchange for their peltries; a fact upon which the private 
trader always enlarged to his advantage. Then, too, the 
Government was not permitted to extend credit to the In- 
dians, while the private trader advanced the incompetent 
natives outfits on credit, and made sure of his payment by 
accompanying them on their hunting expeditions. 


The ‘‘factory system’’ of 1796, was right in theory; but 
it failed in practice, because, as Captain Hiram Martin Chit- 
tenden says, in The American Fur Trade of the Far 
West, ‘‘the Government lacked the courage of its con- 
vietions. It should have taken the field to itself, just as it 
does in the carrying of mails, coining of money, and the 
making of war. Instead of doing this it granted trading 
licenses to private parties, and thus degraded itself to the 
level of a competing trader among a herd of irresponsible 
and frequently lawless rivals.”’ 


We may rail against ‘‘monopoly,’’ protest against the 
‘‘centralization of power’’ and talk wildly of the ‘‘rights of 
the individual,’’ but the exercise of judicious authority in 
restraint of trade is often a benefit to the consumer as 
well as the producer—the buyer as well as the seller. When 
liberty degenerates into license it always becomes the worst 
kind of slavery. It*certainly would have been better 
for the Indian to have taken his furs to the ‘‘factories’’ 
where he could get his goods at prices that would 


‘10 Tue Fur TRADERS. 


simply make thé system self-sustaining, instead of dealing 
with traders who, in spite of their presents and plausible 
representations, were taking every advantage of his ignor- 
ance, and at the same time slandering one another to such 
a degree that the disgusted Indian finally became hostile 
to all Americans and traded entirely. with the British 
agents who lived near the boundary. The overthrow of the 
factory system in March, 1822, as the result of this ‘‘open 
competition’’ of individual traders with the Government, 
robbed responsible American merchants of their main out- 
let for Indian supplies, and demonstrated that in a field 
“‘free for all’’ there is bound to be a commercial rivalry, in 
which it is not always the strongest or even the fittest, but 
very often the most unscrupulous who survive. Under 
such conditions even a monopoly is better than unrestrained 
competition. 

'/ What the Government failed to do was accomplished later 
by a private individual. John Jacob Astor, who was born 
at Waldorf, near Heidelberg, Germany, on July 17, 1763, 
had settled in New York in 1783; and after profitably 
disposing of the stock of musical merchandise which he had 
brought over with him from London, had followed the ad- 
vice given him by a traveling companion and invested his 
capital in peltries, which he bought at Montreal and ship- 
ped to London and China. When the treaty of 1795 ceded 
to the United States, the military posts formerly occupied 
by the British, at Oswego, Niagara, Detroit, Machilimack- 
inac, and other points on the American side of the Great 
Lakes, Mr. Astor, who had been very successful in his 
trading operations, saw an opportunity to gratify a long- 
cherished ambition to secure a monopoly of the fur trade 
in the United States. He began establishing trading posts 
of his own at the points mentioned, and along the Missouri 
and Nebraska Rivers into the country where the Missouri 
Company was operating. The situation then confront- 
ing Mr. Astor was this: The Hudson’s Bay and North- 
west Companies, who were struggling for supremacy in 
the country northwest from Lake Superior, had extended 
their southern line of operations well into the United 
States territory. The Mackinaw Company with other 
traders controlled the territory about the upper lakes, 
and westward to the Mississippi. The trade along the 


Tue Fur Travers. 11 


Missouri and tothe south was largely in the hands of the 
Missouri Company. Finding the power of these competing 
companies too great to be combatted by him individually 
he offered, if given aid and protection by the Government, 
to turn the whole fur trade of the continent into American 
channels. In 1809, being assured of Government support, 
he secured from the Legislature of the State of New York 
a charter incorporating the American Fur Company with 
a capital of one million dollars all of which was furnished 
by himself. 

The Canadian companies still continued their rivalry; 
and Mr. Astor, feeling that the fur trade would not advan- 
tageously admit of this foreign competition because of the 
advantage which the restrictions placed by the United 
States Government upon its citizens in their dealings with 
the Indians gave to their competitors, who had a free hand 
in regard to the sale of liquor and other articles, made a 
new arrangement by which, in conjunction with certain 
partners of the Northwest Company, he bought out the 
Mackinaw Company. With the sanction of the United 
States Government he merged the Mackinaw Company and 
the American Company into a new corporation known as 
The South West Company. By this combination he came 
into immediate possession of half of the posts and goods 
belonging to the Mackinaw Company in the United States, 
with the understanding that the balance would be conveyed 
to the South West Company at the end of five years, if 
during that time no attempt was made by the American 
Company to trade within the British dominion. This 
merger was suspended by the War of 1812, and: was finally 
entirely dissolved by an act of Congress prohibiting Brit- 
ish fur companies from prosecuting their operations within 
the territory of the United States. 

4“ While the companies we have mentioned were pushing 
their various enterprises in the east; Captain Cook and 
others reported that vast quantities of sea otter were to be 
found along the Pacific coast, and that the skins of these 
animals were bringing fabulous prices in China. ‘‘It was 
as if a new gold field had been discovered. There was a 
rush of adventurers from all sections to join in this traffic, 
and, in 1792, twenty-one vessels, under different flags, but 
most of them owned by Boston merchants, were trading 


12 Tur Fur TRADERS. 


along the Pacific coast.’’ These vessels would run in near 
the shore and anchor and wait for the natives to come off 
in their canoes with their peltries; and when trade was 
exhausted in one place, would sail on to another. Having 
collected a sufficient cargo of skins they would make their 
way to China, where they would sell their furs and lay in 
a stock of teas, nankeens, and other merchandise to carry 
back to Boston on their return, after an absence of from 

o to three years. 

The Russians, instead of making casual trips, established 
regular trading stations in the high latitudes along the 
Northwest Coast of America and on the Aleutian Islands, 
under the control of a company incorporated by the Rus- 
sian government, with a capital of $250,000 and exclusive 
trading privileges. The Russian crown at this time claimed 
sovereignty over all the territory in which its traders were 
operating, on the plea that the land had been discovered 
and occupied by its subjects. The company referred to was 
called the Russian Fur Company, and succeeded sixty or 
more smaller organizations that, up to that time, had 
divided the Pacific coast traffic among them. The head- 
quarters of the company were at Sitka. It was dissolved 
in 1867, after the sale of Alaska to the United States. 

As China was the great market for furs collected in this 
quarter the Russians had another great advantage over all 
their competitors, as they did not have to take their peltries 
to Canton for distribution through the empire, but were 
able to carry them on their own vessels by a shorter jour- 
ney direct to those parts of the Chinese Empire where they 
were chiefly consumed, at a considerable saving in time and 
cost of transportation. 

The Columbia commanded by Captain Gray of Boston 
was one of the American ships trading along the north- 
west coast in 1792. At latitude 40° 19’ north, she entered 
the mouth of a large river, and anchored in a beautiful bay. 
The river, which was later named the Columbia, was after- 
wards explored by Vancouver, to whom Captain Gray had 
spoken of his discovery. 

The French in Canada began to dream of a northwest 


passage to the Pacific as early as 1670, but the first attempt 
to find an overland route across the continent was made 
by Captain Jonathan Carver, in 1763, with the sanction of 


THE Fur TRADERS. 13 


the British Government. He failed to accomplish his pur- 
pose; but in 1792 an expedition conducted by Sir Alexander 
McKenzie succéeded in reaching latitude 52° 20’ 48”. 
McKenzie at once realized the possibility of linking together 
the trade on both sides of the continent; and upon his 
return to Montreal he suggested that to prevent conflict- 
ing interests from interfering with the prosecution of this 
great scheme, the Hudson’s Bay Company, claiming much 
of the territory .by charter rights, and the Northwest Com- 
pany, holding by right of possession, should join issues in 
the undertaking ; but the jealousies of these two companies 
were too great to permit them to get together. 

The Lewis and Clark expedition fitted out in 1804 by the 
United States Government, succeeded where Carver had 
failed: in 1763. The expedition ascended the Missouri, 
crossed the Rocky Mountains never before visited by white 
men and discovered the hitherto unexplored source of the 
Columbia River, which they followed down to its mouth 
where Captain Gray had anchored twelve years before. 

It was at this time that Mr. Astor conceived the plan 
“‘of grasping with his individual hand, the great enterprise, 
which had been doubtfully contemplated by powerful asso- 
ciations and paternal governments.’’ Where they had feared 
to venture he pushed boldly forward. He planned to 
establish a line of fortified trading posts extending from the 
Great Lakes, along the Ohio, Missouri and Columbia Rivers, 
with a supply depot at the mouth of the latter from which 
to furnish supplies to the trading posts of the far west, and 
to the coasting vessels with which he proposed to trade 
along the northwest coast. A ship was also to be built to 
carry supplies from New York to the depot on the Col- 
umbia and take the collections of skins from there to China; 
bringing back on the return voyage, cargoes of oriental 
merchandise. 

To prevent hostile rivalry on the part of the Russian Fur 
Company this ship was to stop regularly at the stations of 
that company with supplies; so that the Russian company 
would no longer be dependent upon ‘transient trading ves- 
sels owned by private adventurers, who, actuated only 


by motives of present gain, supplied the natives with liquor 
and firearms, making them troublesome and dangerous 
neighbors for the Russians, and causing the American Gov- 


14 THe Fur TRADERS. 


ernment much anxiety lest the acts of these American 
buceaneer traders should give offense to Russia, at that time 
the only great power friendly to the New Republic. It will 
be seen from this that not only was Mr. Astor’s project 
of great commercial importance to himself, but it was also 
of vital interest to two great nations, to say nothing of its 
effect upon the colonization of the Northwest. 

The Northwest Company looked with unfriendly eyes 
upon Mr. Astor’s scheme. They had already established 
an advance trading post beyond the Rockies in New Cale- 
donia, as the strip of land discovered by McKenzie between 
the territory of the United States and Russia was called. 
They refused an offer of a third interest in his enter- 
prise, and secretly sent out a party under Mr. David 
Thompson to establish a post at the mouth of the Colum- 
bia River before any expedition that might be fitted out 
by Mr. Astor could reach there. When Mr. Thompson. 
with nine of his party, the rest having deserted before the 
expedition crossed the mountains, reached the mouth of 
the Columbia, in July, 1811, he found that the Pacifie Fur 
Company was already in possession. y 


Some of the retired partners and clerks of the Northwest 
company however looked with favor upon proposals made 
to them by Mr. Astor, and on June 23, 1810, joined him 
in the formation of the Pacific Fur Company. These men 
were Alexander McKay, who had accompanied Sir ‘Alex- 
ander McKenzie on both of his expeditions to the North- 
west Coast; and Duncan McDougal, Donald McKenzie, and 
Robert Stewart, who were also men of large experience in 
the business of the Northwest Company. In addition to 
these the partners in the new company were, Mr. William 
Price Hunt, of Trenton, N. J., who was to act as Mr. 
Astor’s personal representative and manager on the Pacific 
Coast while Mr. Astor remained in charge of the head- 
quarters of the company in New York, and four other 
Americans—Ramsey Crooks, Joseph Miller, Robert McLel- 
lan, and John Clark. The capital stock of the company 
was two hundred thousand dollars, divided into one hundred 
shares, of a par value .of two thousand dollars each. Mr. 
Astor was assigned fifty shares, Mr. Hunt five shares, and 
the remaining partners four shares each. The balance of 
the stock being held for division among the clerks at the 
end of five years, if the enterprise proved successful. 


THE Fur TRADERS. 15 


Mr. Astor covenanted to bear all the losses that might 
be incurred during the first five years, after which the ex- 
penses were to be shared by the partners in proportion to 
their respective interests. As he also furnished all the 
capital it will be seen that, as in the case of the South 
West Company, all the financial responsibility was assumed 
by Mr. Astor, and the controlling power was vested in him. 
The object of incorporation simply being to give a higher 
standing to the enterprise, and to bind his associates to 
him by giving them an interest in any profits that should 
result from the successful prosecution of his enterprise. 

Mr. Astor’s plans called for two expeditions to the mouth 
of the Columbia River; one by water around Cape Horn, 
and the other overland along the route taken by the Lewis 
and Clark Expedition, in 1804. 

The sea-going expedition sailed from New York, Septem- 
ber 8, 1810, on the Tonquin, a bark of 290 tons burden, 
manned by a crew of twenty-two sailors, and carrying ten 
guns. The captain was Jonathan Thorn, a lieutenant in 
the United States Navy, on leave of absence. He was an 
honest man and capable navigator, but unfortunately his 
harsh and arbitrary treatment of his passengers was a cause 
of constant irritation during the long journey. This expe- 
dition was in charge of Duncan McDougal, who was accom- 
panied by Alexander McKay, David Stewart and his 
nephew Robert, partners in the enterprise, and a force of 
fifty-three clerks, mechanics and canoe-men. 

It is interesting to note here that the clerks were bound 
to service in the company for five years, at the rate of 
$100.00 a year payable at the expiration of the term of 
service, and an annual equipment of clothing to the amount 
of $40.00. In case of misconduct or neglect of duty they 
were liable to dismissal and the forfeiture of any wages 
that might be due them; but as on the other hand they 
were offered promotions and partnerships as a reward for 
faithful service, it must be admitted that if Mr. Astor is to 
be charged with having been the originator of the business 
merger, he must also be given credit for introducing the 
co-operative system into the business relations of the 
employer and employee. 

The Tonquin rounded Cape Horn in December; and after 
making stops of some length at Hawaii, and the Sandwich 


16 THE Fur TRADERS. 


Islands where fifteen islanders were added to the force of 
the company, arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River, 
on March 22, 1811. After spending three days and losing 
four of the passengers and three of the crew in efforts to 
sound the channel with small boats, the Tonquin finally 
crossed the bar on March 25, 1811, and anchored in 
Bakers Bay, as the estuary formed by the points of land 
terminating in Cape Adams and Cape Disappointment is 
called. Some time was spent in exploring the shores of the 
bay for a suitable site before Mr. McDougal debarked 
with forty-two of the company, all but four of whom were 
British subjects, at a point about twelve miles from the 
mouth of the river. Here a slightly elevated position had 
been selected where on May 16th, the foundations of 
Fort Astoria were laid. The Tonquin, with three of the 
passengers, eight of the islanders, and the sixteen remaining 
members of her crew, sailed on June Ist, on a trading voy- 
age along the northwest coast. About three weeks later when 
they were anchored off Woody Point on Vancouver’s Is- 
land, a large party of Indians who, had been exasperated 
by the insults offered to their chief by the Captain on a pre- 
vious visit returned, and after some time spent in trading 
at a given signal suddenly fell upon the ship’s company. 
Taken entirely unawares the crew and the passengers made 
a desperate resistance, but the Captain, Mr. McKay, and all 
but five of the party who had escaped to the cabin were 
quickly killed by the savages. The five in the cabin 
finally succeeded in clearing the ship by firing through 
the skylights and companionway. During the night four of 
them left the vessel in the long boat, hoping to make their 
way back to the river. The other survivor, who was 
wounded, refused to accompany them, and the following 
morning invited the Indians who had gathered on the shore 
in large numbers to come on board. When the deck 
was crowded with the natives he fired the magazine and 
blew up the vessel, killing all who were on it. Three or 
four days later the men in the boat were driven ashore in 
a storm, and being captured by the Indians while trying 
to make their way inland were put to a cruel death. The 
Indians who committed this outrage were members of the 
Wake-a-ninishes tribe. When the report of this disaster - 
reached Astoria late in the fall it had a depressing effect 


Tue Fur TRADERS. 17 


on the little company there; and as the months passed by 
without bringing any tidings of Mr. Hunt and his overland 
party it was feared that they too had been destroyed. 

Mr. Hunt accompanied by Donald McKenzie had 
reached Montreal in June, 1810. McKenzie who was ex- 
perienced in the ways of the traders and voyageurs fa- 
vored securing all the men needed for the expedition before 
leaving Montreal; but Hunt, who was distrustful of the 
ever-changing character of the French voyageurs, decided 
to wait and try to secure the services of American adven- 
turers at Mackinaw and St. Louis, and they left Montreal 
with only a dozen French voyageurs to man the canoes. At 
Mackinaw, which at that time was the great outfitting post 
of the south and was frequented by all the adventurers 
who operated along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, 
they were joined by Mr. Ramsey Crooks one of the Ameri- 
can partners in the enterprise. They were unable to secure 
suitable men for their purpose here as the place seemed 
to be a perfect bedlam of dissipation ‘‘where men were 
drinking in the morning, drunk at noon and dead drunk at 
night.’’ To add to their troubles the agents of the North- 
west and Mackinaw companies were doing everything they 
could in any underhanded way to prevent them from se- 
curing recruits. At St. Louis, they encountered the same 
hidden opposition; and it was the 21st of October before 
they were able to secure a sufficient number of men of an 
inferior class to warrant their continuing the journey up 
the Missouri and on to Fort Nadowa, where they arrived 
on November 16th, and went into winter quarters. At St. 
Louis, they had been joined by Mr. James Miller, who like 
Mr. Crooks had formerly traded along the Missouri; and 
at Fort Nadowa, Mr. Robert McLellan, the last of the part- 
ners to join the expedition, met them. The start from Fort 
Nadowa for the long journey to the coast was made on 
April 22, 1811. On September 14th they crossed the divide, 
and commenced the descent of the western slope. At Pilot 
Knob or Fort Henry, near the source of the Snake or 
Lewis River, the great southern branch of the Columbia, 
they left their horses; and without any conception of the 
difficulties before them embarked in fifteen frail canoes, 


hastily constructed, expecting to complete their journey by 
following the river. After proceeding three hundred and 


18 Tue Fur TRADERS. 


fifty miles they became convinced of the impracticability of 
navigating the dangerous waters of the torrential mountain 
stream and gave up the attempt. 

Considerable time was spent in exploration, and in vain 
efforts to fall in with friendly Indians from whom they 
might obtain new supplies of food, before they finally 
decided to divide into four bands, each of which, under 
command of one of the partners, was to make its way: 
independently to the mouth of the Columbia. The parties 
under McLellan and McKenzie followed the right bank of 
the river, and those under Hunt and Crooks continued 
along the left bank. 

McKenzie’s party suffered many hardships; and after 
they entered the narrow and rugged defiles of the Blue 
Mountain were at one time without food for five days be- 
fore they caught a beaver on whose flesh they subsisted 
three days; but at length they reached the main waters of 
the Columbia and finally on January 10, 1812, McKenzie, 
McLellan and Reed, gaunt and haggard, with eight others, 
some of them scarcely able to drag themselves along, 
reached Astoria. The thirty-four people with Mr. Hunt had 
an easier time, but as they spent some days resting with 
friendly Indians they did not reach the station until Febru- 
ary 15, having made the latter part of the journey in canoes. 

Crooks and Day, who with four Canadians had _ lost 
Hunt’s trail at the Grande Ronde and remained in that 
vicinity during the winter, arrived alone on May 10, 1812. 
Three of the Canadians had abandoned them in Febru- 
ary preferring to remain with the Indians rather than to 
continue the journey, and the other Canadian was left 
with a band of Shoshone Indians because he was unable 
to travel further. Seven other members of the party 
who had been detached at various points along the 
route reached Astoria nearly a year later, on January 15, 
1813. The party with Mr. Hunt therefore consumed 
340 days in making the trip from St. Louis to Astoria; 140 
days being spent in camp at various points along the route. 
Mr. Hunt’s estimate of the distance covered was 3500 miles. 
The most direct railroad route at the present time makes 
the distance 2300 miles. 

There has always been a disposition to criticize Mr. Astor 
for entrusting so much of the management of this enter- 


Tue Fur TRADERS. 19 


prise to English and Scotch partners. He claimed that as 
Oregon at that time was disputed territory, it was the part 
of wisdom to disarm the suspicions of the British Govern- 
ment, and keep them from active interference with his 
plans, by letting it be known that his company was largely 
made up of British subjects. From a careful consideration 
of all the facts it appears however as if the chances for suc- 
cess would have been better if the positions of responsibility 
had been held by men who were not so closely connected 
with those in control of the Northwest Company; for when 
David Thompson appeared at Astoria on July 15, 1811, with 
a party from Spokane, he was received with great cor- 
diality by Mr. McDougal who in the absence of Mr. Hunt 
was in charge of the station, although there was a sus- 
picion on the part of the Americans in the settlement that 
Thompson had only come to spy upon them in the interests 
of the Northwest Company, and to discourage them with 
tales of the dangers and hardships before them if they re- 
mained at the station. During the weary months when 
the little company were trying to maintain their position 
at Astoria there were other instances of disloyalty to the 
new organization on the part of some of the former mem- 
bers of the Northwest Company, and it was McDougal 
again who made the agreement with John Laroche and John 
George McTavish in October, 1813, under which a month 
later all the furs and merchandise in the country belong- 
ing to Mr. Astor were conveyed to the Northwest Company 
for about one-third of their actual value. There has been 
some controversy as to whether McDougal was acting in 
good faith when he entered into this contract, and it is a 
significant fact that within a few months after this deal 
was made he was given a lucrative position by the North- 
west Company. 

As Captain Chittenden in his ‘‘History of the American 
Fur Trade,’’ says: ‘‘It is no flight of fancy, but rather a 
sober and legitimate conclusion, to say that if the Astorian 
enterprise had succeeded the course of Empire on the 
American continent would have been entirely different 
from what it has been. With the valley of the Columbia 
and the neighboring shores of the Pacific occupied by 
American citizens instead of British subjects during the 
period of controversy over the Oregon question, no part 


20 Tue Fur TRADERS. 


of the Pacific coast line would now belong to Great 
Britain.”’ 

Washington Irving in his ‘‘Astoria’’ enters fully into 
the details of the struggle of the Pacific Fur Company to 
hold the advantages it had gained on the Pacific Coast; 
but it is sufficient for our purpose to note the circumstances 
of its organization and failure; and it only remains for us 
to say that on December 12th, 1813, Captain Black of the 
British sloop-of-war Raccoon raised the British standard 
over the fort, and took possession of the establishment and 
the country in the name of his sovereign, changing the 
name of Astoria to Fort George. 

From that time the Northwest Company reigned supreme 
west of the Rocky Mountains until 1821, when it was ab- 
sorbed by the Hudson’s Bay Company, which thus became 
the representative of all previous fur companies, and after 
entering into an agreement with Russia for the lease of 
Alaska, in 1839, established trading posts from the Bering 
Sea to San Francisco; remaining in full and undisturbed 
possession of the fur trade of the Northwest until it was 
obliged to relinquish its exclusive rights by the treaty of 
1846. It was not until 1860, however that the Hudson’s 
Bay Company finally abandoned its various establish- 
ments in Oregon and Washington, and transferred all its 
movable property not disposed of to Fort Victoria on 
Vancouver Island. 

In 1863, the old shareholders, alive to the signs of the 
times, allowed themselves to be persuaded to sell out to a 
‘“‘New Company of Proprietors,’ who later sold their rights 
—real and imaginery—to the Dominion of Canada, for three 
hundred thousand pounds. Since that time, though they 
still continue to exist as a powerful merchant company 
exerting a dominating influence on the fur trade, the Hud- 
son’s Bay Company have been ‘‘lords of the soil’’ only over 
an area of a mile around each one of their forts; and even 
the district of which Edmonton is the center and in which 
for many years they held exclusive trading privileges is 
“open country,’’ where other large firms have established 
trading posts or agencies, and where individual collectors 
travel from point to point purchasing the catch of trap- 
pers who do not come to the posts. Every year the number 
of skins passing directly from the hands of the collectors 


Tue Fur TRADERS. 21 


into those of the manufacturers and skin dealers is in- 
creasing, but the final values are still, to a large degree, 
determined by the prices obtained at the Fur-Marts, or fairs, 
held at stated times in various parts of Europe, and which 
form the subject of another chapter. 

“‘The organization of the Hudson’s Bay and Northwest 
companies, their internal regulations, method of dealing 
with the Indians, and policy in preserving the fur-bearing 
animals from extinction, were the outgrowth of long ex- 
perience, and embodied the highest wisdom in the man- 
agement of their extensive affairs. The experience of each 
of the rivals was added to that of the other in the 
amalgamated company after 1821, and formed one of the 
most perfect commercial organizations of which the world 
has any knowledge. The systems of service and pro- 
motion protected the company from incompetent servants. 
To gain high position in the service one must begin at the 
bottom and work up. All must work for the company’s 
interest, and none were allowed to engage in any private 
trade. Employes were frequently changed in station to 
break up any irregular practices which might grow up 
with long residence in one place, and this rotation was 
taken advantage of to reward faithful service and punish 
the reverse. The company’s officers had power to try and 
punish offenders. Military duty was exacted whenever 
necessary, and a regular uniform was provided. The 
whole organization, from the governor down through fac- 
tors, traders and clerks, to the lowest local manager, 
was based upon the principle of perfect discipline, absolute 
subordination of individual interest to that of the com- 
pany, and a regular promotion based upon merit. Long 
experience had perfected all parts of this intricate. 
machine, and not even the greatest of modern railway 
systems can excel it in thoroughness of detail and or- 
ganization.’’ 

“In its dealings with the Indians the same wise policy 
was apparent. Where not necessary to meet competition 
the sale of liquor to the natives was not generally indulged 
in. All trade was upon a fixed, though just, basis, and the 
Indians knew exactly what to expect. The traders were 
men of experience with the natives, and were well. 
acquainted with the Indian character. Intermarriage with 


22 Tue Fur TRADERS. 


native women was common from the chief officers down 
to the ranks, and thus bonds of mutual interest were 
created. Although this company did not always escape 
difficulties with the Indians, it was generally on terms of 
peace with them, and its hold upon them as against irregu- 
lar traders was well-nigh absolute. It may readily be seen 
how powerless must have been a private trader and even 
a strong company against this embodiment of power, 
wealth and organization.”’ 

We have only outlined the operations of some of the 
most important companies of fur traders; for the story of 
the Hudson’s Bay Company alone would fill many volumes, 
if told in detail from the date of its romantic formation 
down to the present day when it is devoting much of its 
time and resources to the more prosaic work of opening up 
a chain of mammoth department stores in Galgary, Edmon- 
ton, Victoria, and other growing commercial centers in 
British Columbia. As George Bryce says: ‘‘For full 
two centuries the Hudson’s Bay Company, under its 
original charter, undertook financial enterprises of the 
greatest magnitude, promoted exploration and discovery, 
at one time held governing powers over an empire com- 
prising nearly one-half of North America, and preserved 
to the British Empire the wide territory handed over to 
Canada in 1870; and for more than two generations since 
that time, it has carried on a successful trade in competi- 
tion with many rivals, and still shows all the vigor of 
youth. Whatever ground there may be for criticism of 
some of the earlier methods of this great organization, the 
wonder is that with the extensive powers it has enjoyed, 
it should bear after its long career, over such an extended 
area of operations, and under so many different conditions, 
so honorable a record.’’ 

The Hudson’s Bay Company has it is true always been 
a keen trader, as its motto ‘‘Pro Pelle Cutem’’—skin for 
skin—implies; but with this surely no fault can be found. 
One of the greatest testimonials in its favor is that when 
after two centuries it voluntarily gave up except as a 
purely trading company its power in Canada, its infinence 
over the widespread Indian population of Rupertsland was 
so great that it was asked by the Canadian government to 
retain one-twentieth of the land of that wide domain, as 


Tue Fur TRADERS. 23 


a guarantee of its assistance in transferring power from 
the old to the new regime. What better proof can we ask, 
that on the whole those in control of the operations of 
the Hudson’s Bay Company have borne their honors 
meekly, and exercised their great power for the good of 
the people in general as well as for the best interests of 
the company they served. 
ie “That John Jacob Astor, in organizing The South West 
Company, and the Pacific Fur Company, was also animated 
by a higher motive than the mere promptings of a personal, 
ambition, is evidenced by the following extract from a 
letter written to his partner, Mr. Hunt, at the time when 
the treachery of associates, the chances of war, and the 
machinations of the Northwest Company were threaten- 
ing disaster to his enterprise on the Pacific coast. He 
says: ‘‘Were I on the spot I should defy them all; but. 
as it is everything depends on you and the friends about. 
you. Our enterprise is grand and deserves success, and I 
hope in God it will meet it. If my object was merely gain 
of money I should say, save what you can and abandon 
the place; but under the conditions the very idea is a 
dagger to my heart.’’ If anything further is needed, to 
prove that he thought at least as much of the effect that 
the failure of his plans would have upon other interests, 
publie and private, as of any personal loss it would bring 
to him, it is furnished in the words with which he received 
the news of the sale of his Pacific coast properties to the 
Northwest Company by McDougal, ‘‘I had rather lost all 
by capture while trying to defend the fort.’’ 
‘(o one who has carefully read the history of the -de- 
|Aooment of the fur trade as it is related by Washington 
Irving, George Bryce and Captain Chittenden, will ques- 
tion the statement—that the men who formed, and con- 
trolled the policies of the companies who laid the 
foundations of this great commercial enterprise, were not. 
only captains of industry, but empire builders of the 
highest order. No better illustration of this can be found 
than the following brief sketch of Lord Strathcona’s life, 
and his connection with the Hudson’s Bay Company. 


24 Tue Four TRADERS. 


Rt. Hon. Sir Donald Alexander Smith, Lord Strathcona 
and Mount Royal, was born at Torres, Moryshire, in the 
north of Scotland, August 6th, 1821. He was given a good 
English and classical education, and in 1838 entered the 
service of the Hudson’s Bay Company. He was first sent 
to Mingen, Labrador, a desolate region, where he remained 
thirteen years before he was given a post in the great 
Northwest in whose history and development he took such 
an important part. During his stay on the Labrador coast 
he was attacked with color blindness, and apprehensive of 
losing his sight decided to go to Montreal to consult a good 
oculist. The journey at that time was a perilous one, but 
accompanied by two half-breed guides he finally reached 
his destination. When he presented himself at the head- 
quarters of the company he was censured for leaving his 
post without authority, and commanded to return without 
delay. Discouraged and disgusted at the reception given 
him he was on the point of throwing up his position, but 
upon consideration wisely decided to return to Mingen 
and remain in the company’s service. His trip to Montreal, 
however proved a benefit in the end, as it helped to show 
those in authority the kind of material he was made of, 
and he was promoted step by step until he became a chief 
factor. Later he was named resident Governor and Chief 
Commissioner of the Company in Canada, a position which 
he held until 1870, when he presided at the last meeting 
of the Council of Officers held at Norway House before the 
reorganization of the Company. Subsequently he was ap- 
pointed Governor of the Board in London; and in 1886 he 
was created a Knight Commander of the orders of St. 
Michael and St. George for his services to the government 
in Red River rebellion in 1869 and on other occasions. 


““The officers who had charge of the various districts in 
the Northwest annually met in a Council for the regula- 
tion of the affairs of business for the ensuing year. Look- 
ing upon themselves as partners of the Company, they felt 
that they were entitled to participate with the shareholders 
in any amount which might be received for the cession of 
the territorial rights of the Company. When therefore the 
Company had come to an agreement with the Colonial 
Office for a transfer to the Canadian Government of its 


THE Fur TRADERS. 25 


territorial rights upon the payment of three hundred 
thousand pounds, the officers of the company felt that they 
should receive a share of that amount. In 1870 the Council 
of Officers already referred to was held at Norway House 
on Lake Winnipeg and it was decided to present the 
claims of the officers to the Company in England. With 
this object Mr. Smith, who as Governor at Fort Garry was 
present at the Council, was unanimously appointed as rep- 
resentative of the officers, and undertook the task of pre- 
senting their claims. The result of his mission was that 
compensation was given to the officers for the relinquish- 
ment of their claims, the sum of one hundred and seven 
thousand pounds being divided amongst them, and a new 
agreement, called the Deed Poll of 1871, was entered into. 

‘‘The officers felt that to the judgment and discretion of 
Mr. Donald A. Smith was due the just recognition of their 
claims, and when he returned in the following year they 
presented him with a valuable testimonial of their esteem. 
Mr. Smith was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Com- 
pany under the new Deed Poll and assumed control of 
affairs at Winnipeg. In 1874, Mr. Smith owing to his par- 
liamentary and other duties gave up the position of Chief 
Commissioner, so far as the control of trade matters was 
concerned. In this position he was succeeded by Mr. James 
A. Grahame, although he still retained the management and 
control of the Company’s land affairs and continued to take 
the deepest interest in its welfare. 

“The affairs of the Company continued with varying 
success and in accordance with the condition of the times, 
but with no occurrence of public importance, until in 1879, 
Mr. Donald A. Smith resigned his official connection with 
the Company. The committee in accepting his resignation, 
referred to the many important arrangements in which he 
had taken a part, and expressed their gratitude for the 
fidelity which he had displayed to the general interests of 
all concerned.’’ 

Mr. Smith had served his country as faithfully as the com- 
pany he represented, and after he retired from business life 
devoted all his time and energies to the public service, hold- 
ing high administrative positions in Canada and being con- 
sulted by the Home Office on all important questions relat- 
ing to that territory. He well merited the honors and 
titles later bestowed upon him by his Sovereign. 


26, THE Fur TRADERS. 


ey The Missouri Fur Company was the first to operate from 
St. Louis westward. It had nearly run its course before 
either of its principal competitors was well established. 
Like that of many other great institutions, the history of 
this company is practically the history of one man— 
Manuel Lisa, who was born at New Orleans, September 
8, 1772. About the year 1800, he secured from the Spanish 
government the exclusive right to trade with the Osage 
Indians. In 1808 he was the leading spirit in the or- 
ganization of the St. Louis Missouri Fur Company, and 
became still more prominent in its management after its 
reorganization in 1811. The other members of the com- 
pany were: Benjamin Wilkinson, Pierre Chouteau, Sr., 
Auguste Chouteau, Jr., Reuben Lewis, William Clark, 
Sylvester Labadie, all of St. Louis; Pierre Menard 
and William Morrison, of Kaskaskia, Illinois; Andrew 
Henry, of Louisiana, and Dennis FitzHugh, of Louis- 
ville, Kentucky. The company included some of the 
best traders in the west, but owing to a series of unfor- 
tunate circumstances beyond their control the expecta- 
tions of its founders were never fully realized. Another 
reorganization took place in 1819 and, with the exception 
of Manuel Lisa, not one of the names of the founders of 
the old company appeared on the new charter; which 
shows that the members were: Manuel Lisa, president; 
Thomas Hempstead, Joshua Pilcher, Joseph Perkins, 
Andrew Woods, Moses Carson, John B. Zenoni, Andrew 
Drips, and Robert Jones. The company continued in 
existence until about 1830, when its affairs were finally 
wound up. 

The great mistake of the Missouri Fur Company was 
their unwillingness to permit Mr. Astor to have any share 
in the business, as he was probably the only man who 
could have carried them through their initial misfortunes 
to ultimate success. 

Mention has been made of the incorporation of the 
American Fur Company by Mr. Astor, April 6, 1808. As 
was then stated Mr. Astor was the company, and the 
incorporation was merely a fiction to broaden and facili- 
tate his operations. 

When Congress by its action suspended the operations 
of the South West Company, and the Pacific coast enter- 


Tue Fur Trapers. “97 


prise also ended in failure; Mr. Astor soon regained the 
ground he had lost, by taking advantage of the Act of 
April 29, 1816, by which the Northwest Company, as well 
as the South West Company, was compelled to relinquish 
its interests on American territory. He secured control of 
the American business of both of these companies by 
establishing a new coast to coast connection through the 
operations of the Pacific Fur Company, and the western 
department of the American Fur Company at St. Louis, 
which at that time was the starting point for all expedi- 
tions to the far west, and the transfer point for freight 
shipped into the remote regions from the east, as well as 
the merchandise and skins sent from the Pacific slope, the 
Great Lakes, and the mountain country to the eastern 
market. 


Among the articles of trade that were exchanged for 
the furs of the Indians liquor was at all times by far the 
most important. It is impossible to exaggerate its im- 
portance at that time, and it is only by understanding the 
conditions of the business that one can account for the 
almost frantic appeals that were continually pouring into 
the office of the American Fur Company at St. Louis for 
more liquor. ‘‘Liquor we must have, or we might as well 
give up’’ is a sample of the complaints that burdened the 
correspondence of the traders. Chittenden says, ‘‘It was 
impossible to conduct the trade without it if one’s oppo- 
nent was provided with it, the only alternative being to 
retire from the field. 

“The Act of July 9, 1832, prohibiting absolutely the 
introduction of liquor into the Indian country, was there- 
fore simply appalling to Mr. McKenzie, who was in charge 
of the company’s trading interests. He had no confidence 
that the small traders would be held to the law by the in- 
spectors, and he knew that if they were, they would 
smuggle liquor by them. He had learned from experience 
that the great commerce of the American Fur Company 
made such clandestine work impossible, especially as they 
were operating in the enemy’s country where there was 
a spy at every turn. McKenzie’s first move was to go to 
Washington and New York and see if he could not affect 
some modification of the regulation for enforcing the 
liquor law. He was entirely unsuccessful in his mission, 
and returned to St. Louis with gloomy forebodings for the 


28 Tue Fur TRADERS. 


future. There was no course now open, apart from exten- 
sive smuggling which was an extremely perilous business 
for the company at that time, except to carry out an 
ingenious and radical measure which for some time had 
been developing in McKenzie’s mind. This was nothing 
less than to open up a distillery at Fort William and com- 
mence the manufacture of liquor on his own account. He 
would be within the law he reasoned, because that forbade 
only the importation of liquor into the Indian country. 
To such feeble subterfuges did the exigencies of the fur 
trade drive men of real and unquestioned ability. The 
house in St. Louis took legal advice in the matter and 
astonishing as it may seem succeeded in getting an opinion 
in favor of the project; and in 1833, in spite of strong 
opposition on the part of some of the members of the com- 
pany, the distillery was set up and put in operation at Fort 
William. 

‘‘There is abundant evidence that the experiment was a 
complete success. McKenzie was greatly elated over the 
results for it placed him on a footing of independence and 
unquestioned superiority over his rivals. In writing to 
Crooks he said: ‘I have a good corn mill, a respectable dis- 
tillery, and can produce as fine liquor as need be drunk. 
I believe no law of the United States is broken by us, though 
perhaps one may be made to break up my distillery; but 
liquor I must have or quit any pretension to trade in these 
parts.’ But alas, at the very moment that McKenzie was 
writing his exultant letter to his chief in St. Louis the 
latter was agitated with very different emotions, for he 
had but lately experienced in a forcible way the proof of 
the adage that ‘The way of the transgressor is hard.’ 

‘‘The distillery business had been reported to the United 
States government and mischief was to pay. The gov- 
ernment authorities were highly incensed at this obvious 
contempt of law. The company had a life and death strug- 
gle and it was only by a dangerously narrow margin that 
it saved its life.’’ 

Mr. Astor retired from the American Fur Company on 
the first of June, 1834, when the Northern Department re- 
taining the name of the American Fur Company, was sold 
to a company of which Ramsey Crooks was the principal 


partner, and the Western Departinent to Pratt, Chouteau 
& Co., of St. Louis. 


FUR FARMING. 


Fur Farming is only in its infancy, but the success which 
has rewarded the efforts of those who have faithfully and 
intelligently labored to rear foxes, skunks, minks and other 
species of fur-bearing animals in captivity, demonstrates 
the possibilities of the industry when properly conducted 
under right conditions. Fur Farming has little to offer to 
those who engage in it as a ‘‘get rich quick’’ scheme, but 
for the man who is willing to accept a reasonable com- 
pensation for his time and the money invested in the 
enterprise while working for the full development of his 
plans, it promises larger returns than any other business in 
which he could engage with the same amount of capital. 

The Hon. Charles Dalton, after twenty years of successful 
operation, sold his fox ranch on Prince Edward Island for 
six hundred thousand dollars, and Mr. Tuplin received two 
hundred and fifty thousand dollars for his farm; but these 
men made a study of the animals they were raising and 
conducted their operations along scientific lines, at all times 
giving the best that was in them to the work in hand, and 
looking to the future rather than to the immediate present 
for results. What they succeeded in doing with foxes, and 
others have accomplished with skunks, can also be done with 
minks, raccoons, opossums, muskrats, and possibly bears 
and lynxes, although it does not appear probable that 
martens, fishers, weasels, wild cats or wolves can be profit- 
ably domesticated. 

The Fur Farmer will find that unless the animals have 
plenty of runway they will not fur properly. If they are 
kept in restricted quarters, or penned up in a small 
enclosure, the pelt or hide will be thick and the fur thin; 
the reason for the thick, silky, glossy fur on skins that come 
from some of the ranches is that the animals haveplenty of 
room and an abundant varied diet ; skunks for instance that 
are fed principally on meat, to the exclusion of vegetables 
and fruit, will not present as fine an appearance as those 
that are raised on a mixed diet. The thing to strive for 
is to duplicate as far as possible the natural conditions 
under which the animal is at its best. It is impossible to 
ymprove on nature. 


30 Fur FArMIinG. 


Another thing to be considered is the natural nervousness 
of wild animals when placed in restraint, and subjected to 
unusual sights and surroundings; great care should be taken 
to avoid anything that might startle them or cause them to 
take alarm. The young at least if properly protected will 
soon become tame, and instead of worrying the fat off their 
bodies, and the hairs off their hides, will grow sleek, and 
develop a fine pelage. 

When the killing time comes care should be taken not to 
frighten the animals that are to be kept for breeding 
purposes. The animals to be slaughtered should be driven 
into a separate enclosure and out of sight of the others 
before being killed. 


FOX RAISING. 


Benjamin L. Raynor of Alberton, P E. I., Canada, and 
J. Walter Jones of Washington, D. C., have made a careful 
study of the fox-breeding industry on Prince Edward 
Island. The report of their investigations first appeared in 
the ‘‘ American Breeders Magazine.’’ It was republished by 
the ‘‘Fur Trade Review’? in November, 1912, and is the 
source of much of the information this chapter contains 
relative to ‘‘fox farming’’ in the Dominion of Canada. 

Foxes that have been kept as pets and in zoological 
gardens have never been known to rear their young. The 
reason for this seems to be the extreme nervousness of the 
females, who have been known to go about for days with 
their young in their mouths, putting them first in one place 
and then carrying them to another, until finally the pups 
have died from the effects of exposure and handling. 
Keepers often watch by the pens day and night for weeks 
at a time, to prevent the mothers from injuring themselves 
or their young. The females are so wild during the breed- 
ing season that the ranchers make it a rule to close the 
ranches in January, and allow no one but the keepers to go 
near the pens between that time and June when the young 
are out and playing about. It is stated that during the 
period that the pups are with the mother the keepers always 
wear the same clothes, lest a change in their appearance 
should worry the sensitive animals. , 

The behavior of a mother fox on a ranch in Ontario, is 
referred to as illustrating how little it takes at certain 


Four FarMinea. 31 


times to cause trouble. The ranch owner whose home could 
be plainly seen from the pen, made a contract to have his 
house painted. When the painters started to work, the 
sight of a stranger or the smell of the paint so excited the 
mother fox that she brought out her young and killed them. 

In their wild state the males are monogamous and forage 
for their young. On the ranches, where all the food is 
provided, there is danger of two parents killing the pups 
by over attention, so the males are separated from the rest 
of the family in March, and kept apart until the young are 
able to take care of themselves. The period of gestation is 
exactly fifty-one days. The young arrive in March, April 
or early May. Litters of from one to as many as eight have 
been recorded, but the average is about four pups. The 
price of one thousand dollars was refused for a female fox 
that had reared eighteen young in three years. Foxes 
mature for fur or breeding in eight months and they are 
fertile for nine or ten years. The custom appears to be 
growing among breeders to mate one male with two or more 
agreeable females. It is plain that by this method a 
selection of sire can be made, and quicker improvement in 
quality achieved. 

During the productive period of about nine years, the 
average production of a pair of foxes will be about thirty 
young. If these are of the best stock the pelts will be worth 
$1,500 each at the present market prices, so the yearly 
profits from a pair should be about $5,000. Every joint 
stock company that is formed and hires a manager can- 
not however expect to procure such results. Efficient 
managers are very hard to find and the best management 
will not prevent occasional escapes and thefts. The in- 
dustry is best prosecuted on a diversified farm where 
waste food material, quiet, and the personal interest of 
the owners, will go farther toward assuring success than 
any skilled management that capital can purchase. The 
business can be very profitably prosecuted by neighbors 
who will unite in the feeding, care and protection of the 
stock from thieves, and in the hunting and trapping of 
escaped animals. 

In any well settled country there is always enough cheap 
food to provide for hundreds of foxes. A healthy old 
horse or cow; livers, heads, feet and other refuse; calves, 


32 Fur FarMina. 


fish, bread, milk, eggs, rabbits, and even poultry, make 
the best kind of Fox food. A nursing mother Fox should 
get plenty of eggs, milk and porridge. On the average, ina 
province like Prince Edward Island settled with fifty peo- 
ple to the square mile it costs from two to three cents per 
day to feed a Fox. Some of the ranches have great num- 
bers of rabbits inside the outer fence, which gives the 
Foxes a chance for an occasional chase and an opportunity 
to secure familiar food in the natural way. 

Soil, climate and location must always be considered 
when choosing a farm for breeding purposes. A lime- 
stone or alkaline soil will decrease the value of the fur 
by making it harsh and brittle. A cold climate is a prime 
necessity for the production of high class fur, and the 
Fox pens must be secluded from the intrusion or even ob- 
servation of strange men and animals. A forest covering, 
preferably of spruce, fir, pine or cedar, is very desirable. 

A farmer while hunting some straying cows in the 
woods in 1888, found a male and a female Silver Fox pup 
in the hollow of a log. He carried them home and traded 
them to a neighbor for a cow and a few extra dollars. 
The neighbor experimented for several years with various 
kinds of pens and treatment, but finally becoming dis- 
couraged sold the Foxes to another neighbor for eighty 
dollars. This party was no more successful than the pre- 
vious owner, and soon sold the Foxes to a ranch owner 
who lived on an island in Cascumpee Bay. The quiet of 
the new place, the increasing tameness of the Foxes, and 
the new owner’s knowledge of the requirements, produced 
conditions that relieved the nervous mother’s apprehen- 
sion for the safety of her young, and three pups were 
reared to maturity in three seasons. This success, al- 
though the result of eight years of experimentation, 
caused six men who thoroughly understood the science 
of rearing Foxes in captivity to engage in the industry of 
raising Foxes for breeding purposes, but they jealously 
and successfully guarded their secret until 1910. Up to 
that time, with the exception of some light Silvers sent to 
distant places, no live Foxes had been sold by them. The 
surplus stock was always killed and the pelts marketed 
in London. A dark silver pelt sold in 1901 brought £580 
($2,718) at a London auction and in 1910 the prices of 


Fur FARMING. 33 


£540 and £480 were received for two skins, these being 
the highest prices ever paid for Silver Fox skins. 

At the present time there are about eighty ranches on 
Prince Edward Island, stocked with about two hundred 
fine dark Silver Foxes, about three hundred Silver Greys, 
and something like four hundred very light Silver, Crossed 
and Red Foxes. The total skin value of these animals is 
about five hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and for 
breeding stock they are worth at least three times that 
amount; but it is safe to say that the industry could not 
be purchased outright for three million dollars today. 

The ranchers who obtain the best results have only 
descendents of the stock originally caught on Prince Ed- 
ward Island. All the high priced pelts that have been 
referred to were from Foxes of this strain. If an ordinary 
Red Fox of Prince Edward Island is bred to a black, and 
the resulting young are bred to a black for four or five 
generations, a good Silver Fox will result. The first cross 
produces what is designated a ‘‘Cross’’ or ‘‘Patched’’ 
Fox, the next mating produces a cross of a better quality 
with hardly any reddish tinge in the hair, and with silver 
patches on the back. The third mating will produce a 
hight Silver Fox worth probably five hundred dollars, and 
the result of the fourth mating will be a Dark Silver worth 
upwards of one thousand dollars. Many farmers of small 
means thus breed up their stock by the use of only one 
high priced animal. , 

Where indiscriminate crossing of the colors takes place 
under natural conditions Foxes occur in about the fol- 
lowing proportion, and pelts bring the trapper or breeder 
approximately the prices named: One hundred thousand 
Red Foxes valued at five dollars each; ten thousand Cross 
Foxes valued at fifteen dollars each; one thousand light 
Silver Foxes valued at two hundred dollars each, one hun- 
dred dark Silver Foxes valued at a thousand dollars each. 
It will be seen that the price is in inverse ratio to the num- 
ber produced. Scarcity may influence the present price 
of dark Silver Foxes, but there is no question of the great 
intrinsic value of their pelts. They are marvels of rich- 
ness and beauty, and even if produced in as great numbers. 
as the red ones would still be many times their value. 
The price of dark Silver Foxes has always been high, and 


34 Four FarMine. 


always will be because that fur will be as popular with 
royalty in the future as it has been in the past, and the 
existing demand will be increased rather than diminished. 
The enormous decrease in many costly furs, and the vastly 
increased number of people demanding them, have brought 
about a situation very encouraging for the domestication 
of many animals, because of the great profits to be de- 
rived from the industry. 

There can be no question as to the possibilitie 
farming’’ when carried on by competent im 
The reports show that the Silver Fox industry will_brifg 
to the ranchers on Prince Edward Island over six million 
dollars in 1913, and that orders have been placed there 
for a large number of pairs of a particular breed at a 
average price of ten thousand dollars per pair. In addi 
tion to the hundreds of private partnerships with an ag- 
gregate capital of one million five hundred thousand dol- 
lars, there are over fifty registered companies with a total 
investment of upwards of four million and a half; every- 
one of any importance on the island seems to be interested 
in this enterprise which is developing more millionaires 
to the square mile on Prince Edward Island than are to 
be found in any province in Canada. 


The pioneer ‘‘Fox Farmer’’ on the island was Hon. Chas. 
Dalton, a farmer of Irish descent, who after many experi- 
ments and as many failures finally succeeded with the 
help of his partner Mr. R. T. Oulton in raising near Al- 
berton the first breed of Foxes reared in captivity. This 
was twenty years ago, and as before stated up to 1910 
the business was confined to the owners of the Dalton- 
Oulton ranch, Mr. Robert Tuplin, Mr. Frank Tuplin, Mr. 
Harry Lewis and a few others who were in the secret; and 
even now all the stock used on the many farms being 
operated on the island comes from the Dalton and Oulton 
original breed. 

The Russian Government and the New Zealand authori- 
ties gave an impetus to the industry when they sent ex- 
perts to investigate, and upon their report invested one 
hundred thousand dollars in young stock. Since that time 
existing ranches have had more orders than they can fill, 
even at a price of twelve thousand five hundred dollars 
for a pair of Silver Black Foxes. 


Fur FarMinc. 35 


There need be no doubt as to the permanency of the 
‘“‘fur farming’’ industry, for when the demand for one 
species slackens there will be an increased market for 
other animals; and there will always be a profitable sale 
for valuable skins, even when there is no call for animals 
themselves for breeding purposes. 


If an animal as sensitive as the Fox can be successfully 
reared in captivity, it is safe to assume that any species of 
wil n) be propagated on fur farms established under 
Pp ditions. 

e Russian Sable is nearly as valuable as the dark 
Silver Fox, coats of this fur often costing as high as 
twenty-five or thirty thousand dollars and upward. The 
writer years ago sold two Black Fox skins for forty-five 

dred dollars, and a set of natural Black Fox fur worn 
at the last New York Horse Show is said to have cost 
the owner sixteen thousand dollars, although only four 
skins were used in its manufacture. The writers referred 
to at the beginning of this article justly claim that unless 
immediate steps are taken to increase the number of Foxes, 
Siberian and other Martens, Otter, Beaver and Mink and 
some of the other valuable fur-bearing animals which are 
capable of being domesticated, none but the very rich will 
be able to buy furs. The fact that the Silver Fox has been 
successfully domesticated by the efforts of a few men with- 
out any encouragement of the government, and with no 
financial backing except meager incomes from farming 
and trapping, should inspire extensive governmental ex- 
periments, to determine the feasibility of extending the 
number of domesticated fur producing animals. With an 
estimated yearly expenditure of from two to three hun- 
dred million dollars for the skins of American reared ani- 
mals alone, ‘‘why are the woods being depleted of our 
handsome wild animals by such a cruel method as trap- 
ping? Why are not the trappers converted into animal 
husbandman ?”’ \ 

A Fox ranch may be from half an acre to five acres in 
extent, and should be enclosed with a stockade fence ten 
feet high with an inner wire fence of the same height, and 
so constructed that the Foxes cannot escape by burrowing 
underneath or climbing over the top. The kennels on the 
inside—one for each pair—should be large and roomy, 


36 Fur FArMIneG. 


and contain dens where the Foxes can sleep and make 
their nests. 

Originally the cost of maintaining a pair of Foxes on 
Prince Edward Island did not exceed seven dollars a year, 
but with the growth of the industry the price of food stuffs 
has advanced, so that the cost now is about twenty-five 
dollars per annum. 


SKUNK RAISING. 


The Skunk has received more consideration from fur 
farmers than any other animal, and where proper care and 
judgment have been exercised skunk raising has always 
proved a profitable investment for the time and money de- 
voted to it. The few failures that have resulted have 
been among the larger operators, whose knowledge of the 
nature and habits of the animal, and the requirements of 
the industry, were theoretical rather-than experimental. 
The people who have started in on a small scale were for 
the most part either trappers or others who had enjoyed 
opportunities to study the animals and their wants, and 
were in a position to give to the venture that personal and 
comprehensive attention upon which the success of every 
enterprise depends. This does not mean that those with- 
out practical experience with the animals must necessarily 
make a failure of fur farming. The point we wish to em- 
phasize is, that the successful breeders of fur bearing ani- 
mals are those who make a special study of the species they 
are propagating, and who take the same interest in them 
that they would in any strain of domestic cattle they were 
trying to develope. The men who fail in fur farming are 
those who neglect to study the habits of the animals, and 
consequently know nothing about caring for them when in 
captivity. In Silver Fox farming, where a pair of breed- 
ing Foxes cost from six to twelve thousand dollars, capital 
as well as knowledge is required to begin business unless 
the breeder is in position to capture his own stock; but in 
Skunk-raising, where a man can start with a half dozen 
males and a couple of dozen females at an expense of a few 
hundred dollars, the only essential element of success is 
knowledge and faithful work. 

Skunks breed well in captivity and will eat almost any 
kind of food from carrion down to mice and insects; they 


Fur FarMine. 37 


are also partial to corn, sweet potatoes, melons and fruit. 
In captivity they should be fed at regular intervals, and 
given as far as possible a mixed diet—part animal and 
part vegetable. Bread and milk should be fed them oc- 
casionally, and if the farm is near a slaughter house the 
offal can be made to take the place of carrion. As it is 
lack of food that causes the older animals to eat their 
young, breeders should see to it that they have plenty of 
the right kind of food during the spring and summer sea- 
sons, and thus prevent one of the great causes of loss. 

Skunks mate in February or early in March, the period 
of gestation is about nine weeks, and the young are usu- 
ally produced in May, though occasionally some are born 
in April. The number of young to a litter is from four to 
ten, and sometimes even more. The interior of the en- 
closure should be so constructed that there will be separ- 
ate compartments for the males, and the females and their 
young, the larger space being given to the latter. Some 
breeders have small yards to accommodate two or three 
families after the young are born, but this is not necessary, 
the main object being to keep the males apart from the 
rest of the family until the young are able to take care of 
themselves. Of course when the number of animals in- 
creases, it is advisable to have separate breeding yards 
large enough for say a dozen females. 

Great care should be exercised in the selection of males 
for breeding purposes. Only large healthy animals of good 
color should be used, the rest of the males being killed and 
their skins marketed. One male Skunk will serve ten 
females, and should be left in their company several days. 
To make sure of results another male should be installed 
for a few days after the first has been removed, but two 
males should never be allowed with a party of females at 
the same time or a fight will ensue. Fresh breeding stock 
should be secured each year from other localities, as the 
results will be disastrous if related animals are allowed 
to inbreed for a few years. The animals do not always 
breed strictly to color, but the white markings can be re- 
duced and the stock improved by selected breeding. A 
full black mated with a long stripe should produce shorter 
stripe animals, and these if mated with full blacks should 
give still better results. The color of Skunks can be bred 


38 Fur FarMine. 


up as well as that of the Foxes. The best animals should 
always be kept for breeding purposes. The fur farmer who 
kills off his finest specimens to compete for the prizes of- 
fered for the-finest skins makes a fatal mistake. It is the 
man who always breeds up to the best who has the finest 
average skins to market. 

As Skunks are found in all parts of the United States, 
Skunk farms can be operated successfully anywhere that 
the climate is cold enough in winter to cause the growth 
of thick soft fur, but up to the present time this industry 
has been largely confined to Ohio and Pennsylvania. A. 
R. Harding in his book on Fur Parming, in writing about 
enclosures, says: 


““There should be a spring on, or a ore stream crossing 
the ground to be inclosed, but at the same time the ground 
must not be wet; in fact, it should be of rather dry nature 
so that there will not be too much dampness in the dens. 
‘There should be banks of earth for the animals to den in, 
and the ground should have a gradual slope so that it will 
drain readily. If it is of a sandy nature it will be all the 
better. Some who have tried Skunk farming have located 
the yards on the shore of a small lake or pond and have 
included a portion of the pond in the enclosure. This is 
a good idea and it will not be necessary to extend the 
fence very deep into the water, as the Skunk is not a 
water animal and will not dive under; where the fence 
crosses a stream of running water however the fence 
should reach to the bed of the stream as the water will 
fall considerably during dry weather.’’ 

‘“‘The enclosures should be large. When the animals 
are enclosed in small yards or pens they become infested 
with fleas, ticks, ete., and they do not thrive. Small 
enclosures will answer for a short time, but as soon as 
possible the Skunks should be placed in a large roomy yard. 
For fencing material galvanized wire netting of one-inch 
mesh is advised, as the young animals will escape through 
a two-inch mesh. The fence should be seven feet in height. 
Under ordinary conditions the Skunk will not escape over 
a four-foot fence, but there is danger in winter from drift- 
ing snow, and dogs and other animals must be kept out 
at all times, and therefore the fence should be of a height 
mentioned and it must be turned in at the top or a sheet 


Fur FarMine. 39 


of tin placed along the edge to prevent the animals from 
climbing out.’’ 

“‘In each compartment a number of dens should be 
made by digging a trench and covering afterwards. While 
the animals will dig dens if necessary, they prefer, even 
while in a wild state, to use dens already made. Boxes, 
barrels or pens with board floors should not be used. 
Some of the successful breeders claim that this has a ten- 
dency to cause a thick pelt and thin fur and say that it is 
absolutely necessary that they have natural dens in the 
ground. The dens should be made quite deep so that 
there will be no danger from frost in winter.’’ 


MINK RAISING. 


It is hardly possible to tame the adult wild Mink, but 
the young submit to handling and can be easily domes- 
ticated. Mr. Boughton says that the time to secure them 
is in May or June when they begin to run with their dams 
and can easily be tracked to their nests and dug out or 
taken as they leave the hole. Owners of Mink breeding 
stock ask very high prices, but in this way a start can be 
made in Mink raising at a trifling expense. 

Minks are by nature solitary, wandering animals, and 
it is impossible to rear them successfully in captivity if 
large numbers are kept together, so their enclosure should 
be a large one, and so arranged that the male and female 
ean be together frequently from the middle of February 
to the middle of March, but kept separate at all other 
times. 

The season for mating is the first two weeks in March, 
and the young are born six weeks later, four to six to the 
litter. The young are blind five or six weeks, and are 
weaned when from eight to ten weeks old. When four 
weeks old the mother begins to feed them meat and con- 
tinues to supply them with food until they are about 
four months old. The young soon separate when left to 
shift for themselves and do not pair, the male being a 
rover. Minks are very cleanly, and as soon as the nest is 
foul the mother moves the young to another nest. 

Minks are strictly carnivorous animals and always pre- 
fer fresh food, and therefore are not so easy to supply 
with food as the Skunk or Muskrat; but as they are fond 


40 Four Farmine. 


of fish feeding. will be comparatively easy if the enclosure 
is near a place where fish can be obtained. 

When the animals become tame enough, dens should be 
provided for them similar to those used in their wild state; 
these can be made by burying tile in the ground, or by 
making other artificial burrows. A few hollow logs 
placed in the enclosure will be enjoyed by the animals. 

If properly watered and fed, and given houses like 
those they were accustomed to in their natural state, there 
need be no fear that Minks will not fur properly in cap- 
tivity; but as in the case of stock, and all species of fur- 
bearing animals, it will not be the man who goes into Mink 
raising only to secure a fortune who will obtain the best 
results, but the breeder who loves the animals and studies 
their needs and provides for their comfort. 

Space will not permit us to describe as fully as we wish 
some of the Mink enclosures the writer has seen, but in 
the near future he hopes to publish a comprehensive 
volume upon the subject of fur-farming which will deal 
fully with this interesting subject. 


41 


THE FURRIERS. 


At the present time the dividing lines between the dif- 
ferent branches of the industry are not drawn as closely as 
in the early days. Even the Hudson’s Bay Company has 
stores for the sale of manufactured furs, and some of the 
large manufacturers have their own trading posts and 
supply stations in the remote regions and are Skin Dealers 
as well as Furriers. 

Fifty years ago, the business of selling manufactured 
furs in America was entirely in’ the hands of the fur 
manufacturers themselves, and the wholesale and retail 
hatters most of whom had a good general knowledge of fur 
values and qualities. 

About 1870, some of the New York manufacturers, in 
an effort to increase the outlet for their products, induced 
some of the wholesale dry-goods houses and _ larger 
department stores to engage in the business of selling 
furs; and ever since that time there has been a steady 
rush of people, in all lines of business, to get a share of 
a trade which they evidently believed still yielded to 
those engaged in it as large a percentage of profit, as 
was secured by the Traders who two centuries ago swapped 
beads and jack knives for skins with the unsophisticated 
savages, 

Many to their sorrow soon discovered that if honestly con- 
ducted the fur business, like any other commercial pur- 
suit, pays the dealer only a fair margin; and that success 
there as elsewhere depends upon a thorough knowledge 
of the business. Where one has dropped out however 
a poorer and wiser man, two have always been waiting 
for a chance to risk the money gained in pursuits with 
the possibilities of which they were familiar, in an uncer- 
tain experiment along lines of endeavor of the inner 
workings of which they knew little or nothing. The 
natural result is that where two generations ago there 
were a dozen responsible Fur Merchants, there are today 
thousands of dealers handling furs with varying 
degrees of success; and there has been a corresponding 
increase in the number of so-called fur ‘‘factories.’’ 


42 Tue FURRIERS. 


Take Greater New York as an illustration. In 1870, 
the fur business there was conducted along legitimate 
lines by John Ruszits, D. Greenfield, James Brodie, A. 
Jacobson and Brother, L. Zechiel, G. Lowerre, Mischo and 
Mueller, Frederick Booss, C. G. Gunther, Geo. C. 
Treadwell, H. M. Silverman, M. Konvalinka, Charles 
Herpich, Philip Weinberg, Nichols, Burtnett and Co., 
Harris and Russak, Duncan, Ash and Jaeckle, Balch and 
Price, and a few other equally well known furriers. 

Today the number of fur manufacturers, of differing 
degrees of responsibility, who are competing for trade 
in New York City runs way up into the thousands. 
Many of them are worthy successors of the men who 
in earlier days made New York the fur market of the 
Western Hemisphere; but whether on the whole the 
change from the old conditions to the new has been a 
benefit to the trade, or the public, is a question for serious 
consideration. 

We all believe in the day of small things, and in the 
fur business as in other lines of endeavor some of the 
greatest successes have resulted from the smallest begin- 
nings; but we can have too much of even a good thing, 
and what seems to be needed just now in the fur indus- 
try is more concentration, rather than a further division 
of interests. 

The small dealer who thoroughly understands the 
details of the business in which he is engaged, and who 
has a proper sense of responsibility, and an ambition 
to establish a reputation for honorable competition and 
fair dealing with customers, is always an influence for 
good in the commercial life of his community; but the 
class who rush into any line of business without any 
knowledge of the value of the goods they offer for sale, 
and with no other object than to divert to themselves 
a share of some one else’s profits, demoralize the trade 
into which they inject themselves; and too often, when 
they find they cannot make the expected enormous pro- 
fits by the sale of legitimate goods, rob the public by 
misrepresentation, and the substitution of inferior grades. 
Many of the people selling furs today are neither Fur 
Traders, Furriers, nor Skin Dealers as the men who sup- 
ply the manufacturers with dressed skins are called. 


THE FURRIERS. 43 


They are simply Dealers in Fur who have no experience 
in manufacturing or technical knowledge of the value or 
quality of skins. They handle only the products of other 
makers, and are obliged to depend entirely upon the 
representations of the manufacturers who supply them 
with goods. The Furrier is the man upon whom the fur 
buying public must depend for a square deal, whether they 
purchase from him direct or from one of the dealers he 
supplies. 

The necessity of considering the responsibility of the 
dealer when purchasing furs must be apparent to all who 
remember what a large trade is carried on in what may 
be termed artificial products. The common and cheaper 
furs are often so prepared as to resemble rarer and 
costlier articles. The skill with which piecing is done is 
somewhat marvelous.. All the clippings and cuttings of 
furs have their uses, and pass into different hands for 
various purposes. The life of a fur also depends largely 
upon the method of dressing and the quality of the dye 
used in coloring. The average purchaser cannot possibly 
have the knowledge that will protect him from being 
imposed upon by unscrupulous dealers. There are how- 
ever so many responsible Furriers and Fur Dealers 
large and small, that no one except those who are look- 
ing for ‘‘something for nothing’’ need ever be the victim 
of fraud or deception. 

The story of the Furriers is not so full of dramatic 
interest as the history of the Fur Traders, but they are 
‘‘the men behind the guns’’ without whose prosaic efforts 
to make furs fashionable, and to stimulate the demand 
at various times for different species by the creation of 
new styles, peltries never would have become valuable 
enough to cause the Fur Traders to leave their homes and 
risk their lives in the pursuit of their calling. 

To trace the origin of the trade in manufactured furs, 
we would have to go back, almost, to the origin of man 
himself. The writer finds as a matter of record that in 
1251, in the account of the Master of Robes to Louis 
IX of France, there is a charge for an ermine lining for 
a surcoat; in which three hundred and forty ermines were 
used for the body of the garment, sixty for the sleeves and 
waist band, and 336 for the frock. We might mention, in 


44 THE FURRIERS. 


passing, that the man who made that coat was not by any 
means the first furrier; there were many others before 
him. The heraldic furs of that age were the sable, the 
ermine, the vair or blue squirrel, and the grison or badger, 
which are as popular today as they were then; but the 
furriers of that time had probably never heard of many 
of the animals whose skins are being used today, and 
would be as much surprised at the names under which 
some of the animals with which they were familiar are 
being sold, as they would be startled at the business 
methods of the present generation. 

No one would care to go back to the time when farmers 
swapped pumpkins over the fence, and the storekeeper’s 
principal business was trading merchandise with those 
who were handling other lines of goods. Every reliable 
furrier, however, is looking forward to the time when a 
judicious regulation of credits, and the stringent enforce- 
ment of laws against false representations, will prevent 
the dishonest competition that for years has demoralized 
an industry whose history for centuries has been a record 
of great and honorable achievements. 

In every line of industry standards will continue to be 
lowered, and honest merchants will be at a disadvantage, 
until fake advertising is made a states prison offense. 
The man who secures a hundred dollars in cash by strain- 
ing the truth is a criminal in the eyes of the law, but the 
dealer who, by direct les as to the quality of his wares, 
obtains two hundred dollars for fifty dollars worth of 
merchandise is a shrewd business man, in the opinion of 
everybody, except the few who in some way find out that 
they have been imposed on. The reputable furrier is the 
greatest sufferer from this evil, because the purchasing 
publie know less about furs than they do about other 
articles of merchandise, and a great many of the people 
will buy any old thing, if they can be persuaded that they 
are getting it for less than it is worth. 


45 


FUR MARKETS. 


In the early days, St. Louis was the fur market of the 
United States, as it was the starting point of all the expe- 
ditions to the Far West, and the place where the skins 
received from the Pacific Coast and the interior trading 
stations along the old overland route, were either offered 
for sale or reshipped to New York and Boston. Naturally 
all the large fur companies had headquarters there, and 
it was the Mecca alike of the trappers and fur traders who 
had peltries to dispose of, and the furriers who were look- 
ing for supplies. For a number of years, however, New 
York, owing to the advantages it enjoys as the commercial 
center of the country and the principal port of entry for 
foreign merchandise, has been the place to which manufac- 
turers and fur dealers from all parts of the United States 
have gone for their skins, and manufactured furs. It was, 
therefore somewhat of a surprise when it was announced, 
after the government had taken control of the fur industry 
on the Pribilov Islands, that the first annual sale of seal 
and fox skins by the representatives of the government 
would be held at St. Louis on December 16th, 1913. 


Heretofore, the skins of these animals were sent by the 
leasees of the islands to London, to be sold at auction; and 
the December sales there attracted buyers from all parts 
of this country, Europe and Canada; so the action of the 
authorities in designating St. Louis as the place for the 
government fur sales will do much to restore that city to 
its former important position in the fur trade, although 
the facts do not warrant the statement made by the Asso- 
ciated Press that the auction was awarded to St. Louis, be- 
cause it was the largest fur market in the United States.. : 

Tens of thousands of Russian sables, hundreds of thous- 
ands of ermines, millions of squirrels and large quantities 
of other Russian skins are sold annually at the fairs held 
in Irbit and Nijni Novgorod, but Moscow is the fur center 
of Russia, where a large part of the world’s supply of 
Russian Squirrels, Ermines, Persians, Ponies, Marmots and 
Foxes are originally marketed. 


46 Fur Markets. 


The Chinese traders are the principal purchasers at the 
fair held annually at Kratka on the Chinese border, but 
‘most of the Dog skins and mats, Goat skins and rugs, Thibet 
lamb skins and crosses, and other Chinese furs, are exported 
direct from Harbin, Mukden, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Peking, 
Tientsen and the other points where they are collected. 

Leipzig is an important fur center, and the price of 

Astrachan and Persian lamb skins is largely determined at 
the sales held at the fair which opens there each year the 
first Monday after Easter. 
_ Fairs are also held in Leipzig at New Year’s and in Sep- 
tember, but the chief mart for the sale of furs is the 
Easter fair which lasts for two weeks from {the first 
Monday after Easter, and is attended by merchants from 
all the large fur centers in the world. Some American 
furs are sold at these fairs, but the principal offerings 
are Cats, Squirrels, Persian Lambs and other Asiatic 
furs. 

The Irbit Fair on the Siberian side of the boundary 
line between the two continents, is the mart for Russian 
furs like Squirrel, Ermine, Fox, Beaver, Kolinsky, Rus- 
sian Fitch, Sables, ete. The Nijni fair is more impor- 
tant than the preceding, and large quantities of Persian, 
Shiraz and Astrachan lambs, Squirrel skins, Ermine, 
Bear, Mongolian Goat, White Fox, Wolf and Dog Skins 
are sold there. 

The great fur events of the year however are the sales 
held in January, March, June and October of each year in 
the city of London. The January offerings often consist 
principally of muskrats, beavers and opossums. It is at the 
March sales that the choicest collection of the Hudson’s 
Bay Company, and the finest consignments shipped to C. M. 
Lampson and Company and other London brokers are 
sold at auction to bidders from all parts of the world. Com- 
paratively few buyers attend the June and October sales, 
when the offerings consist of the less desirable late catches 
and of unsold lots remaining from the former sales. The 
reports of the sales made by C. M. Lampson & Company, 
A. & W. Nesbitt, Ltd., Anning & Cobb, Flack Chandler, 
Goad, Rigg and Co., Culverwell, Brooks and Cotton, 
Dyster Halder, Henry Kiver, Barker and Co., Thorp and 
Welby and Frederick Huth & Co., and the Hudson’s Bay 
Co. in 1913, will give an idea of the magnitude of the 
different London sales at the present time. 


47 


DRESSING, DYEING AND IMPROVING. 


At one time the Red Indian was undoubtedly the best 
dresser of the skins of the Buffalo and other American 
animals, and the present art of tanning was largely bor- 
rowed from the savages. The skins are first placed in an 
alkali bath, and when the pelt has become soft they are 
taken out and tubbed; after this they are shaved by 
passing them over a knife placed in an upright position. 
Next they are buttered and put into a tub of sawdust, where 
they are tread by half-naked men until the leather has 
become soft and supple from the heat of the bodies of the 
workmen. The skins are then taken out and cleaned and 
finished. Generally speaking American skin dressers are 
the best in the world, but in the dressing of squirrel skins 
the dressers of Weissenfels, in Saxony, surpass all others. 
This success is probably largely due to the nature of 
clay and salt deposits available near the town, but how- 
ever this may be, nearly the whole community of Weissen- 
fels thrives upon this one industry, in which hundreds of 
men are employed to dress the skins, which are afterwards 
sorted, matched, and sewed by thousands of women and 
children into lining plates, that are acknowledged the world 
over as being vastly superior to the products of their chief 
competitors in this branch—the Russians. 

P. L. Simmonds, writing on this subject, says: 
“‘The ancients detached the flesh from the skins with 
sharpened stones and dried them in the sun; after which 
they were energetically rubbed with oil and grease 
extracted from the intestines of the slaughtered animals, 
and a polish was added to the skins by rubbing them with 
porous stones. The hides of bullocks, horses and other 
large animals were used to make the tents which sheltered 
the early Patriarchs, and the skins of the leopards, tigers 
and smaller animals supplied the wearing apparel with 
which they were able to glorify themselves before their fel- 
lowmen. 

At a later period the adhering particles of fiesh remain- 
ing on the skin when it was wrenched from the animal 
were removed with bone, stone and iron instruments, and 


48 DRESSING AND IMPROVING. 


the skins were washed so as to open the pores and 
cleanse them from dust and dirt. After this was done they 
were exposed to the frost. Later still it was discovered 
that the skins would be greatly improved by plunging 
them into water containing a solution of alum, and then 
putting them into vinegar. These baths protected the skins 
from rotting. After they had been dried in the shade the 
skins were moistened again and beaten, stretched and 
otherwise manipulated until they were supple, clean, and 
free from disagreeable odors. The Indians had a way of 
loosening the skin from the smaller animals that was 
cleaner than any other process. They would puncture the 
skin in two or three places, where no injudy would be 
done by the cut, and insert a quill. By blowing through 
the quill the air would be forced between the flesh and the 
skin, which could then be stripped off without a knife.’’ 


Catlin, in his ‘‘North American Indians,’’ said: ‘‘The 
Indians dress buffalo and other skins by leaving them 
in a lye of water and ashes until the hair can be removed; 
then they strain them on a frame, or upon the ground 
with stakes and pins driven through the edges into the 
earth. After they have been in this position for several 
days with the brains of the buffalo or elk spread over 
them, the squaws dry and soften the skin by scraping 
the fleshy side with a bone sharpened at the edge upon 
which they bear the total weight of their bodies. 


As before stated, the Germans surpass all others in 
dressing squirrel skins, and they have few equals in 
dressing cats and beavers, the only objection to their 
method being that it leaves the pelt of large skins 
rather thick. 


The English specialties are chinchilla, marten, sable, 
skunk and fox, the only objection to their processes 
being that in cold climates the moisture in English 
dressed skins is apt to freeze and cause them to become 
hard. This never happens to Russian dressed skins, but 
they have an unpleasant smell which it is hard to eradi- 
cate. This is also true of the Chinese method, which 
leaves a very unpleasant smelling powder on the skins, but 
the Chinese are successful in dressing sea otters and tigers. 


Fur DYEING. 49 


The dyeing of fur skins is an ancient art, but the pres- 
ent generation has brought it to such a state of perfection 
that, in many cases, no one but an expert can tell when 
skins have been touched to deepen or change their color. 
The English have long excelled in dyeing seal skins. They 
first use a mordant of lime; and then, after the ground 
color has been trodden in with booted feet, a dye com- 
posed of copper dust, antimony, camphor, verdigris, and 
roasted gall nuts is applied to the top of the fur with a 
brush. Formerly twelve to fourteen coats of this dye were 
applied, but at present the same results are obtained with 
fewer applications, and some dyers now heat the dye and 
dip the skins into the mixture. In fact the art of dyeing 
with the brush has been largely superseded by the dipping 
process, especially where vegetable dyes that will not injure 
the leather are used. The Germans are unsurpassed in 
dyeing black. Leipzig-dyed Persian, Astrachan and Ukrainer 
lamb and Lynx skins have a brilliancy of color and 
pliability of pelt that cannot be found in others. Whether 
this is due to the nature of the water and the climate, or 
the ingredients used and methods employed, is a disputed 
question; but American dyers are so rapidly improving in 
seal and black dyeing that they will doubtless soon obtain 
in these, as they have in so many other cases, results equal 
to the best foreign products. 

The art of imitating, changing and improving furs, is 
carried on with very great success. By means of certain 
operations and dyes, the leopard skin is imitated; muskrats, 
susliks and marmots are striped like mink; wolves are made 
to appear like foxes; martens, minks and sables are dark- 
ened; raccoons, opossums and white skunks are dyed black 
or natural skunk color; silver foxes are successfully imi- 
tated by dyeing the red fox skins and pointing them with 
badger hairs; off color white foxes have the top hair dyed 
so they look like the natural blue foxes; and this year, we 
even have bright yellow, sky blue and pink Belgian hares. 

The seals, otters, beavers, conies, muskrats, and a number 
of other animals have a soft, thick under fur, which is bet- 
ter adapted for the purposes of the furrier’s art when the 
long stiff hairs which form the top skin have been removed. 
These skins were formerly sheared, and later the long top 
hairs were plucked out by hand; now the desired result is . 


50 Fur Dyeine. 


accomplished by shaving a layer off the under side of the 
pelt when these stiff hairs, which come further through 
the leather than the under fur, are loosened so they can 
easily be plucked from the fur side with blunt knives. 
Many short hairs however elude this plucking process, 
and these are removed by a machine which divides the soft 
fur by a current of air, and leaves the stiff hairs standing 
alone so they can be sheared off close to the skin without 
injury to the under fur. 


English dyes are celebrated for their brilliancy, 
but are said to reduce the quality of the skin. 
The French dyers plunge the skins into a large vat 
filled with logwood dyes. Owing to the vegetable nature 
of their dye they do not reduce the quality of the skins 
as much as the English dyes, but they are not as perma- 
nent. Belgian dyed skins are not as desirable as the 
French as cheap madder dyes are used in coloring them. 
Strange as it may seem, the Chinaman, with all his 
ingenuity. is a very poor dyer of furs. 


SKINNING AND CASING. 


The commercial value of a skin depends as much upon 
the way it is removed from the animal and stretched by 
the trapper, as upon the skill of the dresser. Otters, foxes, 
martens, minks, opossums, civets and skunks should be 
cased ; that is, taken off whole. Beavers and raccoons should 
be skinned open; that is, ripped up the belly from the vent 
to the chin, and the skin removed by flaying. 


Where skins are to be cased a cut should be made up the 
center of one hind leg and around the vent and down the 
other leg; then if the tail is worth preserving, the skin 
should be carefully stripped from the caudal bone without 
cutting the skin, except in the case of skunks and otters, 
whose tails should be split, spread and tacked on a board. 
The skin should then be drawn back over the body, pelt 
side out and fur in, the same as in skinning an eel or draw- 
ing off a glove. It will peel off easily if a few ligaments 
are cut. Care should be taken not to cut too closely around 
the nose, ears and lips. 


Fur Dyerna. ol 


Cased skins should be stretched on boards, tapering from 
four and one-half inches in width down to three inches for 
mink, and from six to five inches for foxes. The boards 
for the mink skins should be three feet long and those for 
foxes four feet. Stretching boards should be rounded at 
the small end, smooth and even on the edges, and not more 
than three-eights of an inch thick; and the boards for the 
mink should taper slightly down to within four or five 
inches of the point, and the fox boards to within eight 
inches of the rounded end. Stretching boards for other 
animals should be made in proportion, according to the 
size and shape of the animal. 


All the fat and flesh should always be removed from the 
skin immediately after the skin is on the board. If a skin 
is wet when taken from the animal it should be drawn 
lightly on a board, flesh side in, until the fur is quite dry, 
then the skin should be turned flesh side out and stretched. 
Skins should never be dried in smoke or at a fire, nor in 
the sun, as they are liable to become scorched or hard, 
when they will not dress properly and are of no value. 
They should be dried in a well covered shed or tent where 
there is a free circulation of air; and no preparation such 
as alum and salt should be used, as it only injures them for 
the market. The noses must never be stretched out long, 
as fur buyers and dealers are inclined to class long-nosed 
skins as ‘‘southern’’ and to pay a small price for them, as 
all southern skins are much lighter in fur than those of 
the north. 


Foxes of the various kinds should be cased and put on 
boards, fur side in, for a few days, or until dry. As the 
pelt is thin, they dry soon, when they must be taken off 
and turned fur side out. In shipping, care should be taken 
that they are not packed against furs with the flesh side out. 


Skunks should be cased fur side in. and stretched on 
boards for several days. If the white stripe is cut out or 
blackened it reduces the value of the skins. 


Minks should be cased fur side in and stretched on 
boards for several days, or until dry, and left with the fur 
side in when removed from the board. 


52 TAXIDERMY. 


Muskrats should be stretched fur side in for a few days. 
and left fur side in when removed from the board. The 
tails may as well be cut off when skinning, as they are 
worthless. 

Opossums are also best if stretched on boards fur side 
in and left in that condition after removing the boards. 
The tails should be cut off when skinning—they have no 
value. 

Raccoons should be stretched open; that is, nailed flat on 
boards, or the inside of a building. Some dealers allow as 
much for coons cased, from any section, while others 
prefer only southern coon cased. 

Otters should be cased and stretched fur side in. The 
pelt being thick and heavy they take several days to dry 
properly. They should be shipped flesh side out. 

Beavers should be split, but stretched round and left in 
the hoop or stretcher for several days. 


TAXIDERMY. 


The old method of stuffing animals is as different from 
scientific taxidermy as the skin covering of the aborigine 
is from the finished fur garment of the fashionable society 
woman. The taxidermist of today carefully molds a form 
according to accurate measurements and photographed out- 
lines, and after he has constructed a perfect model of the 
animal the skin is stretched over it, the result being a re- 
production as near to nature as it is possible to secure, 
the effect in some cases being so life-like as to be startling. 

Formerly the skins were wired or otherwise fixed on 
an internal framework, and cotton, tow or any other 
available material was introduced until the form was 
stuffed to the desired shape; later a solid mass of tow 
was shaped into something like the semblance of the 
animal and introduced into the skin, which was then 
molded upon this artificial body, but neither of these 
processes produced the results obtained by the scientific 
methods now employed. 


53 


GRADING. 


Beaver—Ten dollars is the present quotation for 
“‘Large’’ raw Beaver skins; seven to eight dollars for the 
‘Medium ;”’ five dollars for the ‘‘Small,’’ and three dol- 
lars for the ‘‘Cubs.’’ The best American skins come from 
Canada, Maine and Nova Scotia. 


The ‘‘Civet Cat’’ skins from the Northern portion of 
the habitat of the Little Striped Skunk are worth about 
ten cents more than those from the central and southwest- 
ern states. These skins are graded as ‘‘Large,’’ ‘‘Me- 
dium’’ and ‘‘Small;’’ the relative values of the different 
grades being seventy-five, fifty and thirty-five cents. 


Domestic or House Cats are graded as ‘‘Black,’’ Spot- 
ted’’ and ‘‘Small;’’ the price for black being fifty cents, 
for the spotted twenty cents, and for the small five cents. 


Fishers are graded as ‘‘Dark,’’ ‘‘Brown’’ and ‘‘Me- 
dium,’’ and the price is also influenced by the size and 
quality; prime skins being worth from twelve to thirty 
dollars and upwards. 


Foxes—The finest Red Foxes come from Labrador, 
Nova Scotia and Eastern Canada, and are worth raw 
from four to twelve dollars each and upwards, according 
to size, color and quality; Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont 
and Ontario skins are worth a dollar less than the fore- 
going, and a dollar more than New York, Northern Michi- 
gan and Connecticut Foxes. Southern and Southwestern 
skins are the poorest, and are worth less than half what 
is paid for those secured in Maine and New York. The in- 
termediate grades are obtained from the Central and West- 
ern States. No. 1 and No. 2 Foxes are also graded accord- 
ing to size, ‘‘Large,’’ ‘‘Medium’’ and ‘‘Small;’’ the No. 
3 and No. 4 are all small. 

The New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, 
West Virginia and Northern Indiana and Ohio Grey Fox 
skins are worth from ten to fifty cents more than those 
from Virginia, Delaware, Maryland and North Carolina; 
which in turn grade somewhat higher than the Southern 
Ohio and Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Oklahoma 
skins. 


54 GRADING. 


Silver Foxes bring from one thousand to twenty-five 
hundred dollars, according to size, quality and color. 

The best American Lynx skins come from Canada, 
Maine and Nova Scotia, and are graded as No. 1—Large, 
Medium and Small; No. 2—Large, Medium and Small; No. 
3, and No. 4; the prices ranging from three dollars to 
twenty-five dollars and upward each. 


Minks are graded closer than any other skins; first they 
are sorted with reference to locality, then they are graded 
according to quality and color into dark and brown and 
No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 skins, after which the No. 1 
and No. 2 skins are again sorted into Large, Me- 
dium and Small before a valuation is placed on them; 
No. 3 skins are out of season skins of little value, and those 
finally graded as No. 4 are small and stagy, or damaged 
to such an extent that they are comparatively worthless. 

Maine, Labrador, Nova Scotia and Eastern Canada 
skins are known as ‘‘North Eastern’’ Mink; those from 
Northern New York and New England are called ‘‘ Eastern 
Minks ;’’ the Central and Southern New York and Michi- 
gan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, 
West Virginia, North Carolina, Virginia, Northern Ken- 
tucky, Delaware and Maryland Minks grade between the 
‘**Hastern’’ and the ‘‘Western’’ Minks, as the skins from 
Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska are called. 
“‘Southern’’ and ‘‘South Western’’ Minks are the lightest 
in color and poorest in quality ; but the ‘‘North Western’’ 
skins from Wisconsin, Northern Michigan, Minnesota and 
the regions beyond, are of good color, and while the fur 
is not as soft or rich as that on the ‘‘Eastern’’ Minks, the 
skins are so much larger that they often bring almost as 
high prices as the ‘‘Eastern’’ skins although the general 
average is considerably less. 

Muskrats—Raw skin buyers pay from five to fifteen 
cents more for ‘‘Large Winter’’ than they do for ‘‘Large 
Fall’’ rats, and the ‘‘Small’’ skins are worth from fifteen 
to twenty-five cents less than the large ones of the same 
grade; when the price for perfect ‘‘Large Winter’’ skins 
is fifty-five cents, ‘‘Kitts’’ are valued at about eight cents. 

New York State, New England, Canada, New Bruns- 
wick, Northern Pennsylvania, Northern New Jersey, Ohio, 
Indiana, Michigan and Illinois Muskrats are worth from 


GRADING. 55 


five to ten cents more than those from Delaware, Kansas, 
W. Virginia, Virginia, Central Pennsylvania, Southern 
Ohio, Southern New York, North Carolina, Kentucky, 
Maryland, and Missouri. The poorest skins come from 
Texas and Louisiana, and bring about half of the price 
paid for the New York State skins, and about ten cents 
less than Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama rats. 


Black muskrats are more numerous in the Delaware, 
Maryland and Virginia District than elsewhere, and are 
worth about fifty per cent. more than the regular brown 
variety; the comparatively small number of black skins 
secured from the New York, New England and Canada 
district bring about five cents more than the southern skins 
of this variety. 


Opossums are graded according to size and quality as 
No. 1—Large, Small and Medium; No. 2—Large, Small 
and Medium; No. 3, and No. 4. The best skins come from 
the Eastern and Central States; next in quality are the 
skins from the old ‘‘Border States,’’ and the poorest skins 
come from the South and Southwest; prices for No. 1— 
Large, range from sixty-five cents to ninety cents and up- 
ward. 


The finest American Otters come from Maine, Nova 
Scotia, Labrador and Eastern Canada; next in quality are 
the skins from Northern New York, New England, West- 
ern Canada and Northern Michigan; Pennsylvania, New 
Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, Mississippi, Northern 
Kentucky, Illinois, Kansas, Virginia and North Carolina 
skins are lighter in fur and color than either of the fore- 
going, and the skins from the extreme southern states are 
only worth about half the price paid forCanada and Maine 
skins. Otter skins are graded No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and 
No. 4, according to color and quality, and then regraded 
according to size as ‘‘Large,’’ ‘‘Small’’ and ‘‘Medium.”’ 


Raccoons—New York, New England, Canada, Northern 
Pennsylvania and Michigan Raccoons are the finest; but 
Central Pennsylvania and Michigan, Northern Ohio, IIli- 
nois and New Jersey skins almost equal them in quality. 
Central and Southern Ohio, Indiana, Kansas and Northern 
Kentucky and Missouri skins are considerably lighter in fur 
and color; and the skins from further south are still less 


06 GRADING. 


valuable, those from Georgia and Florida being worth only 
about one-third the price asked for skins from the New 
York and New England district. Raccoons are graded 
as ‘‘Large,’’ ‘‘Medium”’ and ‘‘Small,’’ according to size; 
and as No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4, according to quality 
and color. <A large No. 1 New York skin is worth from 
three dollars and fifty cents upwards, the extra dark and 
black skins bringing as high as seven dollars and fifty 
cents. 

H. B. Sable—‘‘Dark’’ Eastern and Canada Martens are 
worth from fifteen to eighteen dollars and upwards, some 
bringing as high as ninety dollars; the ‘‘Brown”’ skins are 
worth about forty per cent. less, and the ‘‘Pale’’ skins 
some fifty per cent less than the price asked for dark skins 
of the same size and quality. 

Skunks are graded as ‘‘Black,’’ ‘‘Short Stripe,’’ ‘‘Nar- 
row Stripe’’ and ‘‘Broad Stripe;’’ the relative values of 
the different grades being four dollars, three dollars, one 
dollar and sixty cents, and seventy-five cents. The best 
skunks come from New York, Northern Ohio, Northern 
Pennsylvania, Michigan, Massachusetts, Connecticut, 
Maine, Vermont and Canada; but they are almost equalled 
in quality by those from New Jersey, Central Pennsyl- 
vania, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska and 
Oklahoma. The skins from Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, 
Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and North Carolina 
are less desirable; and those from the other southern 
states are poorer still. 

Wild Cat skins are graded as ‘‘Large,’’ ‘‘Medium’’ and 
‘‘Small,’’ and the heaviest furred come from Canada and 
Maine. Those from the Central States are of medium qual- 
ity, and Southern and Southwestern skins are very poor. 
Wild Cats, quality for quality, are worth about one-third 
the price of Lynx skins. 


oT 


SIZE, COLOR AND QUALITY. 


Wild animals, like human beings, seem to develop best 
where they are obliged to put forth some effort to procure 
the means for subsistence. The largest and most powerful 
representatives of any species are not found in the fertile 
valleys but on the barren mountains, and where the range 
of a species extends through different latitudes the animals 
increase in size as they move away from the equator and 
approach the poles. The males of any species are larger than 
the females. Inbreeding makes the stock become more 
symmetrical but smaller, while crossing the various strains 
produces larger animals. 


With the exception of the beaver and Alaska red fox the 
darkest hued representatives of every species are those liv- 
ing nearest the equator. Cold seems to cause the fur of all 
animals to become lighter in color, and white mammals as 
a race are found only in the arctic regions. The fur also 
becomes lighter with age, the new growth with a few not- 
able exceptions always being darker than the old coat. 
White, black, brown, and grey are the predominating colors; 
but red and yellow mammals are quite numerous, and a 
few species even show a blue tinge. 


White has always been considered a mark of distinction 
in fur. The North American Indian set a high value on a 
white ‘‘Buffalo’’and would give several horses in exchange 
for it. The Alaska Indians would give five otters or foxes 
for a single white marten. White elephants are regarded 
with reverence in Siam. The sacred ox of India is white, 
and the coronation robes of royalty have always been made 
of white ermine. 


The beaver attains its greatest depth of color in certain 
districts of Canada, and the Alaska Red Fox is much 
darker than the more southern representatives of the 
species, but with very few exceptions there is a decrease 
in pigment as animals move away from the equator and 
approach the poles. The tropical mammals have been 
known to become lighter haired when they have been 
kept in captivity in colder climates. 


58 Size, CoLor AND QUALITY. 


With the exception of the Badger, Hamster, Panda and 
Ratel which are darker on the under than the upper parts, 
all fur bearing animals have darker fur on the back than ° 
on the sides and belly. 

Albino specimens of different animals are occasionally 
seen, but they are undoubtedly freaks rather than distinct 
species of their genus. 

The finest specimens of any species are found in the high- 
est latitudes. On all animals the quality of the fur 
improves with cold, being poorest on those whose habitat 
is in the torrid zone unless they live at a sufficiently high 
latitude to secure for them a low temperature. In the 
temperate zone the quality of the fur depends upon the 
severity of the winter. In all climates the fur of animals 
found in the dense forests is deeper, silkier, and glossier 
than that of mammals whose range is on the open steppes 
or prairies; and animals living on the shores of lakes and 
rivers have a finer, softer coat than those who are exposed 
to the sea winds on the coast. The fur on all animals is at 
its best when it is from one to two years old. On older 
animals the hair is coarse and scraggy, while the pelt of so- 
called baby skins is very tender and the fur on them is too 
soft to be servicable. The fur on any animal usually reaches 
its full growth in mid-winter, and only skins taken be- 
tween that time and early spring are in fine condition; 
before that time the hair is short and stagy, and later fhe 
animal begins to shed its old coat for a new one and the 
hairs of skins taken at that time will continue to fall out, 
even after the skins have been dressed. 

The sexes of cattle and sheep are about equal in num- 
ber, and the same is true of dogs and seals the only 
other animals of which we have any reliable statistics. 
Naturalists generally claim that the number of females 
in most species exceeds the males, but it is difficult to 
understand upon what they base their calculations. If 
it is upon the polygamous nature of most mammals the 
seals are a positive proof to the contrary. 


S1zE, COLOR AND QUALITY. 59 


RELATIVE DURABILITY AND WEIGHT. 


The life of furs can now be so prolonged by dry cold 
storage, which not only protects them from moths but 
prevents the change of color and the deterioration that 
formerly resulted from the evaporation in high tempera- 
tures and hot atmospheres of the natural oils in the skin 
and hairs, that the durability of the fur must be consid- 
ered as well as the cost in determining its real value. 


Taking the Otter at 100 as the standard the relative 
durability of some of the best-known furs is shown in 
the following table, which also gives the weight per square 


foot of the skins mentioned : 


1 


Ounces. 
Astrachan-Moire ..... 10—3 
-—Beaver-Natural ..... 90—4 
-Plucked ..... 85—3% 
--- Bear-Black or Brown. 94—7 
~-Chinchilla .......... 15—114 
-— Civet Cat ........... 40—2%, 
ee CODY svat cetacka nes 20—3 
_- Ermine ............. 25—1%4, 
-Fox-Natural ........ 40—3 
-Dyed Black ..... 25—3 
SBURG sas seen enone 20—3 
GONEE seus ina duns eaahae ls 35—2 34 
Goat <ssiceccek taxes 15—44 
ETS? sasiauelh oaesleusice coed taaece 5—2% 
JaCK al see ca wa cies sens 27—4% 
KROaa: 6 wes. adie eee s 12—4 
Kolinsky ........... 25—3 
Krimmer ........... 60—3 
= Leopard vec: .teugs oaiaiee 75—4 
2=LYNX osaesc nese eaes 25—234 
_~Marmot-Dyed ....... 20—3 
~Marten-Baum ....... 65—234 
‘¢ Blended 45—2% 
‘Stone ....... 45—2% 
‘¢ Dyed... 35—2% 
Mink-Natural ....... 70—3%4 
DYE: ise 202 Gare 35—314 
-Japan .......- 20—3 


Ounces, 
= Mole. sivscsasccssinn ees 7—1% 
~~ Muskrat-Natural 45—3\4 
“Seal isiavdse 33—34%4 
-~“Nutria-Plucked ...... 25—3%4 
- Otter-Natural ....... 100—414 
-Plucked ....... 95—3 7% 
Sea .......... 100—4%4 
— Opossum-Natural .... 37—3 
-Dyed ...... 20—3 
-Australian.. 40—3%4 
POPSIAD. ieiaiiecals 2.4 Bg espere: > 65—3%4 
Pony-Russian ....... 35844 
« Rabbit. osaecveueiascas 52% 
~ Raecoon-Natural . 65—414 
-Dyed ....... 50—41%4 
.-Sable-Natural ....... 60—2% 
-Blended ....... 45—2% 
Skunk-Natural ...... 70—2%4 
-Tipped ....... 50—2 7% 
_- Seal-(Hair) ......... 80—3 
oe “Dyed .... 75—3Y4 
eCRUR) aiuiiceaacde 80—3%4 
‘© Dyed .... TU—3% 
_Squirrel-Back ....... 25—1% 
‘¢ Blended. 20—1% 
— Wolf-Natural ....... 50—6% 
Dyed ......... 30—6%4 
Wolverine .......... 100—7 


60 ANNUAL SUPPLY. 


The foregoing figures refer to skins worked up into 
muffs, neckpieces, caps, gloves and garments with the fur 
outside. In estimating the wearing quality of linings for 
women’s wraps the Sable Gills, which weigh 27% ounces 
to the square foot and have less than forty per cent. of 
the strength of unplucked Otter fur, are taken as the 
standard at 100. The relative durability and weight of 
other linings is as follows: 


i Ounces. Ounces. 
Coney siicesayer aves 40—3 Sable-Skin .......... 85—2% 
Ermine ............. 57—1144 -Head ......... 65—1%4 
Fox-White .......... 50—3 Squirrel-Back ....... 50—1% 
Hamster ............ 10—1% -Belly ...... 20—1% 
Bat Rat en aee eases 60—3 -Head ....... 35—2l4 


ANNUAL SUPPLY. 


All estimates as to the number of Fur-Bearing Animals 
killed annually are largely speculative. It is true that the 
sales reports from London, Leipzic and the Russian Fur 
Markets show how many skins are sold each year at the 
regular fur sales, but they do not tell how many of the 
offerings were skins held over from previous years or re- 
sold for former purchasers; and there is positively no way 
of finding out how many skins pass directly from the hands 
of the trappers and collectors into those of the manufac- 
turers, nor how many are kept by the hunters for their 
own personal use. 

The following figures are based upon information 
received from a number of sources, and while necessarily 
only tentative give the reader an approximate idea of the 
quantities of the various skins marketed each year, and 
positive information as to the localities from which the 
different kinds are obtained: 


ANNUAL QUANTITIES. 


Astrachan .......... 
Broadtail .......... 
Badger ws. .sa0ees ec 


-Brown ........ 


-Polat ices vous 


Chinchilla (Peru) .. 
-Bastard (Chili) 

“* (Bolivia) 
Chinchillones (Bolivia 
and Peru) ....... 
Civet: sais doesn se oxte 


Coney (Rabbit) .... 
Dog-Chinese, ete. .... 
Ermine ............ 
Fisher snes csc ec 
Fitch (Pole Cat).... 
Fox-Blue .......... 

*CYOSS) xeavee ests 


«¢ (Brazil)... 
-(Patagonia) : 
“Red sai seseas ies 


Goats-Chinese : 
se Kids... 
“Guanaco (S. A.).... 
Hamster-Germany .. 
-Austro-Hun- 


Jackals ..-........ 
Jaguar (S. A.)...... 
Kolinsky .......... 
Kangaroo .......... 
Krimmer ........... 
Leopard ........... 

-Clouded .... 

-Snow ...... 
Leopard Cats ....... 


America 


30,000 
40,000 
20,000 
2,000 
1,000 


12,000 


10,000 
200,000 
5,000 
30,000 


Europe 
1,000,000 


700 


1,500,000 


500,000 


Asia 


30,000 


1,000 


750,000 
200,000 
2,500 
10,000 
150,000 


200,000 
1,000 
25,000 
400,000 
800,000 


5,000 


61 


Africa and 
Australia 


62 


DYNES ode acenages &s 
-Stone 


-China (Weasel) 
-Japan 
-Russian 


Monkey 

Moufflon 
Muskrat 
Musk Ox 
Nutria (S. A.)...... 
Opossum 
Otter 


Palmi 
Perwitsky 
Persian Lamb 
Poney 


Raccoon-Dog ........ 
Ringtails 
Sable-Russian 
-H. B. 
-Japan 


(8. AD 


-(8. A.) 
Shiras Lamb 
Squirrel 
Susliki 
Tiger 
Vieuna (S, A.)...... 
White Weasel 
Wallaby 
Wolf-Prairie 

-Timber 
Wolverine 
Wombat 


ANNUAL QUANTITIES. 


America Europe 
50,000 10,000 
25,000 500,000 
anaytees 150,000 
Sein 250,000 

500,000 500 
whilidaes 20,000 

sw teeats 1,000,000 
Seltents 200,000 
5,000,000 5,000 
500 saa cae 
500,000 ~—«w.. 

1,000,000 ~—..... 

30,000 20,000 

5,000 i... 
3500 hase 

J acndans 3,000 
TOO -yesieasees 

gaa kee 50,000 
500000  — ssxccs 
100,000... 
1,200,000 =... .. 
5,000... 
350,000 x. 
eaves 7,000,000 
15,000 x... 
200/000 aeegtn 
40,000... 
8,000 5,000 
3,000 1,000 


Asia 


50,000 
1,500,000 
150,000 


150,000 
6,000,000 
500,000 
500 


4,000 


Africa and 
Australia 


200 


10,000* 
2,500,000* 


200,000* 


Items marked * are Australian products exclusively. 
The Japanese skins have been included in the Asiatic 


estimates. 


ANNUAL QUANTITIES. 63 


The present yearly catch of Hair Seals is about 250,000. 
Under the existing agreement between the maritime pow- 
ers there will be no North West Coast Fur Seals for the 
next five years, the killing of Alaska Seals on the Pribilof 
Islands will be limited to about 3,000 a year and the 
supply of Copper Island Skins will be less than 5,000 per 
year. From the South Sea Islands about 5,000 skins are 
received annually, and the same number of Cape Horn 
Skins come into the market each year, together with 3,000 
Cape of Good Hope Skins, and about 10,000 Lobos Island 
Skins from the South Atlantic. 


About one million of the European Rabbit skins come 
from Russia, a half a million come from Germany, twenty 
million from Belgium and the balance from France. 


Holland supplies two hundred thousand of the Euro- 
pean Cat Skins, Germany one hundred thousand, Russia 
three hundred thousand, and the rest come from different 
parts of the Continent. 


Germany is credited with two hundred and fifty thou- 
sand of the European Red Foxes, Russia with one hundred 
and fifty thousand, and Norway with twenty-five thousand. 
Of the Asiatic supply about sixty thousand come from 
Siberia, and fifty thousand from China and Japan. 

Most of the Tanucki or Raccoon-Dog skins are shipped 
from Japan; but China furnishes about one hundred and 
fifty thousand of the skins, and Korea about thirty thor 
sand. 

More than one-third of the European Pole Cats come 
from Germany. The skins from the eastern provinces of 
European Russia are so much like the Siberian variety 
that they are included with the latter in the Asiatic 
estimate. 

Of the Baum-martens, fifty thousand come from Ger- 
many, fifty thousand from Russia and twenty thousand 
from Norway and Sweden. 


Germany contributes one hundred thousand of the 
Stone Martens, Bosnia and Turkey fifty thousand, and 
Russia an equal quantity. 

Of the Asiatic Marmots China and Manchuria supply 
five hundred thousand. The balance come from Siberia. 


64 INCREASING QUANTITIES. 


With the exception of a few hundred thousand skins 
from China and a small number from Japan, all the 
Asiatic Squirrels come from Siberia. Six million of the 
squirrel skins credited to Europe come from Kasan and 
other Russian provinces. 


INCREASING QUANTITIES. 


In 1875, P. L. Simmonds said: ‘‘It must be remembered 
that fur bearing animals like human beings and cattle 
are liable to periodical failures of food, or periodical inroads 
of disease. Experience shows that their abundance runs in 
cycles. The failure one year of an insignificant class of 
animals may cause the decrease the next year of a far 
more valuable beast which feeds on the former. The whole 
chain of animal:life is more or less linked together, and 
the different species as they depend on each other fall off 
or increase again, according as the supply of food and the 
vigor of each class may be more or less abundant. 


“*Tn spite of the fact that some species have been extermin- 
ated and others decimated by indiscriminate and wanton 
slaughter, on the whole the quantity of skins of wild 
animals seems to be increasing yearly. We drive animals 
back at some points, but for the last two centuries the grand 
total of skins collected annually has been steadily increas- 
ing; and it does not seem as if the globe was sufficiently 
peopled yet for man to arrest the production of animal 
life. In fact, agriculture increases the production of some 
fur bearing animals by augmenting their food supplies; 
and the changes in fashion give the species that is threat- 
ened with extermination one year, an opportunity to 
recover lost ground in the next while a new favorite is 
being hunted.’’ 


Some people may be disposed to question the truth of 
the statement that upwards of a hundred million fur pro- 
ducing animals are killed every year, but a careful con- 
sideration of the statistics available shows that the actual 
total for the past few vears has far exceeded that figure ; 


INCREASING QUANTITIES. 6d 


and that some of the animals that are most hunted are 
showing an increase in numbers instead of falling off, so it 
appears that the contention of Mr. Simmonds is as true to- 
day as it was nearly forty years ago. It is a fact that some of 
the larger wild animals are, and have been for some time 
past, steadily decreasing, but on the other hand there are 
species that could be mentioned which are increasing in 
numerical strength every year in spite of vast numbers that 
are slaughtered to supply the demands of commerce. 

The following figures showing the shipments of the Hud- 
son’s Bay Company in 1856 and 1875, were given by Mr. 
Simmonds in support of his contention. The reader will be 
interested in a comparison of these figures, with the reports 
that show the quantities offered at the London sales by C. 
M. Lampson & Co. in 1913. 


1856 1875 
Badger 5 veces vgs aeeese sages 1,105 2,001 
BGar Jenene tae eraane eae 9,255 5,898 
Beaver -.amsvcees ei ener eee exe 74,482 100,721 
ISH OD” Gia ciovetin ete aieasiercsiate steciaa 5,182 2,186 
HORS CrOS8 regs eoae vee d ese 1,951 1,961 
MOR, ett cores D eaustein Baldivis tate 3,370 2,699 
POX Réd:—-. ercnieelea ea eet 7,371 7,644 
Fox: ‘silver ss:2ccc0e54 pve vee 613 603 
Fox, white ...............-4.. 10,292 4,333 
Lynx and Lynx Cat........... 11,634 15,661 
Marten wocyccakniceee tees nee es 179,275 61,782 
Man? ivan tere oes tro 61,516 62,760 
Musquash ................45- 258,791 503,948 
Otier’ 3644 eee cata ee 13,740 9,825 
Sea; Otter cacinicaveieewrekes 290 11 
Porpoise, half skins............ 483 131 
Rabbitcncrd seven eeee how ee 90,937 48,291 
Raec00n . ieee ese s 1,798 1,632 
Seal TUT swe cca idee ee 36 1,427 
Seal, hair .................... 5,263 3,748 
Skink: cca cegee ceaeawe reer 11,319 2,331 
WOE: cic jcsintavins ta ewe aeeY 7,576 1,608 
Wolverine ..........0 eee ee eee 1,142 1,052 


Otal pip disee tive A eenenes aw Wot aen 842,248 


66 INCREASING QUANTITIES. 


Cc. M. LAMPSON & CO. REPORT, 1913. 
January March June October 


Badger’...........-- 1,887 3,529 4,438 2,904 
-Japanese ... 1,254 1,935 978 1,092 

Bear ).4 ince ia gees 3,150 5,294 3,966 5,098 
Beaver ............ 6 7,575 7,498 3,417 4,580 
Cat-Civet ........... 37,102 37,349 19,894 138,823 
-House .......... 14,561 35,239 23,450 24,427 
-Wild .........:. 8,942 6,594 5,797 =—-:13,977 
Chinchilla-Bastard ... 0 ......00 cece cee tees 
-Real ...... 3,624 12,300 1,731 2,339 

Ermine ............ 58,747 79,718 70,315 43,252 
Misher: oceves secs sxe 433 1,042 448 499 
Fitch .,........-... 4,050 6,777 10,048 8,145 
Fox-Blue ........... 248 2,388 88 787 
-Cross ......04-- 539 2,030 502 1,041 
-Grey .......---- 5,720 13,418 7,291 6,593 
Katt cctaae ded cas 17,806 5,893 8,146 31,443 
-Japanese ....... 4,474 3,106 1,679 6,058 
-Red! 2.s.eieees 15,393 17,889 26,254 36,859 
-Red Australian... 45,695 19,995 10,560 49,457 
-Silver .......... 77 553 113 213 
-White ......... 5,196 2,279 1,018 4,250 
Kangaroo .......... 4,022 4,295 695 16,682 
Kolinsky ........... 18,646 22,900 15,326 86,945 
Dei tear cste fore ah ea he 1,571 717 2,651 3,161 
Marten ............. 6,428 8,879 5,997 6,257 
-Baum ....... 541 471 977 1,093 
-Japanese . 5,453 550 683 2,369 

-Stone ....... 1,033 2,596 1,939 2,052 

Mink ....... cdigeegeihauerace 32,620 51,125 12,203 24,671 
IMGIE scc.c0n-aeeeowes 203,985 312,449 447,164 491,526 
Muskrat ........... 1,635,768 826,394 784,575 614,273 
-Black ...... 10,870 17,060 36,105 12,729 


Opossum-American .. 272,068 323,393 165,552 54,581 
-Australian . 90,155 87,500 20,498 77,447 
-Ringtail ... 61,641 33,234 3,741 193,426 


Otter seven cde eae 5,003 4,426 2,403 2,571 
Raccoon ............ 70,914 140,611 54,966 36,229 
Sable-Japanese ...... 0 2.2.2.0 eee 57 170 


‘-Russian ...... 1,670 8,294 59 1,487 


PRICES. 67 


January March June October 


Seal-Dry Hair....... 1,229 207 87 17 
sDry Pur scscees’. boda 204 B84 Aeces 
-Salted Fur ..... 5,570 1,795 570 7,010 

Sea Otter ...........0 2.000. Sl) Give: Shorea 

SKUNK, sce eee 314,783 334,379 155,038 59,438 

Squirrel ............ 212,790 123,197 141,658 150,532 

Sacs & Plates 7,919 4,932 4314 5,906 

Wallaby ............ 331,017 171,117 152,702 225,654 

WoO) teases oa Gah ates 18,036 20,380 8,312 6,487 

Wolverine .......... 250 692 190 609 

Wombat ........... 1,106 252 1,622 1,696 

PRICES. 


The prices of skins are regulated by the condition of the 
pelt as well as the quality of the fur. If they have been 
torn in the trap or riddled with shot or otherwise mutil- 
ated they cannot be graded as No. 1 skins, no matter how 
fine the quality of the fur. The skins that have been well 
stretched and dyed bring better prices than those of the 
same quality that have been carelessly handled. Collectors 
always prefer minks, muskrats, otters, fishers, opossums and 
skunks when they are ‘‘cased’’; that is, not cut open on 
the belly. Experts are able to judge the quality of cased 
skins by the appearance of the pelt. The veiny skins are 
generally poor in quality; and half-seasoned skins have a 
dark bluish stripe down the back or side. The pelt of stagy 
skins is quite dark, having a uniform blue hue. 


The question of locality is also an important factor in 
determining the value of skins; for instance, the finest 
skunks are found in Ohio, while the best minks come from 
northern New York, Maine, and Nova Scotia. As a gen- 
eral rule the furs of the eastern are better than those of 
the western provinces of Siberia; but the ermine near the 
Rivers Irkutz, Oby and Ishin form a notable exception, 
being worth three times more than those found beyond 
the Lena River. 


68 PRIcEs. 


An idea of how the prices of certain skins have advanced 
ean be formed by a comparison of the figures quoted in 
1875, and the prices ruling today: 


1875 1913 
Each. 
Beaver. ..uea satan ne wexcees $1.00 per lb. 8.00— 25.00 
Bear—Black ............. 5.00— 8.00 8.00— 50.00 
Bear—Brown ............ 7.50 15.00— 30.00 
Ermine ........... ao aid 50 150— 5.00 
Bisher: xy srggineais eres ees 5.00 15.00— 50.00 
-Fox—Black ............. 100.00 500.00—1800.00 
-Fox—Blue .............. 35.00— 100.00 
~- Fox—Cross ............. 20.00— 100.00 
Fox—Grey ...........-.. 3.00— 7.00 
Pox Red 2 .ce6scaveeves 5.00— 20.00 
Fox—Silver ............. 50.00 125.00—1200.00 
Fox—White ............. 20.00— 50.00 
Hur Seal Gu waceeaene as 10.00  30.00— 125.00 
TiyMR: 6.53-eenG te See Rea ona 3.00 12.50— 50.00 
Marten, casesneeseeesaess 5.00—10.00 10.00— 50.00 
IMU say ee acu eas cogent claus sant 2.00 2.50— 20.00 
Muskrat ................ .20 .40— 1.00 
Marmot (Siffleur) ....... 50 1.00— 2.00 
Otter—Common .......... 5.00. 10.00— 60.00 
Otter—Sea .............. 50.00—80.00 250.00—1800.00 
SQuUIPreL |. os eke ed eters 12 4A0— 75 
WOE: caichewicactonsss BP ssattenas 2.50 2.00— 12.00 
Wolverine ............... 1.00 12.00— 30.00 
Wilde ©at s0n4 wsacsnteee cha 75 1.50— 10.00 


During the period from 1882 to 1910 Black Foxes ad- 
vanced 400% in price, Red Foxes 500%, Sea Otters 300%, 
Lynes 800%, Persians 300%, Chinchillas 1,400%, Skunks 
250%, Minks 800%, Muskrats 500%, Marmots 500%, 
Stone Martens 450%, Sables 400%, Japanese Mink 500%, 
Japanese Marten 1,000%, Japanese Fox 500%, Chinese 
Weasels 500%, Australian Opossum 1,200%, Kangaroos 
1,200%, Native Cats 1,200%, Wallabies 1,600%, and 
Wombats 600%. 

The following table shows the number of skins shipped 
from Alaska during the year 1913 and the prices at which 
they were billed to the consignees: 


PRICES. 69 


Average Total 


Species Number Value Value 
Bear, black .............. 698 $ 7.50 $ 5,212.50 
Bear, brown ............ 19 9.00 171.00 
Bear, glacier ............ a) 15.00 75.00 
Bear, polar ...... eee 9 40.00 360.00 
Beaver seca ayteciataaes 89 10.00 890.00 
Brin? casaanacienye tacks 7,957 1.36 10,821.52 
Fox, black .............. 3 600.00 1,800.00 
Roxy: DMG acs dates aeexs 502 45.00 22,590.00 
Fox, blue, Pribilof Islands 384 56.53 21,708.48 
Fox, cross .............. 603 17.00 10,251.00 
POX; Td ode an vgeacdecs 8,018 8.50 68,153.00 
Fox, silver gray.......... 142 250.00 35,500.00 
Fox, white .............. 3.108 12.50 38,850.00 
Fox, white, Pribilof Islands 29 17.29 501.43 
Hare, Arctic ............ 55 40 22.00 
DVR ax cise diay Ss 2,720 21.50 58,480.00 
Marten ................. 12,999 12.50 162,487.50 
Mink’ 6.5 ieee tia bie iee 31,363 4.50 141,133.50 
Muskrat. <o.05 ce+ssaecdas 123,925 .40 49,570.00 
Otter, land .............. 1,480 14.00 20,720.00 
Otter, Sea csi svaviewew sen 1 200.00 200.00 
Reindeer, fawn .......... 4 1.00 4.00 
eal Mr! cease Panels 3,764 37.50 141,290.32 
Seal, hair ............... 333 1.50 499.50 
Squirvel +6 sewsas epee swat 611 .08 48.88 
Wolf ca sdaaeieaee eas 103 9.00 927.00 
Wolverine .............. 189 10.00 1,890.00 

MOtal; eis kcsnanlnk emanate eared tinea y $794,156.63 
TARIFF. 


Long before General Hancock said, ‘‘The tariff is a 
local issue,’’ John Jacob Astor proved by the representa- 
tions he made to the government on two different occasions 
that what the American business man really wants is pro- 
tection for the product he is selling, and an open market 
for the goods he is compelled to buy. In 1807, when he felt 
that the Mackinaw Company and other competing traders 
were interfering with the profits of his business, Mr. Astor 


70 TARIFF. 


asked the government to aid and protect him in a scheme 
that would secure to him a virtual monopoly of the fur 
trade of America. In 1829 he addressed the following letter 
to Senator Bentley with reference to duties imposed on ar- 
ticles that he traded to the Indians: ‘‘It is known that none 
of the woolen goods fit for the Indian trade such as Indian 
blankets, strouds, and cloths of particular descriptions are 
as yet manufactured in this country. We are therefore 
obliged to import them from England, and it so happens 
that those are just the articles paying the heaviest duty. 
The English traders have theirs free of duty which enables 
them to bring their goods sixty per cent and over cheaper 
than we pay, and they are thereby enabled to undersell 
us. Their furs and skins cost them a little more than half 
what we have to pay for ours, but this is not all. They 
are by these same means enabled to sell their furs here 
in New York, and actually do come and undersell the 
American traders. It is unaccountable that they should 
be permitted to bring their furs here free of duty, while 
we if we send any to the British Dominion are obliged to 
pay fifteen per cent duty.’’ 


If the duty could have been taken off the woolen goods 
and put on the furs Mr. Astor probably would have been 
satisfied ; but how about the other fellow ? 


The reader doubtless smiles at Mr. Astor’s inconsistency, 
entirely oblivious of the fact that history repeats itself and 
that we of today, sub-consciously perhaps, take the same 
position. The furrier who worked to keep the duty at from 
fifteen to fifty per cent. on manufactured furs cannot un- 
derstand why the government compells him to ‘‘pay trib- 
ute’’ to the sugar trust by keeping a tariff on that product 
for the next three years; and the man who feels that he has 
been unfairly dealt with because the duty on wool was 
reduced insists that he ought to have the right to buy his 
furs where he can get them the cheapest. From all -this 
it seems as if the tariff is not even a local issue but simply 
a question of individual profits, and that men uphold or 
condemn the tariff legislation which from time to time 


disturbs the commercial interests of the country according 
to its effect on their personal interests. 


TARIFF, 71 


The Tariff Act passed by the United States Congress 
October 3, 1913, provides that raw skins shall be admitted 
duty free, but that ‘‘furs dressed on the skin, not advanced 
further than dyeing, shall be taxed 30 per centum ad val- 
orem; plates and mats of dog and goat skins, 10 per centum 
ad valorem; manufactures of furs, further advanced than 
dressing and dyeing, when prepared for use as material, 
joined or sewed together, including plates, linings, and 
crosses, except plates and mats of dog and goat skins, and 
articles manufactured from fur not specially provided for 
in this section, 40 per centum ad valorem; articles of 
wearing apparel of every description partly or wholly 
manufactured, composed of, or of which hides or skins of 
cattle of the bovine species, or of the dog or goat, are the 
component material of chief value, 15 per centum ad valor- 
em; articles of wearing apparel of every description partly 
or wholly manufactured, composed of or of which fur is 
the component material of chief value, not specially provid- 
ed for in this section, 50 per centum ad valorem; furs not on 
the skin prepared for hatters’ use, including fur skins 
earroted, 15 per centum ad valorem.’’ 


Because there is no duty collected by the British Gov- 
ernment on dressed skins or manufactured furs shipped 
into England, the impression is rather general that the 
Canadian furriers are not obliged to pay a tax on the 
dressed skins and furs imported by them from the Mother 
Country. As a matter of fact the Canadian Government 
imposes a duty of twenty-five per cent. on all manufactured 
furs, and seventeen and one-half per cent on all dressed 
skins brought into the Dominion from other parts of the 
British Empire. The tax on dressed skins shipped into 
Canada from foreign countries is twenty per cent, and on 
manufactured furs it is thirty per cent. Raw skins are 
admitted free. Germany, like England, admits manufac- 
tured furs, and dressed as well as raw skins duty free, 
but France and Russia now impose a tariff on dressed 
skins and manufactured furs. 


72 ' Imports, Exports aNp REsrrictions. 


IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. 


The total value of the dressed skins and manufactures 
thereof shipped into the United States from foreign ports 
during the calendar year 1912 was $7,973.480, and the 
value of the raw skins imported that year was $17,708.663. 
The receipts from Germany, were valued at $8,863,991; 
from England, at $4,652,687; from France, at $3,617,752; 
from Belgium, at $2,486,246; and those from all other 
countries at $6,051,358. 

The value of the domestic furs and skins exported dur- 
ing the same year was $16,297,938; fifty per cent of the 
total going to England and her possessions, forty per cent 
to Germany, and ten per cent to various other countries. 


RESTRICTIONS. 


Full particulars as to the restrictions placed upon the 
slaughter of fur seals, and the introduction of fur seal 
skins and garments into the United States from foreign 
parts, appear in the chapter on Fur Seals. The govern- 
ment also regulates the killing of arctic foxes on the 
Islands in the Bering Sea, and from time to time has 
established closed seasons for the protection of the beaver 
and other animals to secure the conservation of some of 
the valuable North American fur producers; and a num- 
ber of states have established closed seasons for different 
animals. 

The Russian government has recently declared a closed 
season for Sables in’ Siberia, the Chinchilla is being 
protected in Bolivia, and restrictions have been placed 
upon the slaughter of Sea Otters, and various other valu- 
able fur producers in different parts of the world that 
have been decreasing in numbers because of a steadily 
increasing demand for their skins. On the other hand 
the restrictions placed upon the killing of a number of 
other animals have been removed because of the rapidity 
with which the species have increased under a protective 
policy. 

The Canadian authorities were among the first to estab- 
lish closed seasons for the conservation of fur bearing 
animals that were threatened with extermination, and 
Otter, Beaver, Fisher, Sable and Mink can only be taken 
at certain seasons in most of the provinces of Canada. 


CLosep SEASONS. 73 


In Alaska south of 62° north latitude the Brown Bear 
can be hunted only from October 1 to June 30. 

In Iowa the open season for Beaver, Otter, Mink and 
Muskrats is from November 1 to April 30. In Kentucky 
the closed season for Otter, Beaver, Mink and Raccoon 
is from March 1 to November 15. 

In Maine, Mink, Sable and Fischer can be taken from 
October 15 to April 30, but Muskrats are protected until 
December 1. 

The open season in Michigan for Otter, Fisher and 
Sable is from April 30 to November 15, and for Mink, 
Raccoon, Skunk and Muskrat from September 1 to Novem- 
ber 1. 

In Minnesota, Mink and Beaver can be taken only from 
November 15 to April 15. 

The closed season for Bear in Mississippi is from No- 
vember 15 to March 1. 

The catching or killing of Beaver and Otter is pro- 
hibited in Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Utah and 
Vermont. 

Sable, Fisher and Otter can be hunted in New Hamp- 
shire from October 15 to March 31. : 

No one is allowed to kill or capture Beaver in New 
York state, and Mink, Skunk and Muskrats can be taken 
in that state only from October 15 to April 30. 

Pennsylvania has a closed season for Bears from 
March 1 to October 1, and protects the Beaver at all 
seasons. 

In Wisconsin the closed season for Otter is from Feb- 
ruary 15 to March 1; for Fisher, Sable and Mink from 
March 1 to November 1; and for Beaver from May 1 


Fur TRADERS LEXICON. 


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MOUIUIOD-38) 
xad'T-78) 
xud'] epeury, 
Aiepeuloig- 
UBLleyoBg-[awueg 
FIO 
TeqRTR) « 
yeO USN » 
yong wing, 
ore yng » 
oreygng 
HOT FOOT » 
Treypeorg 
ZUBMYIS}LII y 
ovqog 
yoqsse[aq 
TIWVA PR 
sod PR 
yey ieaveg 


HSTIONG 


Fur Travers LExIcon. 


76 


a8113 -l19ultID 
seiopeid sel ep 0qo'] 


(y8ta09) ofetop 
(t1pafod) O1}0g 


1780) 
oliquios opiedoe'T 


BULYD Op 0FeH 
BI[VS[R ap OFEH) 
1opezeo opiedoey 
914891104 B[[IPIV 


auoy[TOUyD 
‘ | 


‘eyTaary 
‘ByTOUO 

o1Bau VyTpoTsoLy, 
eznuley 


913T} OFED 
oyey 
eiajued oyep) 


' souT]-0FBH 
opredog] 0784 


HSINVdG 


LOUIS NVI 


S113 -LoWMUN Sy 


JlOM-atTeIg dnoy 
(eung weIpeusy) 
(10jog efoy_ pet pues paresys fu09) 
(predooT oyeyiuy 0} pexieur £u0p) 
(atuey) BaqoutUe yy surdery 
(aaTqog) WOT ureynog 
(Aayuoyy 929) 
requeseN Tye09, 
reyjuedjaqeN xhe[nqeu predoeT 
(qunyg podrig e141) 
aZYEYJOCLZ, SYsTsoUrY aUTYD, P 9942ATO 
OZzyeHIOUlZ 2342410 
: predoapser pzedeny 
waqouLoypagy 9110} Op [nein] 
(epprqpuryg eyeqTUI 07 peT}jow syowg yersnbs) 
(rye) 
(perreqad sulyg 780 asoutyD) 
(Soq 10 7209 pes) 
suoT[ MAYO emoT[IaaIyO 
(epmouryg every 0} pekq sferimbg e107M) 
arTTWOUTYO preyseg eyed BL Op a qeurIO, 
eqrqouryy aTTqoUrYyH 
esueduiyog - 9azuedmiyp 
asuley sroureyq) 
(ammkseq) 

azqey yedpirqs yeqo 
OZYBYIOSLL, aa8ty yeqO 
ezyeyrod fr) yeuo 
azyeyIaqyue arajued yeqO 
ozjyeysvdueg yeqo 
azyeyUoWoyoR yeqo 
ezyeysTou'y IatAI9d-JeqO, 
azyey uopredoayT paedosy yeqO 

NVWYED HONTY,T 


OMIUIIO, 
ajoL09 
Tensnop, 
ajou-AW0D, 
pivdos-Am0py 
(j1qqeg) At0D 
(Au0g) 190 
snqo[op 
Tyo) 
paedoary pepno[p 
F8D PATO 
asoulyo- 
WedTIFV-}AIO 
(qeyoqQ) FeTyO 
uvaomy-yanudryy 
BlOuIy + 
UaJIBI 2U0IG OSoTIYH » 
TOPNOP, Ssoulyy) x 
xuAd'y osouly oy 
samoT[TqoulgD, 
Jaratnbg elITPaTYO 
spieyseg-eTtqouryo, 
eByryoury, 
aazueduitrgg 
stoueyy 
YEO OATEN 
[L948 eSTOq10,7,- 
IOST- 
fqqe.- 
reyyaed- 
sedueg- 
Per} OW 
xadrq- 
pavdoay-78) - 


HSTIONG 


17 


Fur Travers Lexicon. 


oaueyq 1djo, 
opeezerd tdpo~ 
orqna 1djoa 
Biopeid jap tdjo,. 
SLLd Idjo~ 

unuroo tdjo,. 

2n.419 td[oA. 


ordou tdjoa 
[nze tdjo,. 
(tdjoa) o1207, 


ajozzng 
BIW op sfozzng 


mouny 


eid 

(qaypeusg ) ourury 
ayuy 

mOITy 

BLOW LBUI-1UeD 
094U0UI-IaB) 


(10e%Q) o11ag 


O1IZIWITS 1OPSY 
UNUIOD OALOID 
ouley 

(tar9Q) opema, 


HSINVdg 


syonsielog duelq prvusy SHUM 10 IB[0g- 
syonzlaqitg Tjuasie prvuay TIATIG- 
syony}oy asnol preusy pey- 
Syn ered preuey wy- 
sqonjsiy sls preusy Aaip- 
SYN Laureuey UNUIUIOD prea uouIULoZ- 
syonjznary X01) preuey ss01Q- 
(xOW WT O1eIsy ) aBss0-)- 
STU] eZIBAYIE 1100 pavuay yoveq- 
syonynelg anyq preusy SUE, 10 OTJIIY-XOT 
asqongy spieuay Saxo, 
(pezods pue pafq Au0g) paedoay [eogq, 
SII slong PWT 
STU] OYSTULSIT A mead raysh 
(essoy) auessoy 
(jourepy pod HarW) XO VPMOold 
(#7017) wayqo401,7 pomnyy yo119, 
(xog HY WeTIzV) aoa 
ei ky eidkgy eh 
uIpawIey Eliqurmcyag eulmlIg 
(satqueTy) We Uela IG 
(sazeryosueqerg) yortg toy asnourlog 
(aooqeg) AayuoW paoej-30q 
PUNQPIEM aseanes wary) PIEM-Z0q 
punywor9AtA a}JOWLIVU WAIYD wooosey-30q 
apuny suatyy dtysem0g-soq 
(80d PEA Teipexysny) osutq 
sneUlpassnyy meuseg ueuseq 
GositH [Pa aaney o}0g bey- 
qosirqareq, mred MOTTeT- 
(qay) qosiry (s[mmeraeyp) wmreq 130] 
Japrewyeyneg (eeaysny Jo 489 peyodg) eindseq 
(uetsi9g peoqurg) epeueq 
(sajaurereg) _ 4yasteq 
NVWUGH HONGUT HSTIONG 


Fur Travers LExIcon. 


78 


unUOd BiqeDg 
TUIYO ep BIRD 


adalz auteuey 
aselz syoStsautyy 


unuIULOd on0g 
auly,) ep onog 


ITUIYSe yy BIqQeo as olZIIULYSe 3s] alouysBd ONOg 

BIqey asoz-deyy deo onog 

LIOSUB BIGVO asaIzeB.losuy Blosue mn0g 

(ade) eiqey WasolZ (araeyg) onog 
(Aaymopy 99g) 

nuy nuy nuy 

(1g0}j0T4) WosBIy, SSBIF[OTA momol[y 

woqt) moqqt) uoqaqrp 

Byouly 9%] B¥19}SAL a}jouax) 

Blavey) aT[ezex) aT[azexy 

inex ney mney 

jedey yedey pecey 


(pekq yeop werraqtg) 
(a0[o9 [weg padq pue paddy Auo0p) 
(FIOM Pek 10 48D PIE) 
(pexrep, pue pedq sarey) 
(qstiesseg ) 
(anuwta'T ) 

(jet1tnbg Suté[,q Loz osoutyy ) 
(LOpOD eToW pedcl xo poy) 
(oRI_ eyoutg pod xo poy) 

(oq woos08yY) 

(40109 a[qug pakq xo pey) 
(SUB OOM WHIM pozarog puv pekq xog pou) 
(INO WOTTON YIM qurery puepasy) 
(dojog ousedueyy pozaLy XOT OFT A ) 
(ontg pedq xo o3TY MA ) 

(soe podAq xoq poy) 

(OFM 4997 SALT, WITH pod Xo OFT AA ) 

(Soq woos0e yy) 


(Tesoe ¢ yoeg Wer) 
(S0q Ss, erezy) 


- HSINVdg NVWway HONTaT 


wourW0g- 
euryy)- 
alaulyseg- 
edep- 
Blosuy- 

$}B0x) 

BzaIany) 

nuy 

077019 

uoqqrp 

youtay) 

aT[ezexy 

ney 

jedey 

FIOM YOUSLT » 


[vag youet yy 
xud] youel yz, 


paedoay youaty y 
Wood0ey X07, 
AoyMoy, posou-xoy y 
Td VW» 
odney,: 
BAUS s- 
898s: 
TITS x 
peyatod.- 
puelaey.- 
ausedurryy.- 
OFM OUTA ».- 
eySeLV WPL 
aUaSLY ,- 
uedep,- 
adey,,- 
seduvg ,-XO7 


HSTIONG 


79 


Fur Travers Lexicon. 


nofeyury 


eB[BOyT 


niesuey 


Ipmorense x 
rense rp 
(tfeoetg) TeoeyD 


wounaudy 
aotG] 
Buel 


(1adaT) eaqerT 
1oysueyy 
aqo0, 
oyeueny 
WOSTIN) 

aqqary 
eT[T10N) 
STULO@x) 


Taryeqr 
BIEL] op Biqgeg 
aorqy 


HSINVd§ 


TEQTOMOTM 
T2991Z 
JopNoquereg 
a}yelpaynag 
UL0yotepayneg 
yond oe sy 


(xo,q 10j asounde) 
(xad7q dureag) 
(Soq woodey vag) 


Ipuorense x 
1BNnse 


exeyog 


(qurpy osauede p ) 


a}yeisuoerley 
yPoqureys 
auedyy 


(1eB1], LOF WeaI0D ) 


(xO, LoF osautyp) 
(umoig [veg padp pure asofa porvays ‘pexonjd—ye1ysny_) 


uaseyy 

Jajsuey 
apunyeeg 
ooemens) 

Wostiy 

reqiiy 

BITTON 

dap uoyMEyVg 


(qunwdryy oryersy ) 


asoIzOqLy 


adaiz ayostjosuoyw 
aSarz ayostueal[eyy 
yooqurays 


NVWUED) 


noleyury 


BleOyy 


oOOINS UBT 


Ipuorensee 
renser 


yeoeqp 


doumneuyoy 
urjyenbnog 
auod 


aIAaTT 
Ja}sue 
senboyg 
oyeueny 
WostTIty 
aqery 
BI[I10H 
ergney 


suualjos uo 


waryey], p on0g 
urjenbnog 


HONG 


uofeyaryy 

PIM 

BlBOyy 

yey-0o1Vsue yy 

[otnnbg-oores ue yy 

Oo1Bsuey] 

NUIZIIDT 

yen asune,, 

xout osouvdes', 

Tpuorenser 

rensep 

Teyoer 

18}@48T 

uouIneuyaT 

xoq] 

uMmoig-eued 

weingy 

TNA 10 TAF 

[veg tospny,, 

soley 

Jaisue yy 

[eesirey 

oovuEny 

mOstiny 

aqeiny 

BIO 

reydoy 

[etamnbg uapjoy, 
PQhL- 
werssnyy- 


aieyunoyy Ax0037- 


ueI[osuOPL- 
uereqy- 
XOQT-7805) 


HSTIONG 


Fur Trapers Lexicon. 


80 


BOULLe 


UnUldd ddUITT 
[eoered aourry 
oyes goury 

aoury 

eoury 

(moj guy) eurery 
woo 

sueivy 


oliqtuos opsedoarT 
opredoary 


Inuie'y 
BZanION 9p oN, 


(qjouBy) o1ep109 
TySUTT[OD 


HSINVdg 


(pediyg pue padq sjowsreyy) 


([euiny_) reTypouLINL 0}, OWLIE YL 
Toy PEUEpIog 
(yeQ tog asautyy) 
aPFV-Walyow 
(198 peg 10j osauvdey’) 
(assey) 
(78D PIEM UWeotraury ) 
syou[[apied 
san] Leuteuer) ayoqonow xudry 
SyON[UIIsSN A [eoere;,) 
wazyeysyou'y] JaTALao yeyO, 
sqony] Jetateo dnoy 
asyan'y xuAT 
(aognoy,) eureyT uopnoyy 
aMgT aory 
aZzpBYYra[S suvsuvy 
(eung uBdixay{) 
(ao0nQ) 
(qq) 
dayjuedlaqan xnapnqeu predooy 
uapiedoey spivdoary 
(FIO.AA eseUrYO ) 
(uinssodg seqaten) 
(Z0q oF sseutyy) 
(FIOM eseueder) 
ayeqrey Peleanicla | 
(snewqoljeg) sutumuary sua] 
(19ST, 1oJ esautyy ) 
Cerrqouryy eag) 
au] ness y 
(1eag 10F ssouvdus): 
(depivwineay) Ieplewpiq Aysuy[oo 


(ejour padp ‘pereays ‘payontd yerysnyy) 


NVWWED HONTUT 


ULL JOULLL AL 

youLEy, 

pasowmIey 

oe 

Aaqesaryy 

Tureyl 

[aseaMA BodRl[VPL 

yeQ xuA'T 
aulpleg- 
uvadoing- 
[eoereg- 
keg- 
uvolLieury- 

sexud'y 

BURL’ 

wmory 

Suesury 

moar] 

Moug- 
sarjony- 

pepno[p-paedoary 

spaedoay 

Su07T eT 

nsnyy 

uty 

wu euler 

anute'T 

Ssuimua'y 

Up] UB] LO Ny OBT 

stposieT 

squrery 

BUN yy 

Aysuyoy 

SSBIFWS x 


HSITONG 


81 


Fur Travers Lexicon. 


BISV op Vln 
epeuey op vIdajNnN 
anw0d BI1yn Ny 


el[eljsny op ssodo 
Bolieury ep ssodQ 
8301990 

(ndtoa Jap Jatq) ndrop 


(yeTqasnyy o}7eyY) eropzrMTy 
yerqosnu Aang 
eysosuvyy 
(maI[yNp_) 0081194 
ov 

OpBulvous OUOPL 
BoLIFV ep ou 
niepuey 

-Ou0W 

soyoejsnu ouOWy 
epiea OMOPL 

Sls OUO;, 

[nze ouoyL 

o1gau OMOPL 
(aTurtag) omOW 


(idjey,) odo, 
(tuost, ) Tost, 
eulog 

a10J1B AL 
eel 


HSINVdg 


io}jopepseg 
19}}Q Joyastpeuey 
Jejopuery 


BISV, P aljnory 


enbireuly, p eryno0rT 


sfed op o1jno'T 


(qojop Yunyg pedq wnssodg) 


nsnysyony el[e1jsny ep unssodg 
a3} B1a[JNEg UleolIeury wnssodg 
40[2ZQ 40[900 
(Ba1q0N) JeqIq-Fremqog Urpuosyeyq 
(489 103 dsounder) 
(10109 [vag ped pue esol parvayg Au09) 
(aimseq) 
aqyeiuestg, enbsnuryey 
(s0Tjsurestg) asqoozeqog anbsnu yne0g 
aysnsunyy soodany, 
(arpnoyy) aopynyy SuTyO op Topnoyy 
rotyue[y Ureolieure WITeq 
eyeyoy asno1-asu1g 
ayeneseiyy -asuIg 
niepuem niapueA 
azyeyLeopl -esuIg 
ege-yreqimuyog ayaejsnoy esulg 
4i0a osuIg 
Stig osuIg 
BZa1aNy) neq esutg 
ayeapjieqog Itou estig 
waxy esulg 
(aumg saj¥1g U10489\\ ) 
(q4stresseq) 
(210 pedq pue pereayg Au09) 

Jinspasyy adney, 
(aZz1aN) ZION OSTA 
Japreuluieyg eumog 
(seprvwfepm) lepreumeg assnig ep al}1eyy 
Japleyy a1}1B Pl 

NVWUGD HONG 


oryelsy- 
UBdTIOMy- 
WOULUI0Z)-819}40 
yunyg-unssodo, 
Uel[elysny- 
umssodg 
401290 
BLIgn Ny 
OFON 
[829 T8ON, 
FeO CATION « 
yelysn yy 
XO ASIA 
esoosanyy 
wopNoyy 
asooyy 
beu- 
welurissiqy- 
oorepue M- 
qOA19 A - 
aye snop- 
“MeaE- 
La19- 
entd- 
Wel q-séoquopy 
sfayuow 
aory ureyanoyy 
yeO UreyUNOPL , 
STOW « 
at0W 
SsyUryAL 
(em04g) yooog- 
(eurg) uneg- 
Toye 


HSTIONG 


Fur Travers Lexicon. 


82 


Bateqep 
Bpeuey a10}1e Yl 


(samuey.Ipitled) omey 
rey 


1y80:) 
assey 

BOULIBUL TURD 
(yBru0p) ofeuop 
eund 

BOULIV I 
(1ape[od) o1}0g 
089A. 


dasuvreyd 

IST} OS9 A 

Bisdag Ip luedBISYy 
go[auUeled 
aINXOPBIE 
eiojueg 

epueg 


Bunge gd 
Aang 
BZUO 


UvyN-SUBIO 


HSINVdg 


[eqoz leyostueyLIoWy 


(Aqsutfoyy aeg) 

12q0Z oUTT[PqIZ, 
Vpvusy ap eWefl 
(pedq Soq welreqig) 

(yoerg pedq ereH) 


(pavdoay oy] payrey pue pes o1vy) 


(qUIWT ORT pedtiig yerysny ) 


(raSurpeyd 8, [OD pure ystresseg 0} parpldy) 


JaryuMey auuay 
[278a [evey 
(BIN a9) 
(eddnyag) reqyose mw $9} OWE YL 
assey essey 
PUNYWITLIOATA a}oULeU WatYyD 
(utueyy) TeypUTUSyT utdey 
IBNBUST euing 
punyeterig UBdTIOUTY 9} OULIV IT 
paagduestsity ulepnog 
stl stoyng 
oat}faqeaypag sBiyepuo 
nsny, Iasusleyd 
St[Ladly, aIPVUI-StojNd 
IoUVIsIag (ouueisieg) WeoRIsSy 
speplayneg sopaUelE gd 
Id] [OIMAW[ Bq eINxopRied 
royyueg a1oqyued 
requez}ey epueg 
(aanxopeieg) 
(so8peg Suryuryg esenrqy) 
eunseg Bust 
(ooreSuvy pelpiig) 
890 ynoog 
stqi] 9000 
ui -suvI9 3ue}9-Suvio 
NVWUap HONGUT 


IVyey- 
UBIssny-9[qVg 
seg &, wospny-9[qeg 
FIOM WBISSNY x 
xud'T uvissny, 
paedoey uvissny, 
UTA JOATH x 
— [reysury 
IgIpuley 
13388 
ndfog yey 
mooosey 
assey 
B0q wooey 
uetssny-Au0g 
eundg 
S0q otmtelg 
(3109) Aaog 
yeoapog 
snq4yelg 
ilasueleyd 
AyspIAle gq 
quie'y uetsi9g 
so[aUere g 
snxopeied 
(eung) raqyaeg 
epueg 
ye Wed 
Tuayed 
eunsedg 
aopew Apped 
xO 
a0unO 
3usjno-suvig 


HSITONG 


83 


For Travers Lexicon. 


ofa) 
oululiy 


(ofea) elipiy 


yooqsutidsy 
O[8HD 


AAS 


B]AAld 07H) 

(qunqg) eeFoW 
orauIeD 

Opeisaye 078 
ByyeryosureD 914;N0'T 


B07 


HSINVd§ 


[asetz 1euteutery yIsng 
UI[aUL1e (qoTasoy) aurutie}] 
(pediyg pues uMoig padq jeriimbg) 
(qunwdryD onersy ) 
(BiLLYoUTYD eyezrwT 0} pe&q [ersinbg) 


(Ye) BoyuLeqqorA SIs Jad 
(squnuidryp ) 
(sottqdousedg) 
meyouLoYysnyy] 
yooqsutidg WIep IT}10g 
[osotzuapredoey YUSUg 
(eLynN [e1n}eN ) 
AUS yullg xnvousy 


(aojoo yunys pak woodsey) 
(uooad¥y FO SUOT}EIIUIT SNOTIEA ) 
(a10]Jo9 YunyG pakq Woodsoey) 
(10JoD YunYG pekq wnssodgQ) 


azyeyeidry 9}}J0ATO FVYD 
yaNyS qanys 
Feqog moynNoyy 
azyeyIesty, a18t} yeyO 
1a}}000g BY} CYOWVyY op e1jno0'T 
(19340 89g IOF asauIYyD) 
(Soq woos") 


(40[09 [vag pedq pue pareays ‘payon,g jerysnY) 


(10jop Jeag pedq pus peddi[y ‘pexyontg Au0p) 
(a0fop Teeg ped puv payonid viInN) 
apunysssiveyy ULIGUI 189A 

waMOTIeW : 
epunyeesz[ag ute dnory 
(speag Itey peared) 
(speag 118) 
(speeg 10,7) 
(eon dIJsoMMOC 10F ssoutyy) 


NYWuay HONGUT 


AusNg 

481g 

a[qvs-farimbe, 

wapjoy-ezatnbg,, 

BTPouyO-jexummbs, 
aoL]- 
yooy- 
punorpy- 

Sutd,q-spaiimby 

yoog suudg 

atrqdousedg 

IoAveg UBIeULy YINog, 

queT AAS 

woooey HUNG, 

woooey WeLIEqIg, 

uoovsey yuUNAG, 

unssodg yunyg, 

padrayg e1340T- 

yunyg 

dsayqg 

yeareg 

13110 B98 

ayaeipeeg 

XO, BOQ, 

wospuyy- de 

youal,gq- Pi 

IP -129Sy 

(any) s[eeg 

(ang -pereq) speeg 

(ayeH-pereg) s[eeg 

suory Bag 

sdoq veg 

siveg Bag 

suex ues 


HSTIONG 


Four TRADERS LEXICON. 


84 


SI[LOZ 
B1q90 


qeR 


eoLemy ep epuwis Boule 
ouLOTODSB,T 


(TMOyJOIYO) BUETEA[OA 
(1dwJ) 0go'T 
efoipemop 

epeuey [ep oArtetp 
O019TTe MA 

Aqerre 

BYyoVostA 

eunolA 


al8hL 1 
TuatyoqtL 


eikeL 


ide, 


HSINVdG 


qunysdeyy ‘el[L107Z, 
BlgeZ, a1qe7Z, 
(qep yaatO 40g oseuTy) 
woe yo@A 
qat}OULIN PL SOMSTULSITA ureotreury 94j0ULe TL 
YequLO AA yequaIo MW 
(ayoLop eeg) 
(edoing U10}8 eH qynog) 
(eisy pue edoing ‘aBoTeuy HON) 
(eoueLa) e 
(qoanL PUR BISsNY ) 
(qyI0N TET PUL BTAVUTPUBS) 
SSBaz[otA. mo} NOTH 
(uewseg UeIssny) 
FIOM dnoTy 
({UTAL 10 Testo M asoutyy) 
TesorM 9} PaA 
yosit}y{ Jeyostpenen Jiao oT 
OOLOTLEM OOIOTISM 
ynindgugy sereulely Aqei[e mM 
(eypeostg ) SNBUTTTOM ByoBostp 
euUundTA eusostA 
(wewanuyy 28) 
qeStL, o1SLL, 
yeahh ayos ToL 
(18340 10g eseutyD) 
(uae sound f) 
(seBpeg BIPUL) 
(sy¥O PIEAA 10g eseutyy) 
eke, er he, 
FOM[ONOT 
eg09L 
itd, ade y, 
(moos0By 1OF esourdey’) 
(soS3pegq 10F esoutyy ) 
NVNUHD HONG 


BT[OZ 

B1qeZ 

os tA 

WA 

yPNTOpoo mM 

yequioM 
ourelg- 
snoa[ny- 
saquity, 10 £e1g- 
umoig- 
*orta- 

Oulqry “FIOM 

AUTIAA[OM 

joyonqo sn 

SOATO MA 

Suo'y OFM 

[OSBOM 

tHidem 

OOL2TTe MA 

Aquila a 

_ BYBOSTA 

(easnot,) VENTA 

IayoVLL, 

IOSTL, 

ahh 

euL 

way, 

npe[aL 

ovW FL 

Bike, 

FIOM TeIUVUIseL 

[rao BlueuseL 

dey, 

TynaeL 

any eS 


HSITONG 


85 


CLASSIFICATION. 


LL the individuals of any particular kind constitute a Species ; 

A closely allied species are assigned to a common Genus; nearly- 

related genera are considered as being of the same Family ; 

families having a general similarity in external appearance are treated 

as belonging to the same Order; orders that are alike in some impur- 

tant character are placed together in a Class; and, finally, the three 

classes of animals possessing a Vertebra are grouped in one Sub- 

Kingdom of the Animal Kingdom; the other sub-kingdom being com- 
posed of the seven classes of Invertebrates: 

Protoza—Cell organisms, such as microbes, parasites, etc. 

Celenterata—Sea Anemones, Medusas, Coral, Sponges, etc. 

Echinodermata—Sea Urchins, Sea Eggs. 

Vermes—Worms. : 

Molluscoidea—Brachiopods, like snails, etc. 

Mollusks—Bivalves—Oysters, Clams, ete. 

Aunthropoda—Insects, Spiders, Scorpions, and Crustaceans like 
Crabs, etc. This is the most advanced class of the Inver- 
tebrata, and the largest class in the Animal Kingdom, 
including over 200,000 species. 

All fur-bearing animals belong to the class Mammalia, of the sub- 
kingdom Vertebrata, which includes over 3,250 species, grouped under 
1,000 genera, into 150 families, and eleven orders. The following 
charts and tables show the proper grouping, and the relations and 
affinities each to each, of the different species, which come within 
the scope of this work. 


In the Classification Chart and Alphabetical List of Species the 
accepted technical designation of the type species alone is generally 
given, but in some cases the number of different varieties, or acknowl- 
edged sub-species, of the animal is indicated by. the figures in 
parenthesis. The alphabetical list gives the technical designation of 
each variety of the different species of the bear, so that the reader 
may understand the apparent confusion of terms, where one writer 
refers to the Grizzly as Ursus-horribilis, and another speaks of the 
varieties of that animal found in Alaska and Mexico as Ursus- 
alacensis and Ursus-horriaeus respectively. 


86 


CLASSIFICATION CHART. 


Sus-KINGDoM CLass ORDER 


Vertebrata 


{ Sauropsida—Birds and Reptiles. 
Iechthyopsida—Amphibians and Fish. 


hands. 


Hedgehog. 


other Vertebrates. 


Fissipedia. 
Mammalia 


nants. 


Cows. 


and Beavers. 


and Opossum. 


Echidnos. 


1. Primates—Man, and manlike mam- 
mals, such as apes, baboons, lemurs, 
monkeys, etc.; sometimes 
quadrumana, because of their ability 
to use both back and front feet as 


2. Chioptera—Mammals possessing the 
power of true flight—Bats. 

3. INsectTivora — Insect-eating mam- 
mals, like the Shrew, Mole, and 


4. CarNivorA—Mammals who subsist 

entirely, or in part, on the flesh of 
This order is 
divided into two sub-orders ; the 
fin-footed water carnivore, the seals 
and walruses, being known as Pin- 
nipedia; and the land carnivore as 


5. Uneutata—Hoofed mammals, nearly 
all of whom are herbivorous rumi- 


6. Sirenia—Purely aquatic mammals— 
Manatis, Dugongs, Northern Sea 


7. Cetacea—Fish-like formed mammals 
—Whales, Porpoises, and Dolphins. 
8. RopgentT1a—Mammals who gnaw their 
food; like Rats, Squirrels, Rabbits, 


9. Edentata—Mammals without front 
teeth, and in some cases entirely 
toothless; like Ant-Eaters, Sloths, 
Pangolins, and Armadillos. 

10. Marsupiatia — Pouched Mammals, 
Implacentals; like the Kangaroo 


11. Monotremata—Egg-laying Mammals, 
like the Australian Duckbill and 


87 


CLASSIFICATION CHART. 


IISUL 
[Balag 
sung 
aoung 
40[2290 
dueag- 
eulpied- 
uvedoiny uouut0;- 
epeuey 10 deg- 
uvdlleuly-xUATT 
worry 
woug- 
papno[p- 
pavdoay 
Tpuorenser 
Ienser 
uvedoing-pItM- 
IOSty- 
qayyueg- 
sedureg- 
apsunp- 
usplop- 
asnoy- 
atysaw0q- 
qaasaqq- 
ysng-s}ep 
papejoedg- 
qd0S- 
OUUM 10 Te[og- 
ung- 
uekeleullyy- 
Ay2z1y- 
mOWBUUID 10 UMOIg- 
Wovlgq-1vegq 


UNVN NOWWOD 


SLISIT-STAT 
[BALS-SI[9,T 
10[00100-S1[9,T 
BIOUn-slagq 
sl[epared-sipayg 

sneya- 

eutpaed- 

(sno1teA) xudq[- 

(snolva) Byni- 
(SnOldvA) SISMapVUvd-sT[aq 
O2[-SIfA,T 

eroun- 

(snolea) Bsornqou- 
(snoiea) snpred-stjaq 
Ipuorensed-stpayy 
B0U0-ST[A,T 

snyeo- 

satoeds snoriea- 

satoads snoriea- 

soteds snotea- 

satoads snotea- 

THYOUTUIUI4- 

BdT}SOULOP- 

BoT]SouMOp- 

sataeds snorea- 
satoads Snoriea-st[aq 
SN}BUI0-SNSI/) 
SNUISIN-SNSIN[I 

SNUITILIeU- 

snuedeyleu- 

snyenb10}4- 

(SnOlIvA) ST[IqII10q- 

(SNOlIvA) soqore- 
(SNOlIvA) ShUBdTIEWB-susI—_) 


salogag—saNnay 


(@pr1aq) 
yeQ 


(eptsig ) 
1v9gq 


ATINV A 


(erpadtsst,7) 
-BLOATULBD) 


Bricceet(@) 


CLASSIFICATION CHART. 


88 


eruodeyeg- 

uedep- 

UBdLIpy- 

TaquiLy- 

(ajokop) otaretg- 

aerpay- 
uvedoing-J[O 
Teyoer 

TepOg 10 9}1GM- 

LOATIS- 

pea- 

yET- 

A£aiy- 

SS01Q- 

WOULULOD)- 
dTpOIY 10 on[g-xo,T 

welleqis- 

wooooey- 

FIOM peuey- 

PLEA Gerpay- 

dt}souI0- 

osutq- 

S, BIBZY- 

dTpoIeJUV-30q 


essey 
oTVBISV- 

TBOTIFV-JOAlY Wleq 
ueiydksq-osoosuny 

peqyolg- 
wourut0)-jauan 
Ivosedepeyy Jo ouesso,y 

esaurgy- 
UBOLIyV-JOATH 


aNVN NOWWOD 


‘e[nsutued- 
xe[Aqdordq- 
SISUdUIs- 


SI[@juepro00-sndny- 


SURL}RI- 
sadiped- 


(snoriea) sndny-stuep 


SNOINB-SIUBD, 
sndosey- 
sna[ny- 
sna[nj- 
x0[0A- 
SNUBIULSITA- 
sna[nj- 
sod[na- 
sndose-stuey 
snatdye- 
saptouodsv01d- 
snyeqnt- 
sIsMeteddep- 

Stel TUrey- 
odutp- 
B1e2Z8- 

SNO1}1B}U8-SIUBO 


SISMODIB[VPY-BIIOATA_ 
snainxopeieg 
BYV{OUTG-BIUIpueN 
Townauyot-saysad19 fF] 
BULIST}- 
SIIVS[NA-B}JOUy) 
xolaz-e4001d0}d 419 
Byyoqiz- 
@4JOATO-BIIOATA 


SaI0gdg—SNNay 


(@prueg ) 
30q 


(@prts2ata ) 
qyeaty 


ATW, 


(erpedrsst,7) 
BLOATUIBD 


uadao 


89 


CLASSIFICATION CHART, 


(qooeg) euoyg- 

esouede p- 

uerpuy- 

(aug) wneg- 
(a1948g “g "H]) TeatieUIy-ueye PL 
a[qeg ize, 10 AYsSUI[Oy 


wostin, 

PT 10 WIT 

rOysl iy 

4e119,7 

our 
pete oq M- 
(S0H-) pueg- 
uelsiag- 
uekeley- 
asouvder- 


(jeyey) Aouoy- 

(aevadoing) womutop- 

(qoorq) esouryD- 
Uvolleury -Jaspeg 


SUI} Bd-qBIN-WoOdDBy 
woos2ey 

epueg 

(eindnp) nofeyary 
817800, 

ystiesseg 


pedrijg- 
peyodg- 
uMOoIg-euaeA FT 


F[OM-PIBy 
aAVN NOWWOD 


(g¢) 


anouy 


BUutox- 
sndouvjeur- 
Blnstaey- 
§a}12UI- 
BUBIIIOWMV-VlISNPL 
BOLIIQIS-Bla}snyy 


ByeyTA-StpOTTVH 
-sniiojnd-vjaysnyl 
tjueuued-elajsnpy 

LOINJ-snt1ojnd-vpoqsnyL 
BOULULL9-B[9ISN 


SNININ-S9[9PL 
STIB[[00-xAMOPIV 
SU9ds9UBd-B9[OPL 
sdaoram-snepspy 
BUINIVUB- 10 BUINAUL-se[a 
[9}21-B1OATT[aPL 

SNX®}- 
snqoucyi0jde[-sapayy 
VUIIOUIV-BOPIXB], 


SNOLOATIOUBI-WOADOIG 
1040]-aosd01g 
suas[Nj-sninpey 
BN[NATOATpNned-sa}daroo1ap 
eyni- pue voIseu-enseNy 
21N\sv-slleseg 


ByeLIIS- 
e4nd010- 

vouuniq-euwd Fy 

8N4BISTIO-SO[9}OIg 


salodag—sanay 


@UTIGAJOM—9Q yy 
Jespegq—s¢ ” 
13}}0—>b r? 
yeva[0d—€ 55 
TeSBOaM—Zs __ 5» 

moze W—T dnory 

(@prtayenyy) 

[9889 


(#ptuosd01g ) 
m00d0B yy 


(a@ptuedq) 
suaky 


(@prepeyorg) 
AUNV, 


(erpedisst.7) 
BIOATUIBO 


aqauo 


CLASSIFICATION CHART. 


90 


” ”) BILOPTA 
yo» puelyys 
” Ae J ” maqqoy 
»» 9) PUB[ST Sogo] 
[eeg In asouede rp 
yy 97 PURIST saddog 
on 5G u1oy eden 
ae ”? edeg 


Teag int BYSeLy 


(moz4nTH) aUTTaATOM 
UBdTAFY FINOG-[9sva 


aseo, 
BI kB I, 


(TasBveM 1a}veId) 32039 
(qoevq oj1yM) “IeUry “g- 
({re} Suol) weorxepy- 
podriyg e1}3FT- 
yqanys 
19440 898 
uetssny- 
eg 8, wospny-alqeg 
(uetssny) weLLaqig-je0a[0g 
AYSPMIOg 
(avedoing) wouui09- 
uRlpizerg- 
UvITIIWY-19}}0 
ueissny- 
asourder- 
uvedoing- 
asauryy- 
WedWewy-HUIPL 


ENVN NOWWOD 


(1) 


anouy 


SNUISIN-SNULYyLO[[eD 
slerjsne-snpeqdeoyo1y 
SNUISIN-SNUIYLO[[e) 
SOIPULly[eZ-sN[eydaoopo1IV 
SNUISIN-SNUIGIO[[eD 
SNUISIN-SNUIYIOT[eD 
SnoIpueylez-snpeydaoopory 
eisnd-snpeqdaoo0jo1y 
SNUISIN-SNUIYIO][VD 


snosny-o[Ny) 
BIINUIG[V-s[VsO[LOMq 
SLIBS[NA-BlaSN 
BleqIVq-StpoI[ Vy) 
(SnolivaA) BaUTULIa-BloJSsn]Y 
optundeur-snyedan0g 
BINIIVUIL-V[9SNJ 
sntioynd- 

vorytydeur-styrqdoyy 
SIIYN[-XVIOT 

‘BaTy[eqtz- 
SNUBITLIOULB-v[9ISNPL 
TUMVUISIIAI-B[9ISNJY 
SNOI}VULIVS-SNtI0jNg 

(SNOTIBA) STIVS[NA- 
SISUOT[IZBIq- 

(SnolivA) SISMapRaLd-VIQNT 

Bloat}ny- 

1S}U}I- 

e[0or}N[- 

TuUvULdsajs- 
TWOSTA-BlOISNYPL 


salogag—sangy 


(@ptl1e1O 
-euroqdoorsy, ) 
Iveg Bag 


(@prfoysnyq) 
[esvam 


AINA 


(etpedruutg) 
BIOAIUIBD 


(erpedrsstq) 
BIOAIUIED 


ugaduoO 


91 


CLASSIFICATION CHART. 


MOTTO A- 

etammbg- 

—  surdyy ‘yeory- 
(‘ssodg ‘ysny) wowuo0p-r1esueleqq 
unssodg parte, Sury 
snosng 


(1veg UelTVrjsny) eBoy 


[tA0q 10 J[OMA UBIUBWUSB I, 
[rey-poqjodg- 
wourur0)-sindseq 


yooorpueg 


uvadoing- 
Wesley -e[0AL 


uvauaifg- 
ueuIseq 


8, 1TSPPAM 
pesary 
predoay 
Aain 
pue[uaeiy 


vd +x 

vy a? 

+? SI 

” ? 

”) 27 

2) a? 

at ” 
[eeg IteyT mOUUIOD 
eluoseyeg 

” uP 8, ra{ooH 

9? 2% W194}10 N 

oF ”? WeIUIOFI[VS) 
[eeguey UeTTerysny 


aNVN NOWWOO 


my a? 


queqdalq. 
peysaiQ © 


SI[Bijsne-snineypg 
snoiNtos-snineyag 
SUB[OA-SEPlOINVIg 
e[noed[na-sninsoyotLy, 
Ty000-BsLduR[eyg 
snje[novul-eysisueleyg 


sneiauto-snyorepoosey 


snpeqdaooudo-snuroe[ Aq, 
snye[noeul- 
SNUTII9ATA-sninkseg 


-sopoueleg 


vadoine-ed[ey, 
snatyenbe-sdo[eog 


eoreuordd-opes os 
eyeyosoul-a[esos 


TTLeppea-snyoyoduoydary 
epryoz-shur0seg 
x4u0jda[-snurqiows¢ 
sndf413-sniayqorpey 
voIpueluMid-e004g 
SNULWO9[-SNUIYLOINOVPL 
78 4sI10-v1oydeyship 
BUl[NytA-Booy 


eyeqnl-vie19 
TI9YOOY-BUBIO 
T19][948-Setdo1} BUN | 
snuvrutogi[eo-snqdolez 
snyeqor-snydo[ez 


sa10aag —snanay 


(eprredueeyd) 


sezuvreyg 


(@prindseq) 
eindkseq 


(@prpeureseg ) 
yoooipueg 
(eprdiey) 

a0 


(epresosyy) 
ueusacy 


(@proyd) 
yeog eniy, 


(@ptte}O 
-wurooydorn ) 
worry vag 


ATINV 


t 


(sjauurey, peqonog) 
ererdnsie yy 


(spemurepy 
suyeq 4oosuy) 
BIOAT}OASUT 


(erpedraurg) 
BIOATUIED 


Etccee(@) 


CLASSIFICATION CHART. 


92 


Sue} -duvig 
BION 
woqaqtp 

sazueduity) 


uel 
snqsjelg 
eupiyoy 


uelneUsEy- 
pesou-Aire yy - 
WOULUIOL-7EqQUIO MA 


1048 M- 
yooy- 
reysury- 
uel[izeig- 
uRoldoury -unssodg, 


OOIRTTe AA 

YOY P2jOoJ- Molla z - 

dureag- 

pettey-}10Ng8- 

HON POY- 

Polte}-[TeN- 

o1ey- 

yoy wouru0p- 

(aofawaped) pe[plta- 
(ooresaey ysnig) s,youusg-AqzileaA 

pea 


entd- 
poovez yov[q-oo1eduey 


GNVN NOWWOD 


(g) 


BIUTS 
TOSBAVS-B[[IION, 
-sayieqor Ay 
snooqytdodoiqyuy 


-ouloy 


snul}eue-snyoudqiogTIC, 


xollsAq-voupryoq 


snuisin- 
SUOLJI}BI- 
Yfeyoqrur-sAuopooseyg 


BUILUIW-89}D9MOIIY 
eluueo- 
TyO00- 
snuvolioue- 

elaigita-snqdapiq 


snysnqoi-sndoreyy 
sndoyjuex-o[edo1jag 
snynqerem-sndo1ey 
snindqoviq-sndomey 
s[joogni-sndoi0eyy 
‘eleyindun-s[esoyoAUQ, 
saptorode]-seyseqo 10s eB] 
eyel[iotued-apesorjog 
BlBUIIJ-spesoyoAUGC, 
Iryeuuaq-sndoreyy 
BnyNI- 
sneyaesis- 
suesaqnia- 
sdouvjeu-sndore py 


Sal0ddg—SONINH 


es ee RS ES See 


(@prtutg) 
ody 


(spruyuro yy ) 
ueyy 
(@prqoudqiog} 1010) 


(eprapryag ) 


(aprdéuofooseyg ) 
Yequto 


(aprdqdjaprq) 
umnssodg 


(@ptpodoisepy ) 
oo1ssuey 


AUR 


=~ oeeen> 


(euvunipend) 
89} Bulli g 


(euewrg ) 
sa}BUlig 
(speuure yy 
surdkery say ) 
eyeUlsIjOUOPL 


(s[euey peyonog) 
eietdnusieyy 


SONTD 


93 


CLASSIFICATION CHART. 


paysny, SuOT 10 ulseurey, 
gqourd 
Pays FOTS 10 siqrysInO 


, tapidg AT[ooM 


” ATIOOM 

” wey 

” TNL 

5 [aztinbg 

ys septdg 

” Hes 

({losornoq) = ,,_— PaaBF-[MO 

” SurpMoH 

(nofedeg) equop-uryoneden 
(YSU TM) y, ” 
(yoRId) sy ” 

(ueaisséqy) ,, ssorquinyy, 

sfayuoW Slosoqoig 

sfoqesueyy 

(ootapae A, ) sonbvoeyy 

sinsue'y 


(saxo TouuI0D ) suousnsy 


ady xr 


Tpueyy 
Bprpy 
Tid 
euneyy 
MOTLPA- 
evaumny- 
(paseg) werquiy-aooqeg 


GWYN NONWOD 


(9) “SepIN 
(4) “SePTAL 
(g) snyvoel-apedrey 
(T) sapoalg 
(1) xy}OSeT 
(e@) BlIBIeL.) 
(g) XTIGMTTBO 
(¢) BIINIDS-XLIQJOSAITD 
(OT) seletV 
(9) epaqid 
(¢) snoaqydrodN 
(g) -SayooA 
(9) snutondea-snqep 
snso10[[aa- 
SnUIUISIn- 
(2) BZ919NF-SNqO[OD 
(T) SN4VAIL[-SI[BSE NT 
(3) snqa0019 
(g) “SNOBIVIL 
(81) snoeqitdoamag 
(03) -snoeqy}tdoreg 


(T) Jastu-snoeqyidousy 


uourieur-snpeqdasouky 

epejes-snoaq}tdosay y, 
snaydooney- 
sutieoi0d- 
umqeq- 
xutqds- 

(9) sefipewmey-snpeqdaoousy 


salogdg —SANaD 


(sprredisy ) 
yesouLIE Py 


(@prqe9) 
Aayuop, UBdIeury 


Aayuow 
PIZOM PIO 


(@preyztdoisy) 


uooqeg {] | 


AUNY GT 


(eueunipeny) 
soyeullig 


yaaug 


CLASSIFICATION CHART. 


94 


polres-errmbg- 

poyureg- 

wapiey- 
TOULWIOD-dSNOUlLOd 


HWaqey 
elltelg- 
rRlog- 
ureyuNoyy- 
poom 10 sary- 
mOUIUIOD- 
uelizeig- 
uBoleMy- 
eutdry-o1e yy 
BYOBIST A 
euoTMmpourgy 
preqseg BITouryy 
elrmoury 


Jaavog 
ofy-ahV 
IOSIVT, 


anureT [asea 
inula'y ony, 

(stiory) BIsy-InueT Aolg 
(s0}}0q) Boy Y-INUla'T MOTS 
({re} Buo'T) sayizeg 

Inuls'T esnoyy 

({re} yx0Ng) pay 

AnurarT af} Wat) 

(4TIOoM.) THAW 

inway wedyy 


GNVN NOWWOD 


Bys- 

snjord- 

ejaqia- 
SNIIVUE[VAB-SNUIpIBdsnyy 


snjnorane- 
stijsodureo- 
sI[eloe[s- 
ST[IQeIIvA- 
snotyeapds- 
snedoine- 
sISmer[IzViq- 
snuedtewe- 
suptwty}-sndary 


sn[<yoepoyors}-sNU0}sosIeT 
T1OTAND-UINI PIS Le] 

e1adtuey- 
Byepneotaaiq-el[rqourg) 
SISMAPVUBd-10}8BD 


(snotiea) sfur0ityO 


(1) uinijoads-sntsiv J, 
(3) -imurapopedary 
(oT) -INUIO'] 
(3) sti0ry 10 snqao1p4NV 
(8) -snyorpoiag 
(¢) -snoayytdorg 
(g) -sne[eso1yo 
(Tt) -SLIPUy 
(8) -inmeredteyH 
(T) -sn[Bay 
(2) -o8B[ey 
SdINddSg —SsnNay 


snr oer ee eee 


(@prxo4 py) 
asnowlloq 


(@priodeT) 
ele 


_ (@yTraaryy ) 


erToary 


(eaprx0}se@p) 
Ieavog 


(@prdéuorrgy ) 
(e@prtere 1) 


(aprinwe'T) 
anwery 


ATINV 


(s1aMmeBmy ) 
Bryuepoy 


(eweunipend) 
soyeUllg 


Bric (ebt(@) 


95 


CLASSIFICATION CILART. 


soq-aieig 


UBISssny- 
ureyanoyy £yo0y- 
: Arv0yT- 
uedeleulty- 
(yonqopoom) ueotreury- 
. ourdpy-jourreyy 


yHsng 
porea Suory- 
piedoay-ajrydouttadg 


(oryersy) werreqrg- 
BIUIOFITeD- 
uedwemy-yanudiq5 


ATT00.MA- 
upleAey- 
uvdleuly- 


wyeg- 
uekeeyy- 
IPBMVIT- 

uevadoing- 
pey “ury- 

fary ‘wy-[erimbg 


*BlIJON 
yey ooredueyy 
yey 1aavog 


yerysnyy 
SulUIUaT 
Jayswey 


ANVN NOWWOD 


snueiuopny-sf{wouky 


aeqoq- 

Id} WIATABY- 

snsoutnid- 

snuedAyeuiy- 

xeBuou- 
eyJoULIBU-sfMI0PIIV 


snqty1o-syrydoursedg 
sninuwe.s- 
snyvoul[wesepriy-stpiqdowsadg 


snol}erse- 
snjoioeul- 
SN}VII}S-SeIMe Ty, 


sneleuto-snineyedngy 
eystinejad-s£ul0104g 
B][eonpos-snieydointog 


wniemyed- 
Lopnorq- 
sniqysiad dd- 
sITes[na- 
snuevrmospny- 
SISMOUT[OIBI-SNANIIG 


sndfoo-snureyodo sy 
isdrrqd-s£uropodrq 
Jaysesossiyo-sfmoipAR 


SNOTYOqIZ-19qr yy 
snuue-saposW 
SNIIV]WIUINIAJ-SNJad1I) 


sqiogadg—sSnanay 


(youre) 


(punorp) 
(30a) 


(sur4, aq) 


(aatL) 


(@ptya0pozQ) 
(eprdutoay ) 


(@punyq) 


ATINVg-an0g 


(@printog) 
yerimbg 


AILWV, 


(s1ameuy ) 
BrIjuapoy 


Retcee:(@) 


CLASSIFICATION CHART. 


96 


araUlysEy- 

‘BuryD- 

adeg- 
V10OdUY-}eOH, 


tHdem 
Jospuley 
asooy 
pitch 
pey- 
UBdWIULY YWON- 
aruy- 
MOTTC- 
(Stxy) BIpuy jseqy-1998q 
noqiieg 


Bundi A 
ewely 
ooeueny 
eovd[y 

(aviquiy) 1epaut0iq- 
UBlIBPBY -[OUIeH 
eoedly 


yoog suridg 
WLOP{-Su0Lg 
nuy 
ndTgo, 
stouleyy 
HOT SST 
ong - HV 
(narqQ) Moug- 
possourey- 
e[qeg-edojayay 


GNVN NOWNOD 


L1adtuey- 

sIsmoutyo- 

sndity- 
sisualodue-Biden 


SIsUapeuBd-snAlay) 
snpuvie}-azisaey 

” ”) 
SI[PoVUl-soo, VW 
snyqdepa-snaiag 
SNUGIULSITA-SNOBIIBD 
STJOLOVUL-SNIBIIED 
BULBp-SNALAD) 
SIXB-SNAIIO 
SNIIPUL[UDIG-LopISUBy 


BUsNdIA-vUeT 
vuensod-euey 
snoeuenyg-eurey 
oond-euery 
sniiepewoip- 
SNULIL}OVq-snjauUrey 
sooed-euey 


aLOTONI-B[[IZBx) 
RUBILLOUIe-LIdBIO[IJUV 
BULING}-S9}MYIOUNOL) 
tuoss poy-sdofoqyueg 
sndeiy-eideordny 
SUOIFTG[e-StTeqng 
vidvotaioo-odo[yuy 
tuosspoy-sdofoyyueg 
snjdtios-snydepeseay, 
rostu-snserjoddty 


SaI0qdag—sanay 


(@yaridep) 
yeon 


(@pt4s99 ) 
109q 


(aprjemey ) 
jeueg 


(autdojazuy ) 
edojajay 


ATINVG 


(s[eumueyy, peyooxy ) 
eyernduy 


Eeceest@) 


97 


CLASSIFICATION CHART. 


epeaeg 
(aouIUIIyy) voutID 
Burg 

adeg 

wereqyog 
uweyoeiysy 


WeA 
yeod ulequnoy Ay0y 
F1BD-OTSaMLOG-xO 
jeden 
aney 
peul0y y1049- 
(uerpay) oreIsy- 
(ede) aeoizy-oregng 
uvodoing- 
weollouly-Wostg 
(XO PITM) sqooiny 
eouy 


xO 4S]. 


B1QeZ 
fog, 


°QLL- 
ustikg- 
werreqts- 
weIssny- 
UBIdIMI0 N- 
uelposuop- 
uereyy- 
xeqI- 
TOUIUIOD-} 204) 


ANVN NOWWOD 


a” ” 
(eindyed) sarre- 


(e8£dozeo4s) saiie- 
eindyed- 
(eintyed) sorre-staQ 


sSusIUUNIS-sog 
snue}aoul-so1a.0[deyy 
snine,-sog 
sI[ezUo1s-sog 
snines-sog 
snjtumd-sog 
sn[eqnq-sog 
Jayeo-s0g 
snsseu0q-s0g 
SNUBdTIEUIe-sOg 
sntuestutid-sog 
staio0otsseidep-s0g 


8N}eqOsou-soqiaC, 


eiqaz-snnby 
sni[eqeo-snuby 


e800] [IA- 
” 
” 


”? 
snodty- 


Bol[osu0Ul- 

snditq- 

xeqt- 
snoitq-e1den 


salogag—sanay 


. 


(autsg) 
deoyqg 


(apraog ) 
xO 


(eur01q14Q9) 
xO 380 


(apinbg ) 
osloxT 


(@raridey ) 
Bon 


ATINV, 


(s[eulurey, pezooxy) 
eyepnsay 


aaaug 


ALPHABETICAL List oF SPECIES. 


98 


uvdeleyy- 
uvoieury -11dey, 


IOULeIY 
(aeyeqtL) JoqrEL 
AUIS 
Zell 
pueyyeqg 
UBISSNY 
peequrg 
UBISIag 
mopnoyy 
UellosuOpL 
OULIOyL 
puelaoy 


ANVN NOWIWOD 


snipuy- 
shugolieuie-snitde Jy, 


(einkyed) sarie- 
Tmossoy- 
(edédojyeajs) satie- 
(eindyed) satie- 


a7 
solre- 


oe) AF 
(amAdyed) sarre- 
mourtsnut- 
wourure- 
Solly- 
(vsdoyeajs) Sate-staQ 


salogdag—soanay 


(@pritdey) 
rude, 


(Bulag ) 
davqyy 


SUNY 


(s[eMUMep, pazooy) 
Byerngug 


uadyuo 


99 


ALPHABETICAL List OF SPECIES. 


snyeus0- 
sutasniz- 
ISBULOY} SNYVULO- 
SBloorzn{- 
1108.10quIOS- 
lepoutray- 
TSMOUIUII- 
souepliop- 
B44 0[180- 
snuBoliewle-snsif) 
VNI-STAT 
so[We1ag 
(zg) sdeotjau-snepséW 
Sl1e[[0d-xAU0}IIV: 
(3) [ey@1-B1 ATION 
(T) snxe4-sopayl 
(FT) S[suautyo-sa[e yl 
(G) BUBdTIOWIE-BapIxB], 
sedipeurey- 
umnqeq-ordeg 
epelas snooqytdosay 
(B1aMex) SNOTIV A ) 
SIXB-SnAlay 
sntuastutid-sog 
(eindyed) serse-stag 
z snoeqyidos09 
SUNUUL-SHIBIeYL 
(e10Uab) Snore A ) 
reStu-sudeijoddry 
eideotaioo odo[tjay 
snoirq-eid ep 
soovd-eure'y 
SN}B}ST10-Sa[a}OI 


Sa10Tag—SANIH 


*peuoljueu soroeds apisaq SalJIIIBA oJBoIPUL siseq}ueIed Ul siaquINN, 


” 
»? 
” 
” 
2? 
£3 
” 
x” 


be 
1 
”) 
” 
5 i 
”?) 
” 
” 


(a0) aprsiy 
(780) Spread 
(joootpueg ) epllaumeieg 

Be re 

a” os 

” ” 

Me ” 

lasea apreisnyy 
AA 

9) ” 

a) a) 
(mooqeg) snoaqytdoay 
(uooqeg ) e@proeqytdosay) 

(129q) @prlaley 
(xO) sepraog 
(deeyg) @uraQ 
( kayo) eproaqyidorap 
(ody) eprwmig 
adoayt ) eurdopayty 
Vv 
(yop) wroqidep 
(jeureg) wprfauren 
(eaxdsz) eprele}olg 
ATINVA 


2, cS a? 


a”? 
BIOATUICH 
BIOALTIBO 

viperdnsieyy 

a? 

” 

? 

a, 

+” 
BIOATULED 

? 

PF. 
soyeullig 
So}VUlllg 

eyepnsay 
eyernsuy 
eyepnsay 


2 
soyeUlig 
soyevullig 


eyern du al 
eyensay 
eyepnsuy 


BIOAIUIED - 


Frccees(@) 


pepepedg | (gow 
que {*" ynog) 
uvapuy 
BUBISINOT 
LOpBIqey] 


OHM PET (go guy 


TLOBLH } 
apRBls1oany YON) 


“sy oo[teY 


UvdLIIULYy | YOVpq-1v9g 


(98) PIEM “wy) xad'T Avg 


yoootpueg 
Suryung- 
pueg- 
Aauoy- 


(aouw09) uvedoing- 


(yoo1g) oneIsy- 
UBdIeUY-Jas peg 
sediIpeusy- 
weplop- 
BpBlex-wooqeg 
mooqeg 
SIxXV 
syoiny 
ueyoelysy 
oe - 
Aveqieg-,,edy,, 
edy 
a1qeS- 
ueipuy-edojajay 
yeon eviosuy 
voudiy 
FIOM-PIVW 


“aNVN 


ALPHABETICAL List OF SPECIES, 


100 


SIstopeUed-10}sep 
SNUITLIeUI- 
stsuamosses- 
SyTqir10q- 
SNBULOY SIIQI10y- 
tuospreyots- 
sIsmaoe[e- 
3NII9ABPBd SOJOIV- 
so}oie- 
SI[BUOTpIqIOU- 
snoersds- 
STIe[[Oo- 
ST}OTSEl- 
SNUBLdULIEq- 
snut][aqest- 
1oyeastd- 
SNTITUIOSRI- 
THep- 
SISMay}IS- 
seds- 
Tlopueptur- 


SNUIWOWeUUTO- 
IWospreyor- 
TUUeIIOUI- 
TOppry- 
sndo[ne- 
snotuodel- 
snaeyeqry- 
snyeqel- 
snuviep(eur- 
snyenb104- 
SNIIBSOTULIOJ- 
TIO JALO.10-sNS1E) 


SHIOTAG—SANTH 


(raaReg ) 


@pt10jseyn 
e} ” 
” ”) 
” y? 
yy 9 
”? ” 
yr” a) 
” ? 
be a” 
” ve 
ae: rad 
os ” 
) a 
” ? 
a” ” 
” ” 
a? ” 
”) ” 
”? ”) 
#F ” 
” a” 
” ” 
as ” 
Bae g ” 
Le ”? 
oA. a 
” ” 
”? oF 
?) FP 
34 a? 
re r? 
FM ”? 


(xeaq) eprsig 


ATINV 


erquapoy 


”) 
” 
2% 


eyerns a 


Bstocues(@) 


laaveg 
IVLOg OIG 10 1v9q 
(uedep) 0z0X 
dry, 19aTtg 
UWBIIXe]A{ | 
panoiy uaiieg | 
Bysely J 
UBIABUIPUBIG 
UeIssny 
Ter) 
_uerikg 
ueLteqts 
welposu0yy | 
eyyeyosure yy 
uekeeuly 
poreg Arey 
reyy 
yeyeqny 
BAS 
rernsuraed 
oerpesy 
anqey , (eoliemy 
muoweuUuly y}ION) 
punory wei1reg 


&[2z11y- 
reeg 


‘uvadoing ) 


(etsy) 


9 
ByselVy 
Aypearupy | caorg-leeg 
esoueds (weder) 
equ | 
(oopeg) wr018 |T 
ung Ae[Rey | (etsy) 
ueke[eulry | 
esoul1o,y J 


(ueolagy) YV_-1vsg 
aGnvN 


101 


ALPHABETICAL List OF SPECIES. 


Burst} 
BOTySOULOp- 
(g) Binolseul- 
(g) Bueorxou- 
euelotaopny- 
(g) BjoulreUul- 
(g) stsuapedauas- 
(03) Bprtod- 
(2) stsaapesueq- 
eoljsatop- 
THOUTMUTA- 
BoT}SauIOp- 
87 BU.0- 
sneqo- 
eifha- 
BIYpBd- 
(2) eanqydna- 
X11yysosA1y9-ST[9,T 
sNIIPUB[WIOIS-IayIsUey 
[eoered-stpa,q 
BzNI-SI[a,T 
Sntiepawoip- 
SNUBIIVq-snfaMey 
sniney-sog 
ejNyse-slieseg 
stjrumnd- 
snpeqnq- 
Jayeo-sog 
vindyed-stag 
SUOIJIQ(e-SnostpeMeq 
eideotaiao-ado[tjuy 
snseuog-sog 
SNUBdTIaUIe-sog 
iaysesosf1y9-shmo1pAH 


SaINTdg—SANIH 


2 
” 
»” 
” 
” 
+e 
2, 
oF 
>? 
aF 
9 
” 
a 
a? 
ae 
”) 


a ae 
(929) Spread 
(199q) e@ptarey 
(980) eped 
(780) eplead 
(jaurep) eprpeureg 
(xo) eplaog 
(mooa0ey ) epruofd01g 

2? oF 

a? 22 
(x0) epraog 
(daoyg) @UulAQ 
(adojayuy ) eurdojayny 
(adofayay ) eurdofajuy 
(x0) eptaog 
(yea) epruny 

ATINV, 


”» 
ae 
” 
”) 
Le! 
a” 
ea 
”) 
” 
a) 
a? 
a) 
? 
” 
oo 
” 


tS | 
B1OALUIED, 
eyernsuy 
BIOATUIRD) 
BIOATUIV) 


eye[n3u a1 
eqyeynsay 
BIOATUID 


tS 
eye[nsag 
eyepnsay 
eyernsayQ 
eyernsuy) 

72 
eyernsay 
BIyuapoy 


Briccens(@) 


SeBrey- 
xUvyl 
Cv '8) 
(oorxenl) 
(sexa,,) 
(deren) 
(eotsy) 
(etsy) Ja8ry, 10 predoary- 
ajsun p- 
asnoyy- 
weplop- 
oTysaul0g- 
410seq- 
(xuf47q dureag) -sneyqo 
eikq- 
1eyeg- 
qsng- 
west y-7e8) 
noqtie9 
yeoereg 
xuf7] epeaeg 
Arepauoiq- 
WelIejeg-[aueD 
(x0) 318) 
(e[JstTuL0DVQ) YstIesseg 
peus0y-z10q9- 
oryeIsy- 
uBoliyy-oregng 
[rejpeoig 
yoqsserq 
yong Pe 
uevedoing- 
UWedTIOULY -Wostg” 
yey Iaaveg 


aWVN 


ALPHABETICAL List OF SPECIES. 


102 


SLLVI[TUBy- 
BIVZB- 
SNOTJIIVIUV-STUBH 
oSuIp-stued 
(g) Byeyasout-atesoAT 
snydepa-snalay) 
SNUBIULSITA- 
STJOLOVUL-SNIBIIBD 
slIVd[Na-Buleq. 
SIXB-SNAIID 
(satoeds g) -snindseq 
SOTIB-SIAQ 
SUBI}R[-STUBD 
snfnotund-sndary 
(setoeds 1) -snqolog 
BNI PUB BIISBU-BNseN 
(3) eqyeqtz- 
B}JOATO-BLIOAT A 
snyeqnf-sninjeoudy 
snjo.1oBul- 
SNOTTEISE- 
SNYVLIFS-SBLUB J, 
TIOTANI-WNIPLs Ley 
Vilas tuey- 
epepnvotadiq-Bl[Tqourgy 
(zg) snosyqytdodoiqjuy 
snsetj-videotday 
snyeo- 
snjui- 
yearos- 
Bol souOp- 
(g) Wyo03- 
(¢) sorafed- 
O[09-0[09-ST[A,T 


Saloddg—soangpy 


oA 


” 


(Boa) apraeg 
(80q) epraey 
(aeuisaq) eprpesoAy 

? a? 

9% ” 

3? ” 
(199) eeptatag 
(ainfseq) eplindseg 
(daayg) @BULAQ 
(80q) epraey 
(are ) eptioderyT 
(Aoquoyy) wpwayjytdora9 
(aood0¥B xy ) epraos001g 
(49419) aap latoat A 
(989) eprped 

” 8 ae 
(taxrmbg) pring 

9 ”) 

2) ble 
(BTTTPUTYH ) eBy[qouyD 
(edy) SPU 
(adojezay ) ewurdojaay 

” ”? 

Bg ” 

” +? 

rt ” 

3? ee 

>? 9 
(989) -aprlad 

ATINV JT 


” 


” 
BIOALUIBS) 
BIOATULB\) 

BIOATPIOSUT 
” 
” 
” 


»? 
Byepnsuy 
erperdnsivyy 
eyernsug 
BIOATTIBD 
BIpUapoy 
sayeullig 
BLOATUIED 


Le 
‘BIOALTIEL) 
BIOATULB,) 


a” 


wrywapoy 
” 


” 
BIymapoy 
soyeUllig 
eyernsuy 

”? 

” 

9 

” 

.” 


” 
BIOATMIBD 


yaauo 


eurqg- 
8, BIVZY- 
atlpureyay-3oqg 
osu 
{foyanya(nAy ) WeUIsEq 
ped- 
aeBallewly “N- 
ts a[n- 
MOR 
BIpUy yseq-10aq 
aindseq 
JOULUILI, 
aj0£09 
(qtqqey) Amop 
snqojop 
TyBO) 
asouryy- 
UBITIFV-POATO 
(qeqeoyD) yeITTO 
UBIULOFI[VO- 
oryeisy- 
uvoloury-yunwudriyy 
euoT[ Mur 
pieyseg- 
BTTqouryy 
eezuedurqy 
stloweyy) 
ueadoing- 
UBdTIOULy-PITMA- 
(yeateg) r1asty- 
uvisiag- 
Joqyueg- 
sedueg- 
seurpoW-38) 


aNVN 


103 


ALPHABETICAL List oF SPECIES. 


snined-sog 
sudosey- 
sna[nj- 
saprouoddoid- 
TUBUIsIaAa- 
sna[nj- 
eotsied- 
e[usutuad- 
suprred- 
XO[OA- 
seprouosd01d- 
sisue[esueq- 
snugo- 
SNUBIULSILA- 
snA[Nz- 
aessoo- 
S¥[auIOsau- 
sndosey- 
sna[uj- 
sndose-stuep 
xolaz-eyo01doyd 1p, 
sntioynd-vlaysuyl 
(zg) tyweuued-epajsnyy 
IOINJ-Sut10N 
(gg) BeulMLa-vlaysnyL 
sT[Woeul-saoTy 
snaoydooue-sureqdasouds) 
(satveds F) snutpeasnyw 
snutdye- 
saptouosooid- 
snyeqnt- 
stsuauBodap- 
sliel[lures- 
SLIVI[TUIBy- STUBD 


SaINTdG—SONGYH 


<x0) eepraog 
” i ” 
Ee J ? 
9 I 
a) a”? 
i is 
ae aT 
” ” 
x” ” 
” ” 
x” oF 
a”? a? 
2? be | 
” ”? 
” He 
Pad ” 
72 ”) 
af a? 
oe) LB 
(d0q) eepruey 
(qaa19) BPLIOAT A 
” 2) 
9 2? 
? ” 
(jesBo.M ) Sprpaysnyy 
(199q) @ptalay 
(uooqeg ) eproaqytdosay) 
(asnouri0g ) eprxosy 
” et 
| #9 
¥e Fat 
é i | +” 
3% 9 
(30q) w@pruey 
ATW, 


eyepnsugQ 

” 

oF 

#2 

a” 

>> 

x” 

Py 

bel 

7 

” 

ee 

fF 

9 

vy 

x) 

” 

”) 

” 
BIOATUIBD 
BIOAIUIB) 

a? 

”) 


’ 
BIOATHIED 
eyernsuy 

sayewig 
BIyuopoy 

a9 

%) 

a” 

” 


” 
BIOATUIED 


aiaduo 


“mney 
1BlOd 10 9} M- 
TOATIS- 
(Soq woovey) Bag- 
uBissnqy- 
ped 
uvIsiag- 
eiuoseyeg- 
a[eq- 
WH 
(dog woovsey) osauvder- 
wetpuy- 
Areoyy- 
fain- 
ssoig- 
dBSSOL)- 
(Texove aden) edap- 
anid- 
yor - 
an[g 10 d1jo1V-xOT 
(esso0,q ) OUBSSO,T 
(weuep) yout 
TOUstyL 
4o119,7 
euluiy 
pitcg 
acces 
asnowi0g 
WeBLeqig- 
moose y- 
FIOM PeTey- 
PIEM Uerpuy- 
OulTys i 
oTsowu0qg-30q 


aWYN 


ALPHABETICAL List or SPECIES 


104 


stperoe[s- 
STTqetiea- 
snot}eass- 
snadoine- 
SISUaT[IZeIq- 
snedoina- 
snueotioure- 
snpruty-sndary 
SNIIG}WOUINIF-sNyad1I1, 
(e1etay snoe, ) 
snovueny-euey 
BYR} 4TA-STOT[VH, 
Tad Bavs-BI[ [0H 
BsOURltA- 
sndty- 
snoity- 
snoaty-e1deg 
snuej}LOw-sor1av0[ dey 
snoiry- 
eBol[os uour- 
snoitq- 
xeqt- 
stsuaurqo- 
snoiy- 
Tastuey- 
snoaty- 
sisuarosue-videg 
SUTING}-sa}OyouN0H, 
Snosny-o[ny) 
(g)-soqzeqo[AH 
slies[na- 
BULIST}-B]}0N0y) 
aLoqone-e][azey) 
ST[B}UO1J-sog 


SaIogdg—snanay 


” ?) 
(arey{) eaptiodary 
(esnoy) e@eplunyy 
(Teag ons) eplooyg 
(jew) eprpawe) 
(jesBa A ) eBprtpeysnyy 
(edy) eeprrUg 

Le | > 

te ” 

’ a? 
(qeo9) eruidey 
(xO) eplaog 

a3 rY 

y? 29 

a”? a 

” >? 

” be S 

a»? »? 

” 9 

ee a a 
(q80n)) eroridey 
(adojayay ) eurdopayay 
(Teseam ) epre sayy 
(adv) eprrmtg 
(8419) eepratoaty 
(edojaquy ) eutdojajyuy 
(x0) epraog 

ATINVA 


a2 
” 
ee 


*F 
elyaapoy 
eryaapoy 
BIOATUIED 
eyensuay) 
BIOAIMIED 
sayeutig 

a? 

a”) 


2?) 
ayernsug 
eyernsay 

” 

» 

a? 

” 

” 

be 

”) 


2 
eyepnsuy 
eyensay 
BIOATHIED 
soyeullig 

LB 
BIOATUIVD 
eyensug 
eyernsay 


aaduQ 


re[og- 
ureyunoy- 
poo to £ar4- 
doulul0D- 
uelizeig- 
ueIslag- 
WedTIeuly- 
aurdjy-areyy 
Ja}swe yy 
[easireyy 
ooeueny 
, WOSTIN) 
BOD 
yqtL- 
aersig- 
werrlaqis- 
werssny- 
ureqyunoy Ayo0y- 
uvIsoMIoN- 
ueljosuop- 
uereyy- 
xoqT- 
euryo- 
moulUIOD- 
erauysey- 
eden- 
eiosuy-}B0H 
nuy 
mony 
qoqatp 
woUIUIOD- 
PeyoyoTg-JouepH 
e[azey 
jesey 


ENVN 


105 


ALPHABETICAL List or SPECIES. 


supied- 

supied- 
snpied-stfa,q 
(e190may snorse, ) 
SNUIUIA[-SapoAP 
HWotAnd-WNIpisseryT 

(eindyed) sotie- 

TIWOsspoq- 

(e34doj8048) sotre- 

(eimdyed) satre- 

(emfdyzed) sotre- 

(eindyed) sotre- 

(284doje04s) sotre- 

(eindyed) serre- 

(eimdyed) sarre- 

(v3 4do4va4s) satie- 

(e34do4e04s) satie- 

(eindyed) satre- 
(eindyed) satze-stag 
BOTIIQIS-B[9ISUPL 
snaleuta-snjoIepooseyg 
sn[NA[OAIpued-sa}daloo1ey) 
(g3) snanjewyexy 10 sndoseyy 
18] B}I-Blaqsn yy 

Ipuoiensed- 
B0U0-ST[A,T 
SB[aUOseUI- 
(1) sneine-stuey 
uoulneuyst-sajsadia fT 
xoqr-eideg 
BY BII}s- 
@4Nd010- 

eauuniq-euedy 
stijsodurea-sndary 


Ssqloddg SONgy 


a? 


” 


bed ” 
(189) eped 
(anwea epluinuiay 

T 

(asnoyy) eplny 
(eTEqouryD) By yourgy 

ye ” 

ae) ye 

a” es 

9” a? 

”? 1 

” ae 

‘i | ”) 

”) ” 

MY +” 

Pe ” 

a) RP 
(deayg) antag 
(Tasve M4 ) epraysnyy 
(18ag uelerysny) explieduelegg 
(tood0¥y7) exptuodsd01g 
(ooresuey) @prpodorey 
(jasBvom ) eBprojsayy 

+) +) 
(989) epryar 
loan arly 
(4aat)) BPLLIOAT A 
(qe0n) wrupideg 

a2 a? 
( euadqq) apa dypy 
(ere) eptiodery 

ATINV,T 


a” 
a” 
BLOALUIED 


Sa] Cull g 
Brymepoy 
BIyaapoy 

” 

9 

” 

” 

%) 

” 

” 

ns 

” 

” 

” 


bid 
eyerndag 
BIOATUIBD 
Brperdnsivyy 
BALOATUIBD) 
eerdnsieyy 
BIOALUIBD 


+? 
BIOATUIED 


oY 
BIOATUIBO, 
BIOATUIBD 
eyernsuy 


” 


be 
BIOATUIB) 
BIyuepoy 


Brcees(@) 


asaulqy- 
yoB- 
uvaliyy-predoary 
Inula'yT 
SurmuieyT 
sTjos ier 
TIUTBAY A - 
qoqu- 
AaLS- 
zertys- 


UBIsiag peoyutg- 


uvisiag- 
puvyaoy- 
epeueq- 


( 1aWIUILI YT) BaUILI)- 


eurgo- 
adeg- 
ueieyyog- 
ueyoelsy-quiey 
AysuLpOyy 
B[Boyy 
arolequryy 
oorvsuey 
yur ueder 
Ipuorenser 
render 
edey- 
Teyoee 
Z woumneunyay 
xeq] 
pedriy9- 
peqjodg- 
uMoig-eued FL 
allel g-aey 


aNVN 


ALPHABETICAL List OF SPECIES. 


106 


TsyeqT- 
e[ooryN]- 
(g) Wueurde4s- 
WOISTA- 
sndouejau- 
Bpnstaep- 
eueoloure- 
Buloy- 
SoqIVUl-elaqsnypy 
oeqoq- 
JayUIATABY- 
snsoumnid- 
snuvd[eurty- 
xeuoul- 
eyourreu-sful0poIy 
(er1auat) Omg, ) 
(g) -snqad0.12,) 
ueusow-ordeg 
eyni- 
snjyepnoeu- 
(p) sueqo-stfaT 
snurtpied- 
eUul[[aqest- 
STI@S[NA 10 XUAT- 
yeoereo- 
eyni- 
SIsMapeUBd-stfa qT 
eueniod-ewey 
09, -STIOT 
eroun- 
snp.red- 
(snanjoudss) snyeqnt- 
snpied- 
(3) Bsopnqeu-st[a,q 


saI0gag—soanay 


” 
” 
a” 
” 
” 
” 
cae) 


Pad 
([2888,\ ) 

a? 

yy) 

”) 

”) 


(jaratnbg) 
(qesourrey, ) 
(Aoyuoyy ) 
(mooqeg) 
a” 

(780) 

a? 

” 

Pad 

” 


” 
Ce 


(ye9) 


” 
” 
” 
a”? 
at 
a 
ag 


) 
eprpozsnyy 

) 

” 

.) 

”) 


a) 
Sprung 
epredyeH 
eprayzidosrag 
eproeyytdoray 


” 


” 
Spo 
” 
” 
” 
” 


aptied 
aprpewen 
epled 

) 


” 
2 


@pred 


ATINV A 


” 
a? 
” 
”) 
oF 
oF 
of ” 


” 
BIOATULB) 
” 
” 
” 
” 


” 
etyaopoy 
sopBullig 
sayeutig 
soyeullig 


” 


” 
BIOATUIED 

”? 

” 

”? 

” 


oi) 
BIOATUIBD 


eyensay 
BIOATUIVO 
rs 
y? 
a? 


Bi 
BIOATMIBD 


aaaduo 


(1syeqzsT) osouvder- 
ueedoing- 
(Buoy oy ) esautyy- 
UeoeULy - YUL 
asounde p- 
aerpuy- 
uMolg- 
(em04g) Yooog- 
(ould) uNneg-Wez1ey 
ueissny- 
urleyunoyy AHI0Y- 
Areoy- 
uvdeleully- 
(qonqopoom ) ‘ury- 
auldpy-jowre yy 
josouIeyL 
Aaqesury 
TIpueyy 
(980 PITA) 980 xU4rT 
payjodg- 
(sneyo) dureag- 
auIpieg- 
el[aqesy- 
: uvadoing- 
(xafqT poy) [eoeren- 
(4e0 ptm) 4eq- 
uBotIouy-xUATT 
eueyy 
aory 
(aomng) Mong- 
uvisiag- 
(qeywyO) Suryany- 
erIpuy ysegq- 
pepno[9-predoaT 


aNVN 


107 


ALPHABETICAL List OF SPECIES. 


eoruodel- 
slivs[na- 
slied[na- 
SISUOT[IZBLG- 
(1) susaeaiya- 
(gz) stsuedeo- 
sistapeuvo-BIyN'T 
: (7) -ermrg 
B[NIad[NA-snansoyatt 
skydyapid 
stpepred-st[a,q 
sndfoo-snureyodos 
osunul-saysedia yy 
SnOTg}oq{2-T9qt yy 
Snyeyosour-soqlag 
WOUITSNUI-STAQ 
SI[YIVUl-SaolV 
snug[is-snoBoeyL 
Tpaeyel- 
BysesoiqyAie- 
oznyd- 
seyed- 
snydaa- 
SIPTITA-0aStis- 
eueip- 
SNOLIY} I [Vd- 
BUvIp- 
(0g) -snoaqytdorap 
Ylaqdures-snoayytdoia, 
SISOULSI[NJ-snqad01909) 
snaeyes- 
¥za1eNd-Ssnqo[[op 
(e1amey OM) 
Bloatyny-e[aysnjy 


SqIDddQ—SN NY) 


a 
a» 
a2 
a”) 
3? 


v? 
({asvaM ) eapyarsnpy 
(ady) eprint 
(so8uepeyg) epluesuepeyd 
(unssodg ) eprdsydjepiqd 
(780) epiad 
(yey) @ptyw0poyooO 
(30419) BPILIOATA 
(qe) apliny 
(xO Asn) BULOIQIAO 
(daayg) , BUTAQ 
(109q) @ptasey 
” a) 
rea a” 
2% a” 
tee ) 
+7 ” 
77 ? 
a .? 
x” 2? 
at Fe J 
” ? 
ae a” 
,? 2 
a) ”) 
a2 i 
(Sayuow) zpreyytdor9 
(asnoj ) eprdey, 
(Tas@a MA ) eprpaysnyy 
ATINV A 


” 
” 
” 
”? 
”) 


> 
BIOATULE, ) 


soyeullid 
eperdasieyy 
erperdnsieyy 
BLOATUIBD 
BIyWOpOY 
BIOATULBD 
BIzUApoy 
eyernsay 
eyepnsuy 
eyernsuay 

a? 

a” 

> 

” 

a? 

? 

”? 

” 

” 

” 

a? 

” 

” 


” 
soqyBuUll 
BIOAT}OISUT 
BIOATHIB 


Brects(@) 


asouede p- 
(aowui0s) uvedoing- 
TOULULOD- 
uelpizeig- 
(pepseg) omersy- 
uedLIyy- 
(g) Weolreury-12}40 
Sur} -savwg 
uelperysny- 
umnssodg 
40[290 
BLIyON 
as00s un] 
yerysnyy 
XO ASW 
uOpnoy 
asoow 
OO1OpUe AA- 
Yolo A- 
ped 
oyn[d- 
sBjyeq- 
ayoeysnoyy- 
poalIy- 
faay- 
waaly- 
euriq- 
mouLUIOD- 
8, [Teqduren- 
entd- 
*oRla- 
(ezarany) uerutssiq y-AayUOp 
atOW 
WeISsNy-YUTPAL 


aNVN 


ALPHABETICAL List OF SPECIES. 


108 


snuisin- 
SNUISIN-SNULYLO[[eD 
Snotpuely[es- 
eisnd-snjeydeooyo1y 
SNUISIN-SNUIYLOT[ VD 
BOTITqIS- 
BUT[[aq{Zz- 
VUBITIOWB-B[9}SnL 
snuliseiod-visisuereyg 
SNPUBIV}-LazIS UR 
2} eL-BLOATIAPL 
snddoa-snurejodod 
OSSBI-BIIOAT A 
SNIOATIOUBI- 
1040[-aosd01g 
sn[norund-sndeqT 
1O[0dW0d-ST[AT 
BuBolaWe-BIde00[ Uy 
snuelotaopny-sfurousy 
sni[eqeo-snubi 
TUUBUISIaAa- 
sntioqnd-efaysnyy 
snul}yeue-snqoudyoy}IUIO 
eB[Noad[na-sninsoyotty, 
SNdI}VULIES-SNIIOjNT 
(eindyed) satre-stag 
(g) -snanxopeieg 
IO[OIM0I-ST[I,T 
sues[Nj-sninjay 
BISLIGOLLIF-SNIOIFT 
Byeudij-apesoyosug 
snine}-sog 
elouNn-STpa,T 
(g) snqooel-apedtey 


“SaI0OadgG—SNNay 


” 
+” 
22 


( qeag-vag) 


” 
+ 
>? 
oR 


BpPille7O 

be | yD 

oF ” 
(Tase2 44 ) Bptlazsnyy 
(atasuveyq) expliasuvleyg 
(190q) BPlAlap 
(Jase MA ) epr[a}sny 
(erjnN) pt} a0poq0Q 
(qaatp) BPLIIAT A 

oe) +” 
(moov0ey7 ) eptmos001g 
(areyy) eptioday 
(789) Bprlead 
(adojaqyuy ) ewurdofayay 
(jertmnbg) Bpuntg 
(as10}] ) eeprubay 

” oF 
. (jasvam ) BSplyasnyy 
(suq4qe[q) epryoudqaoyyraig 
(aasueleyg) plies uereyg 
(Teste mA ) eprfeysnyy 
(daeqg) BULAQ 
(qaatp) BPA A 
(789) eprlay 
(tood0ey) ezpiuok001g 
(TesveM ) eptpeysnyy 
(ooresuryy ) exprpodosotpy 
(x0) epraog 
(489) RPA T 
(jasowrey) epred(epy 

AIUWV 


yy 
yo” 
a”) 


” 
BIOATUIBD 
a9 


ced 
BIOATUIBD) 
erpetdnsie yy 
eyernsug 
BIOATUIB) 
BIyuapoy 
BIOALUIBD 
”? 
BIOATUIED 
BIW poy 
BIOALUIBD 
eyensuy 
BIpuepoy 
eyeynsay 
ae 
BIOATULBO 
8] VUIIIJOUOPY 
erperdusivyy 
BIOATUIGO 
eye[usup 
BIOATUIED 
BIOATUIB 
BIOATULED 
BIOATULED 
eryerdnsivy 
eyernsug 
BIOATNIBY 
soyeulIg 


uzauQ 


», osaueder- 
») ‘ST teddoy- 
», WOH odey- 
y9 adey- 
(ang)  vysely-pereg-[eag 
IVyV,- 
ueissnyy- 
Aeg s, tospny-e[qeg 
[rep-surgy 
Jasputey 
(saspeg Aauoy) [ayey. 
nddon yey 
asseqy 
Sul}ea-qevio- 
mooey 
(Auop) saqea 
eumg 
uloy-su01g 
Soq aeig 
(3109) Auog 
UBLIOqIS- 
uvadoing-1e22[0g 
snq4qelg 
Jasueeyg 
Aysyaiog 
quiv'y uvisiag 
eInxopeledg 
qayyueg 
epueg 
stuIye 
(aoa Appeg) wojewapeg 
x 
(predoay mong) sort} 
ST}TISIMNO 


IWVN 


= 


ALPHABETICAL List OF SPECIES. 


snuetuospny- 
SISUIUT[OLBd-SHAINDG 
sninwUe.s- 
sn} Baul[Wa—saptiy-sttydousedg 
BlOyoNa-BI[IzeBx) 
(eshdoyeajs) sotre-stag 
oytundeur-snjedauoy 
BINIOVUL-Bl9]SNJ[ 
sntiojnd- 

vorytydout-siytydayy 

woultsnut- 

(ed fdoyeays) satie- 

SolIv- 

(eindyed) satte- 
(ed4do7zBa4s8) Satte-stAQ 
[@asas-st[a iy 
Sl1jn[-xeyeT 
T[appem-snjaoqo<uozderyT 
snpryoz-sAwu0seg 
xfuojdary-snuty10ulso9 
snd418-snsa0yot[ey 
BoIpUR[MI019-BI0Yg 
SNUITOIT-SNUTyLOIQIVPL 
1B 4sI10-B10ydeysAIy 
BUl[NytA-Bo0yg 
119] [9948-serdosjyeun gy 
eyequl-etia19 
LWayooy-ei1e1Q, 

snuelmozi[ea- 

snjyeqol-snydo[ez 
SNUISIN-SNUIYIOT[R) 
SI[BIjsne-snjeydesojo1y 
SNUISIN-SNUIYIO[[eD 
SNOIPULH[ey-snjeqdeooyo1y 


SqaIo0adg SONay 


(jatrtnbg) apuntg 
(jaaainbg) aepuntag 
(adojazuy ) eurdolajuy 

‘(daayg) BUTAQ 

+” > 

be i 
(taseaq ) apyarsnyy 

as a 

” +” 

Le ” 

a) oe) 
(daayg) BUlAQ, 
(789) epraq 
({asBeM ) eplpaisnyy 
(predoarq-vag) epro0yd 

oF a” 

” ae 

bel ”? 
(Soq vag) zpoud 
(queydeiq-vag) eproud 
(30g vag) eprooqg 

” QM” 

2? ” 

7? 2% 
(suorry vag) eprirey9 

53 a” 

ed ” 
(xvag vag) aprireyo 

ATINVG 


” 
erjmapoy 


be) 
Bljuapoy 
eyepnsuy 
eyepnsuy 

72 

” 

Ce 
BLOATIIB) 

F 

a” 

a8 


y) 
vyelnsug 
BIOAITIB) 
BIOALUIB) 
BIOATUIB) 

” 

a 


” 
BLOALULB) 
BLOATUIB) 

a9 
BIOALULBD 

” 

”) 

a” 

” 
BIOALUIB) 

a” 

Bi) 


” 
BIOALUIV 


Broceet(@) 


pey uvolmewy- 
Aawy uBotiaury-[atambg 
paieq suoq- 
pavdoay-aftydowmsedg 
yoog sunidg 
query yas 
UBoLIaUY “S- 
WedIxop- 
padiayg a[}4vT- 
yanys 
uopnoyw- 
purpaoy- 
dtjseuloq- 
Bleyyog- 
Bary, )-daayg 
[eAlag 
13}1Q Bag 
oe) 8, [I2PPAM- 
9 pas ury- 
ce paedoay- 
ay Sain- 
yy puepuaery- 
” queyderq- 
” peysetp- 
(4rBy]T) ~ wourut0p-en1y,-[eag 
»)  BrImosejieg- 
2s ULIY}10 N- 
y 8, layooH- 
>, UWBIULOFI[R)- 
(ale) uerpeaqeny- 
” BILOPOTA - 
»»  Ppuelzyys- 
>, ‘8ST Waqqoy- 
(an) ‘S[-soqo]-pareq-[eeag 


aNVN 


ALPHABETICAL List OF SPECIES. 


110 


eiqez-snnby 
suetuunid-sog 
xeuou-sAWMo0pIy 
suropoosey gq 
snosn[-o[Ny 
Toeuyaty-sndn'yT 
snpeqdasoudo-sninde[ sy L 
19S TUBI- 
elnsutued- 
xeydorpsy- 
sadiped- 
sndnt- 
stepueprod0-sndny- 
suBIyeI- 
sisueuts-snduy 
SILBS[NA-BlOSUAL 
sIsuapenea-snAlay 
snysnqos-sndo1e Ww 
snanjewmley ¥ e[eso1jeg 
snp Aqoepoypta}-snu10ysoB1e'T 
eusnota-vue'y 
StIBT}-SU19T 
(eB £doyeajs) Bruosspoy-staQ 
ereqieq-stpyey 
snudey, 
sny[tqto-strqdourtadg 
BoUlUL1a-B[aSUA 
sneseuto-snineyedng, 
eystinejed-séu0.10}q 
eljaontoa-snsaydointg 
twniewryed- 
JopNotq- 
snayq}A1es Ad- 
SIBS[NA-SNANDG 


Sa10ddgG—SANIH 


(28101) eprnba 
(xO) epra0gd 
(jatimnbg ) BplUnog 
(yequio mA ) eeprsuopoosey 
(12882MA ) eprpeysnW 
(80d) epraep 
(ammdseq) eprindseqy 

9 a” 

a) ba 3 

? a? 

? a2 

” a9 

a ”? 

22 a” 
(#0q) eptue,) 
(Tasea A ) epleisnyl 
(199d) Bplaley 
(ooresuey ) ewprpodo.1oeyy 
(oo1esuB yy ) wp tpodormey 
Cerrryourgg) @BrTETOUTY, ) 
(jeurep) eprpaue) 
(989) Bproy 
(daeyg) Bulag 
(Taseam ) eprpaisnit 
(udey,) epiide 
(qeattnbg) epluntg 
(jesvem ) zprpaysn 

el a? 

wF PS 3 

” a” 

” eF 

be 7? 

v2 bd 
(qeratnbg) Rplantog 

ATINV A 


a) 
eyepnsuy 
BrpMapoy 
erperdnsie yy 
BLOATUIVO, 
BIOATUIB,) 
erperdnsivy, 


2 
” 
” 
a” 
) 
3F 


ea 
BILOATUIBS) 


BIOATMIEL) 
eens) 
erpetdnsieyy 
erperdusieyy 
BrIyTopoy 
eyernsu yy) 
BIOALUIBD) 
eyeEpnsuy) 
BIOATUIED) 
eyepnsuyy) 
elpuapoy 
BAOATILIB, ) 

” 

”? 

a? 

”? 

” 


7 
erjuapoy 


Bric cea: @) 


B1qeZ 


qeA 

YONYDPOOM 

yEqULO MA 

OUTIOA[OM 
yeQhL- 
uelueulse | 
ueLIaqIg- 
eluodeyed- 
ueder- 
uetpuy- 
uvedoing- 


JaquL-Wedlieury- 
alltelg UBILEWy- 
wBolt ZV “FIOM 
JoseoM. 
tyidem 
oo1a[[eM 
AQeTleM 
BYOBost A 
Bundt A 
Jost 
queT qh 
e1kBL, 
dey, 
¥USAS 
({asBaay 1a}Ba13) 7207S 
STOO. 
medeley- 
ueotaury-Sutsyq-forammbg 
wyed- 
uvkeleyy- 
IPBABIT- 
uvadoing-jarimbg 


GWYN 


111 


THE MAMMALIA. 


All Fur Bearing animals suckle their young and con- 
sequently belong to the class Mammalia, of which Cuvier 
says: 

““The Mammalia is placed at the head of the animal 
kingdom, not only because it is the class to which man 
himself belongs, but also because it is that which enjoys 
the most numerous faculties, the most delicate sensations, 
the most varied powers of motion; and in which all the 
different qualities seem combined in order to produce a 
more perfect degree of intelligence. It is also the most 
fertile in resources, most susceptible of perfection, and 
least the slave of instinct. 

‘As their quantity of respiration is moderate Mammals 
are designed in general for walking on the earth with 
vigorous and continued steps. The forms of the articu- 
lations of their skeletons are consequently strictly defined. 

‘‘The upper jaw in all of these animals is fixed to the 
cranium; the lower is formed of two pieces articu- 
lated by a projecting condyle to a fixed temporal bone; 
the neck consists of seven vertebrae, one single species 
which has nine excepted ; the anterior ribs are attached be- 
fore, by cartilage, to a sternum consisting of several ver- 
tical pieces; their anterior extremity commences in a 
shoulder-blade that is not articulated, but simply sus- 


. . pended in the flesh, often resting on the sternum by means 


of an intermediate bone, called a clavicle. This extremity 
is continued by an arm, a fore-arm, and a hand, the latter 
being composed of two ranges of small bones, called the 
carpus, of another range called the metacarpus, and of 
the fingers, each of which consists of two or three bones, 
termed phalanges. 

The hind limb, according to Lydecker, differs from the 
fore-limb ‘‘in that the innominate or haunch-bones which 
together form the pelvis, are connected by an immovable 
bony union with the sacral region of the vertebral column. 
The thigh-bone or femur, corresponding to the humerous 
of the arm, articulates with a cavity in the innominate 


« 


112 Tue MAMMALS. 


termed the acetabulum. The leg has two parallel bones 
articulating with the lower end of the thigh-bone or 
femur; of which the larger or tibia, occupying the inner 
side of the limb, corresponds to the radius of the fore- 
arm, while the smaller outer bone or fibula, represents the 
ulna. The ankle, or tarsus, corresponds to the carpus in 
the fore-limb, and likewise consists of two transverse rows 
of small bones. Two bones of the uppermost row, viz. the 
ealeaneum or heel-bone, and the astragalus or ankle-bone, 
are specially modified. In the foot proper the bones cor- 
respond with those of the hand; those representing the 
metacarpals being, however, termed metatarsals. 

‘‘Most of the mammals have five fingers and toes, or 
digits, on each foot or hand, but in some cases there is a 
tendency to the reduction of the number of digits; cattle 
and deer having only two, corresponding to the third and 
fourth of the typical series of five; while in the horse only 
a single digit remains, which in the fore-limb corresponds 
to the middle or third finger of the human hand, and in 
the hind-limb to the middle toe. 

‘Almost all Mammals) when adult have both jaws 
provided with a series of teeth varying greatly in num- 
ber and structure in the different groups. These teeth 
are almost invariably fixed in separate sockets; and while 
the front teeth have but a single root or fang, the side or 
cheek-teeth very generally have two or more such roots, 
each of which oceupies a separate division of the socket. 
In all cases the teeth are fixed in their sockets merely by 
the aid of soft tissues connected with the gum and are 
never welded to the jaws by a deposit of bone. Very gen- 
erally there is a sharply-marked line of division, termed 
the neck, between the root, or portion of the tooth im- 
planted in the jaw, and the crown or exposed portion. 

“‘In most of those Mammals in which the teeth of dif- 
ferent parts of the jaw differ in structure from one an- 
other, there are two distinct sets of teeth developed dur- 
ing life. ‘The first of the two includes the milk or baby 
teeth, which are generally shed at a comparatively early 
age. They are of small size and few in number, and are 
finally succeeded by the larger and more numerous perm- 
anent set, which remain during the rest of life, unless 
previously worn out, 


THE \[AMMALS. 113 


‘“‘Those Mammals in which the permanent teeth 
differ from one another in form in different regions of the 
jaw, we are enabled from their position, and also from 
their relations to the temporary series of milk-teeth, to 
divide into four distinct groups. Taking one side 
of the upper jaw of the dog we find the front 
bone, or premazilla, carrying a small number of simple 
cutting teeth, termed incisors. Behind these teeth, from 
which it is generally separated by a longer or shorter gap, 
there is a tooth with a simple and often conical crown, 
which, like the incisors, is inserted in the jaw by a single 
root. This tooth, which is usually larger than the in- 
cisors, is termed the tusk, or canine tooth, and in the wild 
boar and most Carnivorous Mammals attains a very large 
size. It can always be distinguished from the incisors by 
the fact that it is implanted in the maxilla, or second bone 
of the jaw, or at least on the line of junction between that 
bone and the premaxilla. Behind the canine we have a 
series of teeth, which may be as many as seven, with more 
complicated crowns, and except the first, inserted in tire 
jaw by two or more roots. This series may be collectivelv 
known as the cheek teeth; but they may be divided into 
two minor groups according as to whether they are pre- 
ceded by milk-teeth or not. In the dog the four teeth im- 
mediately behind the canine, with the exception of the 
first, are the vertical successors of milk-teeth, and are 
known as premolars; while the two hindmost teeth which 
have no such temporary predecessors, are known as true 
molars, or molars. In the lower jaw the tooth, usually 
larger than the others, which bites in front of the upper 
canine is the lower canine. In advance of this tooth are 
the incisors, and behind it the pre-molars and mvlars, dis- 
tinguished from one another in the same mannes as are 
the corresponding teeth of the upper jaw. 

‘With the exception of the Pouched Mammals, there 
are in practically all the Mammals with teeth of different 
kinds, never more than three incisors, one canine, four 
premolars, and three molars on eithey side of each jaw; 
so that the total number of teeth on beth sides of the two 
jaws is not more than forty-four. 

“In regard to the external covering, hairs are always 
present on some portion of the body during some period 


114 Tue MAMMALS. 


of life. In the whales these hairs may, however, be re- 
duced to a few bristles in the region of the mouth, which 
disappear when the animal attains maturity. Mammals 
never develop that modified kind of hair-struecture known 
as feathers, which are peculiar to Birds. The body may, 
however, be covered with overlapping scales, like those 
so common in Reptiles, but this occurs only in the pan- 
golins, or scaly ant-eaters of India and Africa. The tail 
of the common rat is an example of a part of the body 
covered with scales, having their edges in opposition; but 
in both these instances hairs are mingled with the scales. 
Still rarer than scales are bony plates, developed in the 
true skin. At the present day these structures are only 
met with among the well-known armadillos of South 
America, which are furnished with bucklers and trans- 
verse bands of these bony plates, and are in some cases 
able to roll themselves up into a ball, presenting on all 
sides an impenetrable coat of mail. Between the plates 
of the armour of the Armadillos hairs are always devel- 
oped, and in one species these are so abundant as to com- 
pletely hide the plates themselves, and render the gen- 
eral appearance that of an ordinary hairy mammal. 


‘“‘The use of hair is mainly to protect the body from 
cold, and thus to aid in the maintenance of a uniform high 
temperature; and when hairs are absent, we find this 
function performed by a more or less thick fatty layer 
beneath the skin, which, when it is excessively developed, 
as in the whales, is known as blubber. To compensate for 
the difference between the temperature of winter and 
summer, Mammals which inhabit the colder regions of 
the globe develop a much thicker coat of hair in the 
former than in the latter season, of which we have an ex- 
cellent example in the horse. In some Mammals, such as 
the hare and eat, the body is covered with only one kind 
of hair; but in other cases, as in the fur-seals, there is one 
kind of long and somewhat coarse hair, which appears at 
the surface, and another of a softer and finer nature, which 
forms the thick and warm under-fur. This under-fur is 
greatly developed in Mammals of all groups inhabiting 
Tibet, where it is locally known as ‘‘pashm’’; and it is 
this pashm of the goat of these regions which affords the 
materials for the celebrated Kashmir shawls. Curiously 


115 


enough, too, animals which usually do not develop pashm 
almost immediately tend to its production when taken to 
the Tibetan region, as is notably the case with dogs. Less 
frequently the hair of the body takes the form of stiff 
bristles, as on the pig; and still more rarely this thicken- 
ing is carried to such an extent as to produce spines, of 
which we have the best instances in the porcupine and 
hedgehog, belonging, it should be borne in mind, to dis- 
tinct orders. 

“‘The solid horns of the rhinoceroses, and the hollow 
horny sheaths of cattle and antelopes are very similar in 
their nature to hairs, and may indeed be compared to 
masses of hair welded together into solid structures. 

‘“Mammals differ from Fish, Amphibeans and Reptiles 
in having warm blood which ig propelled from a four 
chambered heart through a double circulating system; 
one part causing the blood to pass through the lungs to 
take in a fresh supply of oxygen from the air, and the 
other serving to supply the freshly oxygenized blood to 
the various organs and members of the body; the blood 
for the nourishment of the body being propelled from the 
heart by a single vessel known as the aorta, which passes 
over the left branch of the wind pipe. 

“‘With the exception of the egg laying Monotremes, 
Mammals are invariably born in a living condition, and 
whether they live on the land or in the water breathe air 
by means of lungs suspended in the chest. As a rule they 
have the two pair of limbs characteristic of vertebrates, 
but occasionally, as in the whales, the hinder pair may be 
wanting. In some cases, like the kangaroos and jumping 
mice, the hind limbs are enormously elongated and pro- 
gression is affected by means of leaps and bounds. The 
opposite extreme of limb structure is shown in the bats; 
whose hind limbs retain their normal structure, while the 
fore limbs are enormously elongated to afford support for 
a leathery wing like structure, by means of which these 
strangely modified creatures are enabled to fly in the air 
with the same ease and swiftness as the birds. In the true 
seals, the hind limbs are directed backward to form with 
the tail a kind of rudder, while the fore limbs are short- 
ened so as to form paddles for swimming, and as before 
stated, in the completely aquatic mammals the hind limbs 
are entirely wanting. 


116 Tse Bear Famiy. 


CARNIVORA. 


Flesh-eating mammals are designated as Carnivores, 
although some of them are omnivorous rather than 
strictly carnivorous. They are all more or less beasts 
of prey, and their mental system as well as their struc- 
ture shows the results of their predatory habits. 

The bones in all the species of this order are compara- 
tively slender but very strong; as a rule they have 
thirteen dorsal vertebrae, and with a few exceptions like 
the cat and dog, they have five toes armed with claws, 
the thumb or great toe not being opposable to the others 
so as to enable them to grasp any object. 

The jaws of the Carnivores are short and stout, and 
the head of the lower jaw is usually placed in a deep 
and narrow socket so that little grinding motion is pos- 
sible, the movements of the jaw being confined to a 
vertical plane. The enamel covered teeth are fitted for 
cutting rather than grinding. There are six incisors in 
each jaw, the lateral ones being the largest. The canines 
are strong and conical and in some cases enormously 
developed. The number of molars varies, but the typical 
number is four premolars and three molars on each sidé of 
each jaw, one of them on each side of each jaw usually 
being converted into a sectorial tooth that has a com- 
pressed cutting edge, and with its fellow of the opposite 
jaw acts like a pair of shears. 

The alimentary tract of the Carnivores is compara- 
tively short and simplified, and they have no vermiform 
appendix. With the exception of taste their senses are 
highly developed. As is shown by our classification 
chart they are divided into two sub-orders, the Fissipedia 
and the Pinnipedia. The Fissipedia are divided, by 
some authorities into three groups, of which the Bear, 
the Dog and the Cat are the respective types. Most of 
the varieties of the first two walk on the sole of the foot, - 
and are known as Plantigrades, while the majority of 


the other group are called digitigrades because they 
walk on the ends of the toes. 


Tue Bear FAmMILy. 117 


THE BEAR FAMILY. 
(Ursidae.) 


All members of the Bear family have a marked resem- 
blance to one another, and are of heavy massive build, 
with thick limbs, extremely short tails, and the five 
toes on each foot armed with powerful fixed claws. 
Their ordinary gait is slow and measured, and they plant 
the foot squarely on the ground so the impression is very 
much like that made by the human being; this feature 
being more marked in the case of the Bear than in that 
of other animals of the plantigrade order. Like the dogs 
they have two pairs of molar teeth in the upper jaw 
and three in the lower, but the shape of the teeth is dif- 
ferent. The Bears are evidently descended from dog- 
like animals, but the majority of them subsist on a vege- 
table diet or on insects to a much greater extent than on 
flesh. All Bears are notoriously deficient in hearing and 
have poor sight, but their sense of smell is very acute. 
They differ in many important particulars from all other 
carnivorous animals, and are rightly classed as a separate 
family with a comparatively small number of species. 
The fur of the Bear is always coarse, and generally long, 
thick and shaggy, and of one color all over the body if 
we except the white collar sometimes found around the 
neck of the black and the brown Bear. With the excep- 
tion of a few peculiar species all Bears have forty-two 
teeth, and the soles of the feet are bare, while the small 
ears are thickly haired. 


BROWN BEAR. 


The Brown Bear (Ursus-aretos), is the best-known 
member of the Bear family. The Grizzly Bear of North 
America, the Syrian Bear, the Isabellan Bear of the 
Himalayas, and numerous others are really local races 
of the Brown Bear rather than distinct species of their 
kind. 

The Brown Bear is an inhabitant of almost the whole 
of Europe and of Asia to the north of the Himalayas; and 


118 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIO. 


is also comparatively common in many parts of Scan- 
dinavia, Hungary and Russia. In Kamschatka it is very 
plentiful and attains to large dimensions. 

The Brown or Common Bear of Europe has a convex 
forehead; on the cubs the fur is woolly, but grows 
smoother with age and changes from its original whitish 
color to varying shades of brown, or a greyish hue, in 
some specimens bordering on the silver. All the young 
have a white collar which in some varieties remains 
through life. There is also considerable variation in 
height, without any fixed relation to age and sex. This 
animal inhabits the lofty mountains and great forests of 
Europe and Asia, and lodges high up in the trees; the 
coupling season is in June, and the young are produced 
in January. When young the flesh of this animal is 
esteemed a delicacy and the paws are good eating at all 
ages. 

The favorite haunts of this species are wooded, hilly 
districts, and in the higher latitudes they hibernate regu- 
larly in the winter. They are unsociable animals, but occa- 
sionally a male and female will be seen together accom- 
panied by their cubs. In some sections they kill and eat 
other animals, but generally speaking the Brown Bears 
are insect and vegetable feeders. In Kamschatka they 
are said to subsist largely on salmon. In pursuing the 
salmon a Bear will walk slowly into the water to a depth 
of about eighteen inches, and facing down stream will 
wait motionless for its prey; the careless fish swimming 
up the river mistakes the Bear’s legs for tree stumps, and 
so falls an unconscious victim to the lightning stroke of 
the Bear’s forepaw. 

The Brown Bear is uncouth in appearance and move- 
ment, but it can travel pretty fast in a shambling kind 
of a gallop. It never voluntarily attacks a human being, 
but when angered it is capable of inflicting terrible in- 
juries when thrashing around with its paws. From its 
anatomical construction there would seem to be little 
foundation for the stories told of its hugging powers. 
Is is easily tamed and taught to perform tricks. It is re- 
markable for its longevity, some of the species having 
been known to live over forty years, and a case is re- 
corded of a female Brown Bear giving birth to a cub at 
the age of thirty-two. years. 


Tue Bear Faminy. 119 


GRIZZLY BEAR. 


The largest of all Bears, the Grizzly (Ursus-horribilis), 
is a native of western North America, where it ranges 
from Mexico to Alaska. In the northern part of its range 
it hibernates, but in the south it remains active all win- 
ter. The Silver Tip, Barren Ground, Roachback, Cinna- 
mon and Isabella are all varieties of the Grizzly; and its 
differences of form are as marked as its wide range in 
color; some of the species have a well-defined hump on 
the back which is entirely wanting in others, and there 
is also a wide variation in the width of the sole of the 
hind feet, Accounts vary greatly as to the size and 
weight of the Grizzly, but there is no doubt that this ani- 
mal sometimes attains to thirteen feet in length, and 1,100 
pounds in weight, but the average weight of a large male 
Grizzly is nearer 800 pounds. 

The Grizzly feeds on flesh, nuts and acorns. It is a 
poor climber, but has prodigious strength; one of the 
species has been known to break the neck of a tall bison 
with a single blow of its paw, and another to have car- 
ried off over rough ground a male Wapiti weighing 
over 1,000 pounds. Sir Samuel Baker says, ‘‘It will kill 
several deer and leave them untouched on the ground at 
daybreak the following morning.’’ It is credited with 
extreme ferocity towards man. ‘ 


BLACK BEAR. 


As the Grizzly is the largest so the Black Bear (Ursus- 
americanus), is the smallest member of the American 
Bear family. It seldom exceeds five feet in length, and 
its fur is smoother, glossier and less shaggy than that of 
either the Brown or Grizzly Bear, It is said by Col. E. 
D. C. Alexander, that the Black Bear formerly frequented 
‘Call the mountains, the thickets of the vast plains, and 
every creek, river and bay bottom, from Labrador and 
Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. At present its habitat is 
confined to the mountains south of the St. Lawrence 
River and the Great Lakes and east of the Mississippi 
River, if we except the few that are still found in the 
dense thickets of the Colorado, Trinity and Brazos 
Rivers.”’ 


120 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIO. 


When full grown, the American Black Bear will stand 
about three feet high and weigh fully 600 pounds. It feeds 
on frogs, fish, turtles, the smaller rodents, insects, honey, 
berries, roots and vegetables, with a decided preference 
for a frugiverous diet; but some writers claim that it is 
gradually growing more carnivorous and bolder, and cite 
in proof of this contention a growing disposition to raid 
barn yards and slay and eat poultry, sheep, pigs and 
even calves. The Black Bear is an excellent swimmer 
and a good climber, but cannot go up into the tree tops, 
or out upon the branches, because of its weight. 


The Black Bear hibernates regularly in winter; but 
the male remains active as long as he can find an abund- 
ance of food, while the female always seeks shelter as soon 
as cold weather comes in a den excavated under the 
root of a fallen tree, or beneath a pile of logs, with a few 
bushes and leaves scooped together for a bed. Some- 
times the den is a great hole dug into the side of a knoll. 
The young, who are usually born in January or February, 
number from two to four to a litter. If the indications 
point to a severe winter and there is a scarcity of food 
these animals will take great pains to make a comfort- 
able nest; but when the weather permits them to stay 
out late they do not fix up their dens at all; but simply 
crawl into any convenient shelter, letting the snow com- 
plete a covering which forms into an icy wall as their 
breath condenses and freezes into it, increasing in thick- 
ness and extent day by day until they could not escape 
from their icy cell, even if they would, before they are 
liberated by the sun, in April or May. 


The Himalayan Black Bear, with its pure white chin, 
long side whiskers, and large ears, is unquestionably the 
handsomest representative of the Bear Family. The 
Malay Sun Bear is the smallest, ugliest and most ill tem- 
pered of the lot, but in size the Japanese Black Bear 
approaches it closely. 


Among the peculiar species we find the Spectacled 
Bears of South America, which are distinguished by their 
very glossy jet-black coats, small ears, long feet and the 
imperfect circles of white around their eyes. 


Tue Bear Faminy. 121 


POLAR BEAR. 


The Polar Bear (Ursus-maritimus), has a smaller and 
more elongated head, longer neck, shorter ears, and 
smaller teeth than other Bears; and is also distinguished 
by the white coat which it retains all the year round. 
In this respect it differs from other white mammals, who 
generally exchange their winter dress for one of darker 
color in the summer. This animal is one of the largest 
members of the Bear family. In attacking its enemies 
it does not hug or strike with its claws like the others 
of its kind, but bites; stories of its ferocity have how- 
ever been greatly exaggerated, for unless rendered fierce 
by hunger or an attack it is rarely known to molest a 
man. The most dangerous and aggressive of the species 
is the large male of a yellowish or dirty white tinge. A 
large, fat male Polar Bear will sometimes weigh from 
600 to 700 pounds, and measure as much as nine feet. 
The speed of the Polar Bear is considerable, but Indians 
have been known to overtake and kill it after a fair chase. 


The Polar Bear is found in the Arctic regions of both 
hemispheres, and generally lives on the coasts of islands 
surrounded by ice although it is often found on ice 
fields far out at sea. Its principal food consists of the 
flesh of Seals and Walruses, but it also eats sea weed, 
grass, lichens and smaller fish. 


In the Hudson’s Bay district the females proceed to 
hibernate for the purpose of producing their young about 
the end of September and reappear in the spring, two 
cubs generally being produced at a birth. Hibernation 
takes place on some distant island. The males accompany 
their consorts to their resting place, but leave them 
there, while they return to the coast to hunt throughout 
the winter. 

The fur of the Black, Brown and Grizzly Bear is made 
into muffs and neck pieces as well as sleigh robes and 
rugs; but the skin of the Polar Bear is only used for floor 
rugs. 


122 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


Poutsar BEAR. 


ies 
\ B#G& 


SA 
NaS > 
xs 


RAEN 
Sq 


GRIzzLy BEAR. 
Brown BEAR. Buiack BEAR. 


THe Cat Faminy. 123 


THE CAT FAMILY. 


‘Of all the Carnivora, the Cats are the most completely 
and powerfully armed. Their short and round muzzles, 
short jaws, and particularly their retractile nails, whirh 
raised perpendicularly and hidden between the toes by 
the action of an elastic ligament when at rest lose neither 
point nor edge, render them formidable animals. 

‘“They have two false molars above, and two below. Their 
superior carnivorous tooth has three lobes and a blunted 
heel on the inside, the inferior has two pointed and trench- 
ant lobes without any heel. They have a very small canine 
tooth above, without anything below to correspond.”’ 

The species are all similar in form, but vary greatly in 
size, length of hair and color. 

All the Felidae have five digits on the fore feet, and 
four on the hind ones; when ready to strike they crouch 
and spring upon their victim which they fasten ‘‘by 
the deadly grip of the well armed jaw, and the united 
action of eighteen fully extended piercing claws. The 
fore-limbs are endowed with a freedom almost equal 
to that of the Primates, and can be bent, extended and 
turned with the utmost ease and swiftness, and deal a 
blow as readily as the fists of a man.’’ Although cats 
possess only thirty teeth—twelve less than the dog— 
they have every variety of tooth needed by a carnivorous 
mammal. Their eyes are large, but the pupil possesses a 
power of contraction under the influence of sunlight, 
that enables some species to reduce it to a vertical slit 
and others to a small round aperture. 

The European Wild Cat (Felis-catus) is now extinct 
in England where it was very common at one time, but 
it is still found in Scotland, Southern Russia, Turkey, 
Greece, Hungary, Germany, Spain, Dalmatia, Switzer- 
land and in some parts of Asia. During the middle 
ages its fur was commonly used for trimmings, and a 
eanon of the year 1227 forbade any abbess or nun to 
wear more costly fur than that of lambs or cats. W. A. 
Lockington says: ‘‘This cat is larger and more 
strongly built than any domestic cat, and has a stouter 


124 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


and shorter head, and a thick tail which does not taper. 
It is usually yellowish grey in color with a dark streak 
along the back, numerous darkish stripes down the sides 
and across the limbs, and has black rings on the tail. It is a 
very savage animal even as a kitten, and sometimes 
attains a length of more than three feet from tip to 
tip. The female, who carries her young sixty-eight days, 
makes her nest in the hollows of trees or clefts of rocks, 
or even uses the deserted nest of some large bird.’’ Some 
naturalists claim that the domestic cat is descended, at 
least in part, from this species, but the Egyptian Cat 


‘i 


THE EGYPTIAN Cat. 


(Felis-caliata), whose range extends throughout Africa 
and also into Asia, is probably the ancestor of most of 
the varieties of the Felis-domestica. The color of this 
species varies from a pale red to grey, always marked 
with more or less obscure stripes on the body and more 
distinct ones on the hind limbs, the tail is ringed and 
has a black tip; it has been known by different 
names at different times, and probably the Felis-chaus 
of Africa really belongs to this species, as the hinder 
parts of its feet are sometimes black. 


Tue Cat FaMIty. 125 


THE DOMESTIC CAT. 


Not every Domestic Cat is a house cat, but all House 
Cats belong to Domestic species. While the skins of a 
number of varieties of domesticated cats who live out 
doors are extensively used by furriers, the skin of the House 
Cat is of little commercial value. 

The House Cat of our homes is one of the animals that 
has become attached to civilization all over the world. 
There are many species in the Cat Family, but the House 
Cat is the one familiar to us all. We have all played with 
it in childhood or watched it roll the spools or grand- 
mother’s ball of yarn across the kitchen floor, and have 
heard it purr contentedly before the fire, or seen it basking 
in the sunshine on the porch of the old homestead. We 
have all been reminded at times by the sting of the sharp 
claws hidden in the velvet paws, and its cruelty to the 
mouse within its grasp, of the inherent treacherous, savage 
nature that lies dormant under its apparently gentle 
disposition. The House Cat makes us think of 
home and the fireside, just as the dog recalls to the mem- 
ory of most of us, the days in camp and tramps through 
the woods, or walks along the shore. The Cat is not as 
intelligent or affectionate as the dog. It is attached to 
the house and its surroundings, rather than the individual. 
A dog will follow his master to the ends of the earth 
and if needs be die in his defense, but the cat will fly 
from him upon the first approach of danger. The one 
is a faithful, dumb friend, upon whose loyalty we can 
always depend, the other is a sleek, unctous brute time 
server. 

The House Cat though naturally timid will fight 
desperately in its own defense. No one who has lain 
awake listening to the caterwauling of this animal, rang- 
ing in volume of sound from the low plaintive cry of an 
infant, to the loud, discordant tones of an enraged virago, 
will doubt that there is a cat in every well regulated 
household—and some to spare. 

This animal begins to produce at the end of the first 
year; bringing forth four to six young ones, two or even 
three times a year. 


126 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


There are some varieties of House Cats like the 
Angora species and the tailless Manx Cat that for 
various reasons have a commercial value. Among 
other singular breeds may be mentioned the Mombas Cat 
of Africa, which has short, stiff, close-lying hairs instead 
-of fur. The Persian, believed by some to be descended 
from the Asiatic Cat, is the largest variety of Domestic 
Cat, and the Diminutive Paraguay Cat is the smallest 
representative of the species. 


Manx Cat. 


The skin of the Domestic Cat like that of other cats is 
much thicker at the head than on the rest of the body, 
as a natural protection to the males in fighting. Owing 
to the elasticity of its limbs, and the freedom with which 
the skin moves on the body, it can also fall or jump from 
a great height without sustaining serious injury. 

The black skins are the most valuable, and the largest 
and best of these come from Holland. Denmark and Hol- 
stein also produce good black skins, and fair and medium 
skins are obtained in Germany, France and Switzer- 
land. Russia produces many skins, but they are of poor 
quality. All cat skins have a line of bristly hair running 
down the back, which is cut out when they are being manu- 
factured into articles of fur wear. The black skins are 
often called ‘‘Genet;’’ but while they are a good depend- 
able fur it is a misrepresentation to sell them for Genets. 

Cuvier says, that the habitat of the Domestic Cat was 
originally in the forests of Europe; where in its wild 
state the fur was of a greyish brown with dark trans- 


THe Cat Famiuy. 127 


verse undulations and paler below than on the top, and 
yellowish on the inside of the thighs and feet. Naturalists 
all claim that if turned out again into the wild the Do- 
mestie Cat would go back to its original color and habits. 


{| eee 
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E 
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Cuan, iy 
| Pag y) 
| pes 
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Oh," \ Ss, ly Ket 4 
ane << ee Wie, we 


Everything indicates that the Wild and Domestic Common 
Cats belong to the same species. The greater length of the 
more tapering tail of the House Cat being accounted for 
by the better feeding and greater comfort it enjoys. 


EUROPEAN WILD Cart. 


The dun and yellow Caffer Cat, of the Cape of Good 
Hope with its brown or spotted marks, the Bokharan 
Chaus or Afghan Cat, with its longer, lighter fur and 
few rings on the tail, the European Wild Cat and all the 
Domestic or House Cats, are undoubtedly varieties of the 
same species (Felis-catus). 


128 CaRNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


Reference to the classification charts will show that 
there are more species of Leopard and Tiger Cats in 
different parts of the world than of any other animal. It 
is impossible to give a detailed description of each variety 
here, but the Servals of India and Africa, like the Ameri- 
ean Ocelot, call for something more than passing notice. 


The habitat of the African Tiger Cat, as the type species 
(Felis-serval) is sometimes called, is in Algeria and other 
parts of East Africa. It is a tall, slender animal with a 
small head and pointed broad ears. The ringed tail is 
thick and heavily furred. The. ground color is yellow 
above and white on the under parts. There are four 
narrow stripes on the head and shoulders, and three or 
four black stripes running the length of the back. The sides 
are marked with numerous large round black spots, that 
also appear on the belly, but farther apart. The Cape 
Serval is smaller than the Algerian, and has a much longer 
tail. The orange colored variety found in Senegal has a 
very short tail, and its under parts are isabella color. 
It has black ears, black stripes on the back, and ‘full round 
spots on the sides. There are several other sub-species 
of the African Serval. 

There are two distinct species of the serval found in 
India; the (Felis-viverrina), which is somewhat smaller 
than the type species, and the brownish yellow (Felis- 
himalayana) which is smaller still, and has short close 
hair. marked on the back with large chocolate colored 
stripes, and on the under parts with spot-like short stripes 
of the same color. 

The Servals are blood thirsty animals, but can be 
tamed if taken when young. They prey on the young 
antelopes, and in settled districts rob the hen coops. 

The Margay Cat (Felis-tigrina) is an animal consider- 
ably smaller than the Ocelot. Its habitat is the wooded 
lowlands of Mexico and all the countries between Mexico 
and Paraguay. It is about two feet long exclusive of 
the twelve to eighteen inch tail, and the type variety 
has a rather harsh fur of a dun drizzled color marked 
with black spots and rings. Other forms have soft reddish 
fur with black spots that often have a pale center, and 
a tail that is larger than that of the type species. 


t 
THe Cat Faminy. 129 


Geoffroy’s Cat (Felis-geoffroy), found in Paraguay 
and Chili, and the Ocelot-like cat (Felis-pardinoides) of 
the United States of Columbia, are species nearly related 
to the Margay cat. The former has a short whitish 
brown fur, with a white throat and a white streak on 
the cheeks, and numerous evenly distributed small black 
spots on the body. It also has four black streaks on the 
crown, two on the cheeks and one on the chest. The 
skull is short and broad. The Ocelot-like Cat measures 
eighteen inches without the ten inch tail, and has dark 
blotches with a black border, instead of the spots that 
distinguish the Geoffroy’s Cat which it otherwise greatly 
resembles. 


The Ocelot (Felis-pardalis), the largest Leopard Cat of 
America, is from two to three feet long, and has a twelve- 
inch tail which is partly ringed. It is a lively and graceful 
animal, marked more or less with black on the face and 
light under parts; and showing a great variety of mark- 
ings on the back and sides. Some specimens are beauti- 
fully striped, while others are blotched like a dark tabby 
cat, but they are all characterized by the oblong shape of 
the dark spots with drab centers which appear on the 
sides; on the back the spots are always solid black. The 


Ocelot is the third largest of the American Felidae, and is 
sometimes called the Jungle Cat and the Young Jaguar. 


Its range is from Texas south through Mexico, Central 
America and South America, down to Southern Brazil. 


130 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


There are also a number of species of uniform brownish 
colcred Panther Cats, of which the Jaguarondi (Felis- 
yaguarondi), whose range is from Texas through Mexico 
and Central America to Brazil, is a type. The Jaguarondi 
has a slender elongated body, a very long tail, and short 
limbs. It is larger than a good size domestic cat and 
quite often seen in captivity. 

The Pampas Cat (Felis Payeros) is another type of 
South American Wild Cat. It is distinguished from the 
Leopard and Panther Cats by its short full tail, and the 
dark transverse bars on its greyish yellow coat, which 
cause it to somewhat resemble the European Wild Cat in 
appearance. 


LEOPARDS. 


The Leopard, the most graceful and beautiful of all its 
tribe, is the largest spotted cat of the old world. It is not 
as large, strong or fierce as the American Puma or Jaguar, 
but superior in these particulars to all the Felidae 
of the Eastern continent, except the Lion and the Tiger. 
The body of a good size Leopard will measure four feet in 
length, exclusive of the three foot tail. The skull is nine 
inches long and five inches across at the widest part. 
There are several distinct species of this animal, and a 
number of sub-species or varieties of the type species 
(Felis-pardus), which was called the panther by the 
ancients, and is now commonly known as the Pard. 

The Pard is found in Africa, Southern Asia and the 
islands of the Indian Archipelego. The East Indian 
Leopard (F. pardus-panther) is the most numerous of the 
Asiatic Pards. It is a rich reddish yellow color above and 
white beneath. On each flank it has six or seven rows of 
large open ring-like black rosets with orange centers, 
that in some cases are clearly defined. A profusion of 
solid black spots of different sizes show on the neck, 
breast, belly and legs, and the head is beautifully marked 
with black and white stripes. The tail has a black tip and 
black spots along the entire length, and the ears are also 
tipped with black. The Pards on the island of Ceylon 
are somewhat smaller and lighter in color than those 
inhabiting the central and southern portions of India, 


Tue Car Famiuy. 131 


and have longer and softer fur. The Leopard of North 
Eastern India is still smaller and lighter, and more thickly 
covered with black spots. 


The large, dark yellow Pard of southern China, Java, 
Siam and Sumatra (L. pardus-variagatus), has reddish 
roset rings, in which the openings are closed with spots 
of the same color. A smaller variety, with a longer tail, 
and colored more like the Pardus-panther, and marked 
with innumerable spots, each made up of two or three 
black dots, is seen on the island of Sunda. 


Ounce (SNow LEOPARD). 


The Snow Leopard (Felis-uncia), also called the 
Ounce, is a distinct species. Its habitat is in the 
Vale of Cashmere, in the Himalayas, and other highlands 
of central Asia. The fur of this animal is almost two 
inches long, and white on the surface, but bluish at the 
roots. In spite of its length, the fur is harsh to the touch; 
this being due, probably, to its exposed habitat on the 
mountain wastes. The legs are faintly marked, and the 
thickly furred tail is longer than the body, and also 
marked with faint rings. The spots on the head are 
small, black and solid. From the reference to ‘‘The 
Mountains of the Leopard’’ in Canticles (IV-8) it would 
appear, that this animal in ancient times had a habitat in 
Palestine. 


132 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


The Black Pard of Java is probably only a color varia- 
tion, as mothers have been seen nursing young of different 
hues. It is said that Black Leopards are never seen on 
the main land, and the skins, some of which are so dark 
that the spots are hardly perceptible, and others of a 
greyish shade on which the spots stand out in beautiful 
contrast, are highly prized. 


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The Persian Pard (F. pardus-tulliana) is not as graceful 
as the East Indian Leopard, but larger and slenderer, and 
very beautiful. The greyish yellow ground color is 
whitish in places, and marked with black roset rings of 
solid spots. The range of this animal extends from 
Persia to the Caucausian Mountains. The (F. pardus- 
sinensis) of southern China resembles the East Indian Pard 
in some respects, but is smaller and of a darker yellow color 
and marked with small spots. 

The Chinese Leopard, the (F. pardus-fontaineri) of 
Mongolia, Manchuria and the entire eastern slope of the 
Himalayas, has a fine dense fur, that is over an inch long, 
with black markings showing on the brownish yellow ground 
color. The hair on the neck and belly is longer than on 


THe Cat Famity. 133 


the rest of the body, and the long thickly furred tail is 
marked with spots at the base. The (F. pardus-greyi), a 
much smaller Leopard, is found in the same habitat. The 
Pard of Turkistan, and the western Himalayas, also has 
a long fur, but it is coarser and lighter in color than that 
of the Mongolian Leopard. The Corean Leopards are much 
lighter than those of northern China, and have shorter 
tails. 

There are several varieties of Pards in Africa south of 
Senegambia, the most important of which, the Common 
Leopard (Felis-pardus, leopardus) of West Africa, is 
characterized by its large size, small ears and long tail, 
which is two-thirds the length of the body. It is light 
yellow in color, and marked on the head, neck and legs 
with black spots of various sizes, and on the rest of the 
body and the tail with rosets formed of five or six small 
points each. The other African varieties of the Felis-pardus 
are the (F. pardus-somaliensis) of Abysinnia and Sumalo- 
land, which has larger ears, larger spots and more rosets, 
and is considerably darker in color than the West African 
Pard; the (F. pardus-suabelicus) of South Africa that has 
very large spots; and the (F. pardus-antiquorum) of 
Algeria, which is the largest and darkest of the African 
Leopards. 

(Felis-Chalibelata), is the designation given to a dis- 
tinct species, found in the eastern parts of East India. It 
stands lower than any other Leopard, and has a tail as 
long as the head and body combined. 


The type species of the rare and beautiful Clouded 
Leopard, or panther, has its habitat in the mountains of 
Northern India, Burma and Siam. It is about the size of 
an ordinary small leopard. The color is a brownish 
yellow on the upper parts, and lighter beneath. It has 
large oblong black spots on the back, and small spots 
between the two broad bands on the head. The sides are 
almost entirely covered with large irregular black 
blotches, and there are a number of dark rings on the 
tail. 

Other species of the Clouded Leopard are: The (Felis- 
macrocelis) of Borneo, and the (Felis-macrourus) of 
China. 


134 CARNIVORA:- FISSIPEDIA. 


The Hunting Leopard, (Felis-jubata), has a smaller 
and shorter head than the Common Leopard; but is 
longer bodied, and stands higher, though otherwise it is 
about the same size. Its nails are not retractile. The fur 
is fawn colored, mottled with uniform black spots; and it 
has a black stripe on each side of the face, reaching from 
the eye to the end of the mouth. The disposition of this 
animal is mild and docile, and its name indicates the 
purpose for which it is mostly used. 


LES 


Ze 


The Chitah or Hunting Leopard, takes kindly to cap- 
tivity, and permits handling to a greater extent than 
any other large feline. In the middle ages the Chitah 
was used in France to stalk the Roebucks and hares, and 
in India it is still trained to hunt the Antelope. It is 
drawn blindfolded. on.a cart to a .spot within a few hun- 
dred yards of a herd of antelope, when the bandage is 
removed from its eyes the Chitah singles out some animal 
in the herd, and approaching it by bounds seizes it and 
pulls it down. 

The Leopards all have a peculiar habit of watching; 
and all the species’ and varieties of this animal have the 
eat habit of sharpening their claws against the trees. 


Tue Car Faminy. 135 


THE LION 


The Lion (Felis-leo), the largest, strongest and most 
courageous member of the Felidae, is rightly named the 


king of beasts. It was at one time frequently seen in 
Algeria, Musholaland and other parts of Central Africa, 


South Western Asia, Arabia and Guzarat in India. In 
ancient times it was found in much colder climates than its 
present range, which is becoming more and more restrict- 
ed. Now the large, lean, short maned East African Lion 
is the most numerous variety of the Felis-leo. The Lion 
lives chiefly on sandy plains or in rocky places interspersed 
with thorn thickets; but it also frequents the low bushes 
and tall rank grasses and reeds along the edges of streams, 
where it lies in wait for the larger herbivorous animals 
upon which it feeds. It is occasionally seen abroad in the 
day time, but the night is the period of its greatest 
activity. The Lion usually trots and sometimes even gal- 
lops, but its ordinary pace is a walk. It cannot climb, but 
has been known to jump over fences twelve foot high in 
pursuit of its prey. It fears nothing but fire. 

The roar of the Lion is deep, impressive and appalling; 
but it is an established fact that formidable and merciless 
as the Lion is when aroused it will not go out of its way 
to attack a human, but will avoid a conflict unless it is 
famished or defending its young, or approached so close 
that it is afraid to turn and retreat. 

The adult male Lion is about ten feet long measuring 
from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail; the color is a 
uniform tawny brown, and the tail is tipped with a tuft of 
elongated black hairs. 

There are individual cases where the adult Lion is of a 
deep red or chestnut brown color, and occasionally one 
is seen whose skin is almost silver grey. The young 
when born, and for several months after, are spotted or 
striped. They play like kittens, and the mother carries 
them by the back of the neck. The period of gestation is 
about one hundred days, and from two to three whelps 
are produced at a birth. 


136 CARNIVORA FISsIPEDIA. 


The male of the species possesses a mane which gives 
the full-grown animal a majestic appearance. The mane 
is usually black or brown, and sometimes grows beyond 
the forelegs and is a protection to the male lions when 
fighting. The mane begins to grow when the animal is 
about three years old and is fully developed by the time it 
is five or six years of age. The small ears of the Lion 
are black or dark brown. ‘The canine teeth are two 
inches long and in the man-eaters they are blunted or 
broken. The full-grown male will weigh five hundred and 
fifty pounds and upwards; but the Lioness, which is much 
smaller and has no mane, will weigh only two hundred 
pounds, or even less. There are two marked species of 
the Lion; the Leo-africanus and the Leo-asiaticus, but 
there are several varieties of each. The Lion is principally 
sought for its skin, although the living animals are valuable 
for: menageries and zoological collections. A live male 
Lion is worth from $1,500 to $2,000; the skins bringing 
about one-tenth of that amount. The Lioness is much 
less valuable. 

The Lions from different districts show considerable 
variation in size, color and other external characteristics. 
The Germans distinguish them as Berberlowen, Kaplowen, 
Massailowen, Persicher Lowen, Lowen von Guzzerat and 
so on to the end of the list. The zoologists dvide the 
different local representatives of the Felis-leo into the 
following sub species: leo-barbarus, leo-capensis, leo- 
senegalensis, leo-somaliensis, leo-massaicus, leo-kamptii, 
leo-persicus and leo-goojratensis. 

The Cape Lion is now seldom seen near the Cape or in 
the Orange Free State, its habitat having been crowded 
back. The Guzerat Lion, which is the largest represen- 
tative of the family, and the Persian Lion, the smallest of 
the tribe, have also become rare. The ‘‘Man Eaters’’ are 
principally found among the long geared Massai Lions of 
Central East Africa. The Cape Lion is distinguished by 
its long dark mane, the now almost extinct Algerian Lion 
alone surpassing it in this respect. The Northwest African 
Lion is a smaller variety that is characterized by its 
orange color and yellow mane. 


THe Car Faminy. 137 


LYNXES. 


All the Lynxes are distinguished by the pencils of black 
hair which ornament the tips of their ears and the long 
fringe of hair, black at the base and white at the extrem- 
ity, that surrounds their faces. They all have very short 
tails, and their skins are usually more or less spotted but 
there is considerable variation in color, not only in the 
various species but in the same animal at different sea- 
sons, and at different elevations, or in different localities. 

The Jungle Cat (Felis-chaus) is the connecting link that 
prevents the Lynxes from being considered as a distinet 
species. It is larger than the domestic cat with which 
it agrees in having three premolar teeth in the upper jaw, 
as well as in the form of the lower flesh tooth; but in the 
circular pupil of its eye, its shorter tail, and a few long 
hairs on the tips of the ears, it approximates to the Lynxes. 
In color it varies from a yellowish grey, to a greyish brown, 
on the back, with reddish white under parts; the cheeks and 
breast may be either banded or pale, and the tail is always 
ringed and has a black tip like the ears. Black specimens 
are seen occasionally. In length it varies from twenty- 
four to thirty inches, exclusive of the ten inch tail. This 
animal has a wide range, being found in India, Persia, 
Ceylon, Burma, Syria and North Africa. It is also known, 
as the Chaus and the Marsh Lynx, although it is some- 
times found in the Himalayas at an elevation of eight 
thousand feet, and frequents the open country as-well as 
the jungles. It breeds twice a year and produces from 
three to four kittens at a litter. It is very savage and 
even the young are generally untamable. 

The Caracal (Felis-caracal) is believed to be the species 
to which the expression ‘‘Lynx-eyed’’ owes its origin. It 
is also known as the Persian and the Red Lynx, although 
the latter name properly belongs to one of the North 
American species. The Caracal was the true Lynx of the 
ancient but is now a rare animal, although its habitat 
still extends over the greater part of India and a large 
portion of Africa. This animal is of slender build, from 
twenty-six to thirty inches long, has a ten inch tail, 
and stands about eighteen inches high at the shoulders. 


138 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


The color varies from a reddish fawn to a brownish 
red, paler on the under than the upper parts of the body; 
the limbs and the tail are usually the same color as the 
body, but in some individuals the tail has a black tip; the 
ears are black on the outside and white within. The Car- 
acal is found in the grass and bushes oftener than in the 
forests. It feeds on the smaller species of deer, hares, 
cranes and other birds, and is so active it can jump and 
capture birds on the wing at a height of five to six feet 
from the ground. It is easily tamed, and can be taught 
to capture the animals that are its natural prey. 

The Pardine Lynx (Felis-pardinus), of Southern Europe, 
is the most beautiful of all the Lynxes, clearly defined 
rounded black spots showing through the soft fur, which 
is fox red on the upper and white on the lower parts. 
Cuvier refers to the (Felis-cevaria) of Asia as being the 
handsomest representative of its family; but from his 
description it must be a variety of the Pardine Lynx rather 
than a distinct species, although it appears to be larger 
in size, and to have a denser fur. 


The Persian or Siberian Lynx, which is classed by some 
zoologists as (Felis-isabellina), is probably a local variety 
of the Common Lynx of Europe. 


Compared with the American Lynx the Common Lynx 
of Europe (Felis-lynx) is a rare animal. It has entirely dis- 
appeared from France and some other parts of the conti- 
nent of Europe, but is still found in considerable numbers 
in Russia, the Scandinavian Peninsula, Finland and Spain. 
It is very much like the American type in its soft silvery 
winter coat, but its summer dress is considerably redder 
although the color varies in different localities, sometimes 
being a light brown marked with small black spots. 
In the milder climates it always has less fur and is more 
spotted than where it is exposed to extreme cold. In 
structure, habits and disposition the American and 
European Lynxes are so much alike that they should 
properly be considered as different varieties of the same 
species. 

The American Lynx (Felis-canadensis) is abundant in 
all British North America, except Labrador where the 
skins are of superior quality, but the animal is compara- 


THe Car Faminy. 139 


tively rare. Minnesota appears to be the southern limit 
of its eastern habitat, but it is sometimes found as far 
south as the Adirondack Mountains; its range on the 
western slope of the North American continent extending 
from Alaska to California. The skins from Nova Scotia, 
and the eastern part of the Hudson Bay country, closely 
resemble those of the Norway Lynxes of Europe in the 
character of the pelt and the beauty of the fur. The Cali- 
fornia and northwestern varieties, while stronger in the 
fur, are coarser and redder than the Nova Scotia skins. 
The Alaska skins have a soft, rich, thick fur, but they are 
very pale in color. The Sitka skins have a shrivelled ap- 
pearance but the fur is soft and fine. All the Alaska 
Lynxes are characterized by the thick hair that protects 
their large foot pads from the snow. 

The American or Canadian Lynx is two feet high, and 
from three to four feet long including the five inch tail. 
As is the case with all of its kind, the hind legs are 
much longer than the front legs, and the claws are quite 
sharp and retractile and well concealed in the thick foot 
pads. Its winter pelage consists of a coat of thick 
soft fur, about one inch long on the back, which is inter- 
mixed with longer silvery hairs; the under coat, which 
in some rare instances is drab or blue or light yellow, gen- 
erally being light reddish in color on the surface. The 
ground color of the under fur is invariably a greyish blue; 
and the fur on the belly is always finer and longer than 
that on the back, generally showing light spots through 
the three inch silky hairs. The fur is always thicker and 
richer on the paler animals than on those of darker hue. 
In summer the Lynx loses most of its beautiful fur 
and its chief covering is a brownish red hair. The skin 
of the Lynx is thin but as is the case with all of the Cat 
family, it is thicker at the neck than on the other parts of 
the body. 

The Lynx is a shy animal dwelling in the deep forests 
and bush country where it preys on birds, hares and other 
small mammals, sometimes attacking young fawns and 
lambs, but the stories of its killing full grown deer are 
probably fiction. It is said to swim well, and its ordinary 
gait is a long gallop like that of a hare, but when leaping 
over the-ground with the back arched it presents a pecu- 


140 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


liar appearance. The Lynx is hunted for its skin 
which is very valuable. The hunters either follow its 
track through the snow, or hunt it with dogs trained to 
follow the trail by scent till the animal is treed and shot. 


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Lynx. 


The name Lucerne formerly given to the Lynx was prob- 
ably a contraction of Loup-Cervier, a term applied to it by 
the early French writers ‘‘who ascribed to it a habit of 
dropping from trees onto the backs of the deers, and des- 
troying them by tearing their throats and drinking their 
blood.’’ 

The Bay Lynx (Felis-rufa), also known as the American 
Wild Cat or Cat Common, is placed in a separate species 
because of its inferior size, uniform reddish color, bushy 
tail and shorter fur. It shows considerable vari- 
ation in color and pelage in different localities of its hab- 
itat. A handsome spotted variety is found in Texas and 
southern California, and another with dark vertical 
streaks in Washington and Oregon; these were formerly 
regarded as distinct species and classed respectively as 
Felis-maculata and Felis-faciata. The type species of 
American Wild Cat is rarely seen as far north as the Adi- 
rondacks, being more common in milder climates, where 
Dr. Merriam says: ‘‘They frequent rocky hills and ledges 
and do not show that antipathy to civilization so marked 
in their cogener the True Lynx. In fact, the Bay Lynx is 
often quite common in thickly-settled portions of the 
country, and sometimes proves of much annoyance to the 


Tue Cat Faminy. 141 


farmer by carrying off lambs, little pigs, and poultry— 
ducks, geese, turkeys and chickens proving equally ac- 
ceptable. Away from the farmyard it feeds upon rabbits, 
squirrels, mice, grouse, and what small birds it is fortunate 
enough to capture. It generally makes its nest in a hol- 
low tree or log, and lines it well with moss. From two to 
four young constitute a litter, the most frequent number 
being three.’’ 

There is a large and woolly variety of Cat Common 
found in Nova Scotia, known as the Canadian or Halifax 
Bay Lynx, which is much larger than the other varieties 
of the species, and has a finer, denser and longer fur. 
It is a rich grey brown in color and the belly is beautifully 
marked with black spots, and some of the skins of this 
animal almost equal those of the true Lynx in quality. 

The Plateau Lynx (Felis-baileyi), a species of Ameri- 
ean Lynx found on the high plateaux of Colorado, Utah 
and Arizona approximates closer to the Bay Lynx 
or American Wild Cat than it does to the true Lynx; but 
it has a shorter tail, softer fur, and a paler light buff color 
above, and lacks the black markings found on the face 
and forehead of the Bay Lynx. 

The lair of the True Lynx is usually formed among the 
rocks. It is savage in spite of its timidity, often killing 
more animals than it can devour. The young are born 
blind, and from two to three cubs are produced at a birth. 


142 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


PUMA. 


The Puma, sometimes erroneously called the panther, 
is also known as the American lion. Its principal habitat 
is in Central and South America, but it is also found in 
some parts of the North American Continent, at one time 
being quite common in New York State. 

The Puma is a powerful animal from four to five feet 
long; and its bushy black-tipped tail is nearly as long as 
the body. It is capable of making great leaps—a spring 
of twenty feet not being uncommon. The general color 
of the body is a light dun brown, the fur on the belly 
being much lighter and longer than on the back. Ex- 
cept for mountings and rugs the skins have little value 


PuMA OR Coucuar. 


at present, though at one time they were used for car- 
riage robes. The color changes with age until it becomes 
a silvery fawn in the older animals. 

It is said to be swifter, deadlier, more subtle and more 
voracious than the Jaguar. The Guanaco is its favorite 
prey ; but the Viscachas also are the victims of its insatiable 
appetite and thirst for blood, and in consequence of the 
terror with which it inspires them these creatures have 
become wild to excess, 


THe Cat FamIny. 143 


JAGUAR. 


The Jaguar is about as large as a timber wolf, and in 
strength and ferocity resembles the royal Bengal tiger; 
but unlike the tiger it is an agile climber, although it has a 
massive and heavy appearance. 

The general color of the Jaguar is a light yellowish 
brown, beautifully marked with chocolate brown or black 
roset rings, which with the exception of those on the 
head and tail generally have a small black spot in the 
center. The hair is short, but longer than that on the 
East Indian Leopard, and is almost white on the under 
part of the body. 


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“Tt is a merciful dispensation of Providence that ani- 
mals like the Jaguar, Puma, Tiger and Lion are not gre- 
garious, but hunt singly or in couples. If they herded 
like wolves whole provinces would be depopulated by 
their ravages; but as it is they can be destroyed in de- 
tail and their numbers kept within bounds while their 
depredations are confined to their native jungles.”’ 

The Jaguar is found in Mexico, British Honduras and 
most parts of South America with the exception of Chili 
and Peru. 


144 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


THE TIGER. 


Handsomer in color and markings but not as majestic in 
appearance as the Lion, the Tiger is said to fully equal if 
it does not excel in strength the king of beasts. 

As is the case with many mammals the general color of 
the Tiger assimilates itself to the color of the country in 
which it lives; and in the reedy jungles of India its stripes 
are so difficult to distinguish, that it is often fully upon 
people before they are aware of its presence. 

Most tigers will avoid a man, but some species watch 
for human victims upon the highways, and at night even 
enter the settlements to secure their prey. At one time it 
was no unusual thing for whole villages to be abandoned 
because of the terror inspired by these ferocious creatures, 
but the number of these ‘‘man hunters’’ has been greatly 
reduced by the ‘‘shikarees’’ employed by the local authori- 
ties to destroy them, and by those who have pursued them 
to secure the bounty offered by the British Crown for 
Tiger Skins. 

Some scientists class the Mongolian Tiger and other 
varieties of this animal found in Sumatra, Java, Corea 
and the Maylayan Peninsula as belonging to a number of 
different species, but in spite of some marked differences 
in external appearance they are all local varieties of the 
Felis-tigris. 

There are really only two marked and distinct varieties 
of this animal; the Bengal Tiger, and the Mongolian or 
Chinese Tiger. The Turkistan or Himalayan Tiger, while 
its coarse fur is deeper and redder in color than that of 
the Chinese Tiger, and sometimes even has brown stripes, 
cannot be considered as a separate variety, the differences 
noted being probably due to its more exposed habitat in 
Turkistan, and on the high grounds of Asia and the 
western Himalayas. 

To protect it from the cold of its elevated habitat 
the Mongolian Tiger is covered with a rich, thick 
fur from one and one-half to two inches in depth, in- 
stead of the short hair which forms the coat of the 
Bengal Tiger; and is thus easily distinguished from the 
latter variety. The skins are sometimes beautifully 


. 


Tue Cat Faminy. 145 


marked, but in general color they are lighter than those of 
the Bengal Tiger, and the stripes are not as black and 
numerous. 

White Tigers with light brown stripes are rare but ex- 
ceedingly beautiful. 

The face of the Chinese Tiger, like that of the lynx, is 
surrounded by a long, deep fringe of white and black fur ; 
and on many of the animals there is a hump of longer 
and thicker fur between the shoulders than on the rest 
of the body, and on all of them there is a thick ridge 
of bristly hair running down the back the same as on 
the lynx and other species of the cat family. On 
many of the younger animals the color is sometimes pale, 
but the larger adults are mostly of a fine, rich brown 
color, approaching the deep hue of the Bengal variety. 
The cubs have the densest coats. The ears of the Tiger 
are black with white tips. 

The Bengal Tiger is the smaller and more numerous of 
the two varieties, and is distinguished by the brightness of 
its markings. The strongly contrasting colors of the head 
are white and black. The belly is white, but the general 
color of the body is a rich reddish brown striped with 
black, with well defined spots sometimes showing between 
the stripes, especially on the legs. The tail is long and 
ringed with black. The strong bristling whiskers are 
white, and the hair of the body is short and lies very close 
to the skin, 

The skins of the Bengal Tiger have a more uniform 
value than either of the other varieties. The Himal- 
ayan tigers are sometimes worth from two to four times 
as much as the Bengal, and a fine Mongolian skin that is 
large and perfect is ten times as valuable. The skins 
of the different varieties are principally used for rugs. 
Only a small proportion of the Bengal skins find their way 
into the market, most of them are kept as trophies by the 
English officers and others who secure them; and the skins 
of the animals killed by ‘‘shikarees’’ are generally sold to 
tourists, who exhibit them to admiring friends at 
home, as evidences of their courage and _ prowess. 

The Bengal Tiger rarely exceeds eleven feet in length 
including its tail, but the skins of the Mongolian Tiger 
sometimes measure as much as fourteen feet. 


CARNIVORA FugsIPEDIA. 


146 


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Tue Civer Faminy. 147 


THE CIVET FAMILY. 


The Civets occupy a position between the Felidae 
and the Hyaenidae. They have much more elongated 
heads and longer muzzles than the Cat Family. They 
have forty teeth. The tongue is bristled with sharp, 
rough papillae. The true Civets (The Viverra) all have 
large forms and robust bodies from two to three feet 
long, exclusive of the fifteen inch tail, and walk on the 
tips of their toes. Their legs are short, and each small, 
rounded foot is furnished with five toes the claws of 
which are partially retractile. Although their eyes re- 
main round and full in the day thev are nocturnal and 
solitary animals, hiding in the woods, bushes or thick 
grass during the day time, feeding on snakes, frogs; in- 
sects, eggs, fruits and roots, and going out at night to 
kill any small animals they may find. They take readily 
to the water but most of the species are poor climbers. 
The young are produced in May or June, three or four 
at a birth. 


The fur is ash colored, irregularly barred and spotted 
with black; the tail is black at the end and has four or 
five black and white rings near its base. Two black bands 
encircle the throat and one surrounds the face; a black 
mane runs along the whole length of the spine. The fur 
of most of the species, however, is of little value. 


The Civet Cats are of interest commercially because of 
a musky substance which is obtained from a deep, two 
sac pouch situated near the anus of the animal; this secre- 
tion oozes into the pouch from peculiar glands, and is ob- 
tained by the nativés of Abyssinia and Java by scraping 
the inside of the pouch with a spatula. A dram is often 
secured by one scraping and the operation can be re- 
peated at short intervals. As this civet, as the substance 
is called, sells for ten dollars an ounce to the perfumers 
who use it as a base for perfume extracts, it will be seen 
that it pays to domesticate these animals even though 
they are irritable and untrustworthy. The Civet Cats are 
dangerous animals when aroused, and as they produce 


148 CARNIVORA FssIPEDIA. 


more of the secretion when angry they are generally con- 
fined by those who cultivate them in a cage so long and 
narrow that they are unable to turn around when the 
spatula is being used to obtain the secretion. 

The habitat of the Civet Cat is confined entirely to the 
Eastern Hemisphere, the majority of the species being 
Asiatic though some are found in Africa. The Asiatic 
" species (Viverra-zibetha) can be distinguished from the 
(Viverra-civetta) of Africa by the black half-rings ex- 
tending the whole length of the tail, black bands on the 
side of the neck, and the absence of a mane. 

This animal should never be confounded with the little 
‘striped skunk of North America, the so-called ‘‘Civet Cat’’ 
of commerce, which is fully described in its proper place 
in the weasel family. The Chinese Civet is not only an 
entirely different animal, but its coarse, harsh fur is of a 
different color, and the skins, of which quite a number 
are consumed, are only used where price is the primary 
consideration. 

In China and on the west coast of Africa this animal is 
also known as the Bush Cat, and the Chinese species are 
called Chinese Civets by the furriers. 

In the Genets (Viverra-genetta), the pouch is reduced 
to a slight depression formed by the projection of the 
glands, and has scarcely any visible secretion although 
an odor is diffused from it that is very perceptible. The 
pupils of the eyes of the Genet form a vertical fissure in 
the light and the nails are completely retractile as in 
the Cat. It is also distinguished from the Civet by the 
slenderness of its body, a longer and more tapering tail, 
shorter and blunter claws, and the nature of its fur which 
is short and soft, brownish yellow or greyish in the 
ground, and blackish brown on top.. These animals are 
easily tamed, and in the south of Europe the (Genetta- 
vulgarus) or Common Genet is often kept in the houses 
for killing rats and mice. 


THE Civet FAMILy. 149 


The Common Genet (Genetta-vulgaris) is grey, spotted 
with black er brown, and has a blackish muzzle. It has 
white spots on the brows, cheeks, and on each side of the 
end of the nose; the tail is the same length as the body 
and annulated with black and white, the black and white 
rings being from nine to eleven in number. It is the only 
species of Genet now found in Europe, and its range is 
from the south of France to the Cape of Good Hope. In 
the different localities it varies in the size and the number 
of the spots in the bands along the shoulder and the neck, 
as well as in the lines on the nape of the neck. It frequents 
the edges of parks near springs. The skins of different 
species of this animal are used more or less at all times 
by furriers, but the fur generally sold under the name 
of Genet is that of the European Black Cat, which in 
Holland, Denmark and Holstein has a beautiful dense 
brownish black pelage that is soft and durable, and espe- 
cially suited for coat linings because the skins are very 
pliable and light in weight. 


The Blotched Genet (Genetta-tigrina), is found only in 
Africa, and is lighter in color than the Viverra-civetta, 
and marked with blotches, instead of spots. The tail is 
marked with six to nine dark or black rings; and a white 
mark on each side of the mouth is another distinguishing 
feature of this animal. 


Those whose habitat is nearest the equator are darker 
than those found in other parts of Africa, and they are 
called Pardine Genets; but they are simply a variety of 
the same species. 


The Fossane of Madagascar has its tail, flanks and 
all above fawn color; the legs and all beneath being a 
yellowish white; there are reddish brown spots, forming 
four longitudinal bands, on the back; the tail is semi-an- 
nulated with red and is only half the length of the body. 


The Paradoxure, also known as the Palm Cat of India, 
is only found in west Africa. It is about twelve inches 
long with a tail two feet long. It has the teeth and most 
of the characteristics of the Genet, with which it was for 
a long time eonfounded; it is however more stoutly 


N 


15u CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


limbed; its feet are semi-palmate and its walk is nearly 
plantigrade; but what particularly distinguishes it is the 
spiral inclination of the tail, which is not prehensile. The 
color is yellowish brown, with spots of a deeper brown; 
the face, muzzle and part of the tail are blackish; the 
eyebrows are white, and there is a white spot under the 
eye. 

The Rasse (Viverra-mallaccensis), also known as the 
Malaca Weasel, and Lesser Civet, has a greyish brown 
body about 10 inches long, with small brown spots on 
the rump forming five longitudinal lines. The tail is 
shorter than the body and annulated with black and white, 
the black rings numbering six or seven. The hair is 
harsher than in the preceding species. This animal is 
easily irritated, and has a sharp bite. 

Ichneumon (Herpestes-ichneumon). This is an Egyptian 
animal which hunts out crocodile eggs, and is also 
known as the Tracker because like all the Mungoose it 
ean track or trace out a footstep. It is a carnivorous 
animal, classed by Linnaeus as the (Viverra-ichneumon), 
but is now known as the Herpestes-ichneumon of the fam- 
ily Viverridae or Civet. 

It has a slender form something like the Weasel. The 
body is about nineteen inches long, and of a grizzled 
brownish color. The muzzle and face are black and the 
tail is tufted; it feeds on small mammals, eggs, reptiles 
and small birds. It is easily domesticated, and is useful 
in destroying vermin. The fur has no commercial value, 
and the species is only mentioned here because of its 
connection with the Viverridae. 

_ Another species of Ichneumon or Mungoose (Herpestes- 
grisius) is so easily domesticated that it is kept in many 
houses in India to rid them of reptiles, mice, ete. Though 
small, this M[ungoose is absolutely fearless, and_ its 
movements are so rapid that the snakes it attacks have 
no chance to poison it. It is grey in color, flecked with 
black and about the size of a small cat. 


151 


THE DOG. 


The origin of the dog is a difficult question to answer. 
Some think it is descended from the wolf, and others 
claim the jackal is its progenitor; but all admit there is 
no trace to be found of it in a primitive state. Scientists 
are all agreed however that ‘‘the dog is neither a species, 
nor the descendant of any one species modified by dom- 
estication, but that dogs of different parts of the world 
have a correspondingly various ancestry from different 
wild species of the genus Canis, such as wolves, foxes and 
jackals.’”’ 


“The differences between dogs, and the readiness of 
most of them to cross with their wild relations, seems to 
prove the contention that the name Canis-familiaris is a 
convention rather than a proper zoological designation 
of the dog as a species.”’ 

It is hard to arrive at a satisfactory classification of 
domestic dogs; as those that some naturalists regard as 
types are held by others to be mongrels. One old classifi- 
cation divided them into three groups, according to the 
special qualities they possessed—Celeres, Sagaces and 
Pugnaces; but Col. Hamilton Smith groups the domestic 
dogs into six divisions; (1) Wolf Dogs; such as Siberian, 
Eskimo, Newfoundland, Great St. Bernard and Sheep 
Dogs; (2) Watch and Cattle Dogs; like the German Boar 
Hound, Danish Dog and Dog of the American Indians; (3) 
The Greyhounds; including the Irish Hound, Lurcher and 
Egyptian Street Dog; (4) Hounds; taking in the Blood 
Hound, Stag Hound, Fox Hound, Harrier, Beagle, Pointer, 
Setter, Spaniel, Springer, Cocker, Blenheim Dog and 
Poodle; (5) The Curs; under which designation are in- 
cluded the Terrier and all its allies; (6) The Mastiff, 
Bulldog, Pug-dog, ete.; but all these varieties soon lose 
their distinctive characteristics if they are left to inter- 
breed, and to prevent this tendency to reversion it is 
necessary that the several strains be kept pure by arti- 
ficial selection along the lines of desired specialization. 
The best bred dogs of every form are those furthest 
removed from an organic or common type of production. 


152 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


‘‘All through the different varieties the difference of 
heredity is seen in the readiness with which dogs inter- 
breed with one another, and cross with wolves, foxes, 
and jackals; and the readiness with which like the cat, 
they return to the wild state of their native ancestors.”’ 

Where so many are worthy of special mention it is 
hard to pick out a few for particular consideration; the 
following are selected only because they seem best to 
illustrate the great difference between the various breeds 
of domesticated dogs as to size, color, structural charac- 
teristics, nature and habits. 


The Chinese Dog, which is the most important com- 
mercially, is about the size of a large Retriever and shows 
much variation in color, some specimens being white, 
others black, and many mottled or brindled. In addition 
to the wild animals of this species there are thousands 
of small dog and goat farms all over Manchuria and the 
Eastern borders of Mongolia, on each of which from a 
score to a hundred dogs are reared annually. Most of 
the Chinese dog skins are dressed and made into robes 
of from four to eight skins before they are exported from 
China to the different fur markets of the world. The 
Chinese dog skin takes a brilliant black dye, and is used 
in the manufacture of ‘‘Chinese Lynx’’ muffs and neck 
pieces, as well as for making sleigh robes and men’s 
overcoats. 

The Dalmatian or Coach Dog is an artificial breed, and 
is built much like the pointer, but its white coat is liber- 
ally marked with black spots. This animal is worthless 
for any other purpose than running under the carriage 
of its master. 

The Dingo (Canis-dingo) is a fierce, wild, wolf-like 
Australian dog, with short erect ears, and a bushy tail. 
It is about three feet long, and in general color either a 
reddish brown, black, or brindled like a wolf. It breeds 
well in confinement, but in its wild state is very destruc- 
tive to flocks, and is consequently persistently hunted. 
The skins are of little value. 


The Eskimo Dog, of North America and Eastern Asia, 
with its deep dun color marked with darker patches is 
used only as a beast of burden in the Arctic regions, 


THE Dog Faminy—Doas. 153 


where a team of these animals will draw the Eskimo 
sixty miles over the ice in a day. It is characterized by 
its black eyes, elongated muzzle and bushy tail. 


The Maltese Dog with its long white, silky hair and 
round muzzle is one of the smallest representatives of the 
family, and is principally valued as a household pet. 


The Typical Newfoundland Dog is one of the largest 
and handsomest dogs. It has a long, broad muzzle, ecar- 
ries its head well up, and has wavy or curly black and 
white hair, and a bushy curled tail. It is noted for its 
sagacity, patience, good nature and affection for its mas- 
ter; and in Newfoundland, and other parts of its habitat, 
is made to draw sledges and wagons loaded with fish, 
firewood and other supplies of various kinds. There is a 
variety of Newfoundland Dog that is almost all black. 

The Raccoon Dog is found in China, Japan and through- 
out Northeastern Asia; but most of the skins taken from 
this species are exported from Japan. It is a lively ani- 
mal, only about a foot in length, and the skins are some- 
times sold as ‘‘Jackal,’’ ‘‘Chinese Badger,’’ ‘‘Sea Fox’’ or 
‘‘Japanese Fox.’’ The Chinese call it the Kju Hao Tze, 
and in Japan it is known as the Tanuki. The 
general color is a dark brownish grey, the soft thick 
underfur being of a light reddish hue, while the long, 
bristly top hairs are black. There is a white stripe over 
the eye, and sometimes a dark mark across the shoulders 
like that on a cross fox. The ears are dark brown, and 
the short tail is occasionally tipped with white; rarely a 
white spot is seen on the dark covering of the short legs. 
The skins are used in their natural state, or plucked and 
dyed, for making trimmings and fur sets. 

The Siberian Dog is a larger animal than the Chinese, 
and has a finer and more valuable skin. It is usually 
black, so that many of the skins can be used in their 
natural color. 

In the Oriental countries, where the dog is a scavenger, 
performing the same work as the vultures, it is not 
prized as it is in western lands, but is regarded as a 
thing unclean. The Pariah dog, half wild, half starved 
and belonging to no one, but subsisting by scavenging 
and theft, infests every town and village in India. 


154 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


Civilized nations have acquired many breeds of dogs 
by direct importation, and other varieties have been 
secured by crossing and artificial selection, but some 
strains have been introduced into countries, where they 
were before unknown, by savage and_ half-civilized 
people, who in their migrations have carried with them 
the breeds they had obtained by domesticating the wolves 
and the wild dogs of their native country. 

All the living representatives of the Dog family, in 
which are included the Dogs, Foxes and Wolves, are so 
much alike, and resemble one another so much in struc- 
ture, habits and distinguishing characteristics, that scien- 
tists have placed nearly all the species in a single genus. 
Canis. The teeth of the dogs are much less carnivorous 
in character than those of the cats, and their legs are 
larger and more free from the body so they can walk 
erect upon their limbs, and are adapted for running 
rather than springing or climbing; as a rule they have 
five toes upon the fore and four upon the hind feet, the 
development of the rudiamentary fifth toe showing con- 
siderable variation in the different species. The claws 
in time become worn and blunt at the top because they 
do not have the slightest power of retraction. The inner 
toe of the fore feet is placed high up, and in some cases 
is lacking. The normal number of teeth is forty-two 
but one or two species have an extra molar on both sides 
of each jaw, and a few have less than the normal number. 
There is a remarkable resemblance in the sectorial teeth 
of all the species, the Azara’s Dog (Canis-jubata) of South 
America, and the Raccoon Dog ((Canis-procyonoides) of 
Japan, who live largely on fruits and roots, having the 
same pattern of sectorial teeth as the more carnivorous 
forms. 

The difficulty of classifying the Canidae is increased 
by the great range of variation in each species; but 
apart from some structural peculiarities the foxes can 
be distinguished from the dogs and wolves by their 
bushy tails, elongated pupils, erect acute ears, and longer 
muzzles. The skulls of the largest grey and red foxes 
are inferior to that of the average Jackal, and those of 
the smaller species of Foxes are less than half the length 
of an average Wolf skull. 


WIiLp Does. 155 


AUSTRALIAN WILD Doe (D1nco). 


3 
[s} 
A 
n 
<4 
ire) 
5 
o 
iS 
(a 
a 
a 
E 
v4 
<q 
4 
=) 
a 
ol 


SIBERIAN Witp Dos. 
Raccoon Dog 


156 


Domestic Does. 


Buu Doe. 


DACHSHUND. 
ENGLISH GREYHOUND. 


Sr. BERNARD. 


Pua Doe. 


TrisH SETTER. 


CoLutig, 


Tue Dog Famity—Foxes. 157 


THE FOXES. 


There are four distinct species of North American 
Foxes; the Western Kitt or Swift Fox (Canis-velox), the 
Grey Fox (Canis-virginianus), the Red Fox (Canis-fulvus) 
and the Arctic Fox (Canis-lagopus). There are two vari- 
eties of the Arctic Fox—the Blue Fox and the White or 
Polar Fox. The Black, Silver and Cross Foxes are all 
color varieties of the Canis-fulvus, naturalists claiming 
that the only difference they show is in the fur. Other 
writers say that, as these varieties are only found in the 
Northern districts, they should be considered as a separate 
species from the North American Red Fox whose habitat 
extends well into the Southern portion of the hemisphere, 
but as they all interbreed, and pups of the various colors 
are sometimes found in the same litter, the scientists are 
justified in placing them all in the same species, Even the 
Red Fox shows considerable difference in size, markings, 
color, and the quality of the fur in different localities; 
those from Nova Scotia, Labrador, the Hudson Bay 
Country and other Northern sections being larger, and 
having longer and richer colored fur than that on the rep- 
resentatives of this variety found in the Northern and 
Central portions of the United States; where they are most 
abundant in the New England states, although they are 
found also in New York and Pennsylvania and as far 
south as West Virginia and Virginia. In the far Western 
States and on the Pacific Coast the Grey Fox takes the 
place of the Red Fox. 


Silver and Black Foxes are occasionally met with in all 
parts of Canada and in the most northern of the United 
States, but they are not found in any considerable numbers 
south of Newfoundland, Labrador and the northern por- 
tions of the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. These varie- 
ties are also quite plentiful in the interior of Alaska, and 
the Yukon province of Canada where their range is lost 
in that of the. Arctic Fox. The Arctic Fox is a bluish 
mauve color all the year around, in the lower latitudes of 
its habitat, but according to some authorities, in the far 
north it becomes white in winter, when it is known as the 
White or Polar Fox; others claim that the White and the 


158 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


Blue Fox are district varieties, but that the White Fox 
becomes dark in summer. We are inclined to accept the 
latter theory. The range of the Cross Fox is the same as 
that of the Black and Silver varieties, except that it 
extends further South in the United States. 

On the Pacific Coast the Grey Foxes are found only in 
California and Oregon, but they are plentiful all through 
the southern and south central states, and in the east are 
met with as far north as Connecticut. The habitat of the 
Kitt Fox is on the prairies and plains of the far west and 
southwestern states. 

The mating season of the Red Fox is in February or the 
beginning of March, and the young, from five to nine to a 
litter, are born in April or early May. The mating season 
of the Grey Fox is later and its young are produced in 
May. This species is not as carnivorous as the Red Fox, 
and fruit, corn and fish form a larger part of its diet. The 
Arctic Foxes, who in their natural state subsist chiefly on 
Lemmings, and in some parts of their habitat on the car- 
casses of the Seals that have been killed for their fur, take 
yery kindly to a vegetable diet in their captivity. The 
Grey Fox prefers the wooded districts for its home, but 
the different varieties of the Canis-fulvus are inclined to 
the more open country, although all North American 
Foxes, with the exception of the Kitt or Swift Fox, take 
to the rough hilly country rather than the level plains. 

Red and Grey Foxes do not mix. In the sections where 
both species were at one time plentiful the Greys have in 
some instances driven out the Red, while in others the 
Reds have dominated and surplanted the Greys. 

In Virginia and the other southern sections of its hab- 
itat the North American Red Fox attains its deepest 
coloring, but the animals there are much smaller than 
those seen in the northern part of its range; the bellies 
of this variety are sometimes white, but usually black; the 
long bushy tail is of lightish brown color with longer 
black hairs on the top, and it has a white tip. The whiskers 
are black, and the ears are covered with a short black 
velvety fur. 

The largest of all Red Foxes inhabit the Kadiak Island. 
Their skins are three feet long exclusive of the tail, but 
the color is pale and the quality of the fur is coarse. The 


Tue Dog FAmMILY—FOXEs. 159 


Kamschatka Fox surpasses all other varieties in the fine 
quality of its fur, and the depth and richness of the red 
color. Some of the Mongolian red foxes are of good 
quality, but most of the skins received from China are 
coarse furred and yellowish in color. The Japanese Fox 
is similar to the Chinese, but the color is somewhat deeper, 
and since the increase in the value of American Foxes the 
skins of this animal have been quite extensively used. 
There was a time when the skin of the Red Fox was the 
chief medium of barter in Northeastern Asia, the same as 
the Beaver skin was in America. 


Young Foxes are covered with a soft, downy, yellowish 
grey fur at birth, the orange colored hair not beginning 
to appear until they are five or six weeks old. Even the 
Indian hunters cannot distinguish the pups of the Red 
Fox at an early age from those of the Cross or Silver 
Foxes. 


All Foxes have the soles of their feet covered with wool 
pads in the winter, no callous spots being then visible. 


SILVER Fox. 


In point of value as well as beauty the Black and Silver 
Foxes come first. The Arctic Foxes come next, then the 
Cross, and last the Red variety. All the Foxes of this 
species are hardy animals, cunning and suspicious. They 
spend but little of the time in their dens on the sandy hill 
sides, preferring to pass the day curled up among the 
grasses or weeds, or in a clump of brush, or on the top of 
a stump. 


160 CaRNIVORA FISSIPEDIA, 


They hunt their food at night, being most active in the 
early morning when all animal life is on the move, and 
they have a better chance to secure the small animals and 
birds with which they vary their diet of fruit, nuts and 


eggs. 


Grey Fox. 


In the wild state foxes are monogamous. The male has 
only one consort in a season, and while the young are 
being reared he dutifully forages for them. In confine- 
ment however one male sometimes has been mated suc- 
cessfully with two or even three females. 

When born the young are small and weak, but if all is 
well they grow rapidly, and when about six weeks old begin 
to come out to play and to lap a little milk, or to take an 
occasional bit of solid food. If allowed to do so they will 
continue to nurse for nearly six months. They breed the 
first season when a little less than a year old, but usually 
produce only two or three young. 

Foxes may all be distinguished from the Wolf or Dog 
by their longer muzzles, and longer and more tufted tails. 
Their upper incisors are also less sloping, and the pupils 
of their eyes form a vertical fissure during the day. They 
all diffuse a more or less fetid odor, dig burrows, and are 
the most timid of the dog family, attacking none but the 
weaker animals. 

As before stated, ‘‘in the red phase the Fox is entirely 
rich fulvous, except restricted black markings on the feet 


Tue Dog Famity—Foxes. 161 


and ears, a white area at the end of the tail, and certain 
white-tipped hairs on the back and rump. From this phase 
to the next the black increases in extent, until in the typical 
cross fox the black predominates at the feet, legs and 
under parts, while fulvous overlaying black covers most of 
the head, shoulders, and back. A gradual increase of the 
black and elimination of the fulvous, or its replacement by 
white, brings us to the next phase, the silver or silver- 
grey in which no fulvous appears, the entire pelage being 
dark at the base and heavily or lightly overlain with grey- 
ish white. Silver foxes vary from those in which the color is 
entirely grizzled, to those in which it is entirely black, except 
a few white-tipped hairs on the back and rump. Finally, in 
the black phase, the white is absent from all parts except 
the tip of the tail, which is white in all phases. The red 
phase is much more abundant than the others, but the three 
interbreed freely, and wherever one occurs occasional ex- 
amples of the others also may be expected. In general the 
cross fox is fairly common, the silver-grey is comparatively 
scarce, and the pure black is excessively rare. The prices 
usually paid for skins of the different phases vary accord- 
ing to the relative scarcity of the animals. Thus red fox 
skins command only a moderate price, cross foxes are some- 
what higher, silver foxes are many times higher, and pure 
black skins are exceedingly valuable being higher priced 
than any other fur except sea otter.’’ 

It is believed that the Arctic or Blue Fox was not found on 
the Pribilov Islands at the time of their discovery in 1787, 
but that it was taken to those islands subsequently, and 
under the fostering care of the government the herds on 
these islands have not only grown strong numerically but 
produce exceptionally fine skins. They are therefore very 
desirable for breeding stock and can be obtained from the 
Secretary of Commerce for that purpose, sales being made 
from time to time under competitive bids. 

Blue Fox skins from the Pribilov Islands have been mar- 
keted for many years, some idea of their quality may be 
formed from the fact that three hundred and ninety-one 
Blue and White Foxes taken on the islands in the winter 
of 1911-12, netted the government $20,505.17; one lot of 
twenty-eight skins bringing $3,675, or an average of more 
than $131 per skin. 


162 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


In the chapter on Fur Farming considerable space is 
devoted to Silver Fox breeding, but no mention is made of 
successful attempts by different individuals to raise Blue 
Foxes on the islands off the coast of Alaska. In a recent 
announcement the Secretary of Commerce said that he 
intended to lease twelve islands on the coast of Alaska for 
five years, to the highest responsible bidders who would en- 
gage in the business of rearing this species, and agree to 
pay an annual fee of not less than $200.00. 

The islands which it is proposed to lease are those which 
which had been leased by the Secretary of the Treasury 
for fox propagation purposes prior to May 14, 1898. They 
are Chirikof island, Long -island, Marmot island, Little 
Koniuji island, Simeonof island, Little Naked island, Carl- 
son island, Middleton island, Pearl island, Elizabeth 
island, Aghiyuk island and Chowiet island. 

Leases will only be given to American citizens, and com- 
panies or corporations organized under the laws of a 
state or territory, and detailed reports must be made by 
the leasees annually to the Secretary of Commerce. Fur- 
ther particulars regarding the conditions that must be 
complied with to secure a lease of one of these islands 
ean be obtained by addressing the Secretary of Commerce, 
Washington, D C. 


ih i, OS 
( qi es iN Aine in it ——— 


WHITE oR Potar Fox in SuMMER Dress 
: 


As the fur of the White or Polar Fox is much less valu- 
able than that of the Blue or Arctic Fox, breeders should 
always be careful to eliminate from their breed of Blue 
Foxes any individuals that show any tendency toward 
the white fox variety. 


Tue Dog Famity—Foxes. 163 


Wilfred H. Osgood of the U. 8. Department of Agricul- 
ture, says: ‘‘Cold weather has no terrors for Foxes, and 
snow is their delight. In confinement, as in their natural 
state, they show considerable individuality. Some are 
much better breeders than others; some can never be in- 
duced even to mate, and others mate but do not produce 
young. Their wild nature dominates most of their actions, 
and it is rare that one becomes really tame. They are con- 
stantly in a state of fear, and it is only by the greatest 
care that confidential relations can be established between 
them and their keepers. 


‘‘Hope for increased profits in fox raising lies almost 
entirely in improving the stock by selective breeding. The 
darker the animal the more valuable its pelt. Hence the 
object of every breeder should be to produce pure black 
foxes, or as nearly pure black as possible. To do this he 
must retain his darkest and most valuable animals for 
breeding, selling only the poorer ones. The temptation 
to sell animals of high value is often very great, but in the 
long run such animals are likely to be more profitable if 
kept for breeding. The possibilities of modification and 
improvement by selection are fully as great with wild 
animals as with domestic. This has already been demon- 
strated in the case of foxes. Some of the highest priced 
fox skins ever put on the market have been from animals 
reared in confinement and improved by selective breeding. 


‘Breeding for disposition is perhaps fully as important 
as breeding for color. So far this has not been attempted 
to any extent, but evidently it may be of great importance 
in overcoming some of the principal difficulties now en- 
countered. By selecting those animals which show the 
least aversion to man, due regard being paid to prolific- 
ness and other qualities, a strain may be obtained which 
will breed with the certainty of our domestic animals. 
This in time should produce a thoroughly domesticated 
race of foxes, a result of inestimable value, amply justify- 
ing the utmost efforts. Although it may not be fully ac- 
complished by those who begin it every breeder should 
keep its importance in mind, for every slight improvement 
will be to his advantage, and in the end the unqualified 
success of the business will be assured. 


164 CARNIVORA FissiPEepia. 


Besides the prominent species that have been mentioned 
in this article, there are a number of other foxes of more 
or less importance commercially at the present time. 


The Prairie Fox of the central states is smaller than the 
Kitt Fox, of which species it is a variety although its dense 
fur resembles that of the Grey Fox. It has a black tipped 
tail. 


The Brazil Fox is also grey in general color, but the sides 
of the neck are reddish and it has a black line commencing 
at the nape of the neck and extending to the middle of the 
tail. 


The Patagonian Fox is fawn color on the flanks but has 
red ears and feet, and two-thirds of its tail is black. | 


There are two varieties of the Vulpes Leucopus, whose 
range extends from the Volga to India. The Hill or Stone 
Fox, also known as the Cossac, Steppe and Afghan Fox, 
which inhabits the high table lands of Asia, is of medium 
size and has a long, soft, very light brown fur, that in some 
cases becomes a darker shade on the back and rump, causing 
it to look, with its black belly, ears and legs and white 
tipped tail, something like the American Cross Fox. The 
East Indian Desert Fox is very small and lighter in color 
than the Hill Fox, and has white silvery hairs on the back. 


African Foxes are remarkable for the size of their ears; 
one species that burrows in the sands of Nubia is an almost 
white fawn color; the Cape species are yellowish grey above 
and whitish beneath, and have black feet and tail and dorsal 
line. 


The Asiatic Kit Fox, called Ture by the French because 
it is the same color as the Turkish Fox, is a small animal 
measuring from eighteen inches to two feet in length. The 
under fur of the back is light grey relieved by longer white 
hairs; the sides are light yellow and the belly is white; the 
ears are brownish grey and tipped with black, and the 
twelve inch yellow and grey tail is also tipped with black 
hair; the whiskers are black. Its burrows are always seen 
on the open plains. Mr. Say claims that it exceeds even 
the antelope in swiftness, and is consequently known as 
the velox species of the genus vulpes. 


THE Dog FamiILy— WOLVES. 165 


WOLVES. 


In America there are two distinct species of Wolves; 
one of them the Grey Wolf with its grizzled grey coat 
showing reddish in some specimens and black in others, 
is almost identical with the European Wolf, but most of 
the strains of the American Wolf are larger and stouter 
than those of the European species. The Grey Wolf is 
also called the ’’Buffalo Wolf’’ because of its former abun- 
dance in the buffalo country, and is generally known as 
the Timber Wolf to distinguish it from the Prairie Wolf 
or Coyote, a much smaller animal that lives in the open 
country and in some ways resembles the Jackal. 


GREY WOLF. 


The Common Wolves of Europe (Canis-lupus), stand 
from twenty-seven to twenty-nine inches at the shoulders, 
and are yellowish grey in color, with long harsh hair, erect 
pointed ears, and a nearly straight tail. They are crafty 
and rapacious animals, swift of foot, and destructive 
enemies of the sheep fold and farm yard. They associate 
in packs to hunt the larger quadrupeds like the deer and 


166 CaRNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


elk, and when pressed by hunger will attack isolated 
travelers, having even been known to enter villages and 
carry off children; but they are cowardly and sneaking 
in their advances, retreating rapidly if disturbed by a 
man or dog, and showing great cunning in avoiding 
traps. They are still numerous in France, Hungary, Spain, 
Turkey and Russia, but became extinct in England in 
the Fifteenth Century, and disappeared from Scotland 
and Ireland in the early part of the Eighteenth Century. 

“There are numerous other species of Wolves in dif- 
ferent parts of the world. Some like the Thous grading 
into jackals; others like the Fox Wolf inclining more 
toward the foxes; and most of them interbreed easily with 
some varieties of the dog in the countries they inhabit, 
the dog itself being a composite of a mixed wolf an- 
cestry. 

Many stories have been told about the ferocity of the 
Wolves, and when food is scarce in the winter they are 
doubtless dangerous animals to meet when they are trav- 
eling in packs; but the writer has heard the Coyotes howl 
all night without offering to come within gunshot range 
when the bright fires burning in the camp told the cun- 
ning animals that a warm reception was awaiting them. 
It is claimed however that the common Wolf of Europe 
is of a bolder and fiercer disposition than any of the 
American species, and the reports that come to us from 
time to time of thrilling adventures of sledging parties 
in Russia support this contention. 

The Russian or Black Wolf is larger than the other Eur- 
opean varieties, which are about the size of a large dog, 
and has long black top-hairs with a thick brownish red 
underfur, bluish at the ground. The full tail is of 
medium length dark brown above and light below and 
has a black tip; the ears, which are generally dark brown, 
are covered with a soft velvety fur; and the black whis- 
kers are few in number. The Siberian Wolf is larger still 
than the Russian variety, and is of a much lighter color 
and has much harsher fur. 

The American Grey or Timber Wolf (Canis-lupus-occi- 
dentalis), found in the wild regions of North America as 


far north as twenty-seven degrees north latitude, is 
fully as large if not larger than the Siberian Wolf. 


Tue Dog Famity—WOLVES. 167 


It is from five to six feet in length, and in the extreme 
north grows to a still larger size. Those in the Church- 


ill District of the Hudson’s Bay Company have almost 
white hair, while those from the Eskimo Bay District are 
characterized by their bluish grey color although occa- 
sionally black and even fawn colored specimens are found 
there. 

With the exception of the Alaskan variety, which has 
coarser hair, the American wolves have finer, denser and 
longer fur than the European species, and their skins are 
more valuable, especially those of the blue and. white 
ones. They live in burrows with several outlets, where 
they bring forth their young in litters of from four to 
five or even nine. Dr. Richardson says: ‘‘The resem- 
blanee between the northern wolves and the domestic 
dog of the Indians is so great that the size and strength 
of the wolves seems the only difference. I have more than 
once taken a band of wolves for the dogs of a party of 
Indians; and the howl of the animals of both species is 
prolonged so exactly in the same key that even the prac- 
ticed ear of an Indian fails at times to discriminate be- 
tween them. The Indians do not consider the Black Wolf 
to be a distinct race, but report that one or two black 
whelps are occasionally found in a litter of Grey 
Wolves.’’ 

The American Timber Wolf has been observed as far 
north as twenty-seven degrees and has broad feet well 
calculated for running in the snow. The skull and denti- 
tion approach closely to that of the dog. In Alaska wolves 
prey on the Reindeer, and in other sections the Moose is 
often their victim, but they always seemed to fear to 
attack the Bison. 

The Black Thibetan Wolf (Canis-pallipes), is really a 
climatie variety of the Common Wolf of Europe, but is 
classed as a separate species. 

Chinese, Japanese, Indian (Canis-pallipes), and South 
American Wolves (Canis-antarcticus), are of little import- 
ance commercially. They are all small animals, and their 
skins are poor in quality. 

The Coyote or Prairie Wolf (Canis-latrans), which is 
rapidly disappearing before the advance of civilization, 
is much smaller than any of the other important species 


168 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


of wolves. It was formerly abundant in many parts of 
this country and Canada where it is never seen now, but 
it still ranges the plains in the West and Southwest por- 
tions of the United States. It is a handsome animal, 
showing considerable variation in color from a grey with 
black tips to brown and black specimens. The tail is 
usually tipped with black, and the large reddish ears are 
also black at the points. The dense, long fur is rather 
harsh. 

Although the Coyotes are generally classed by scien- 
tists as all belonging to one species, Dr. Merriam, from an 
examination of a number of specimens received from all 
parts of the United States, was led to separate them into 
eleven distinct species. 


SA 


COYOTE OR PRAIRIE WOLF. 


What the Coyote lacks in courage it makes up in auda- 
city. W.T. Hornaday says: It seems to know when the 
hunter has left his gun behind, and on such occasions will 
boldly plant itself within a stone’s throw of its enemy, 
and even when a man is armed it seems to know within a 
rod just how near it is safe to approach. It is a coward, 
and, ‘‘so far as man is concerned a band of a thousand 
Coyotes can be put to flight as easily as one animal; but 
in hanging on the ragged edge of civilization and living 


by its wits no one can beat the Coyote.’’ 
Wolf skins were formerly used only in their natural 


color for making sleigh robes and coats, but when the 
constantly increasing demand for muffs and neck pieces 
of long fluffy fur caused such a phenominal advance in 


THE Doc Faminy—WOLVES. 169 


the price of the lynx and fox, the furriers saw an oppor- 
tunity to utilize the wolf to meet the constantly increas- 
ing call for good popular-priced long-haired furs. Wolf 
skins are now being dyed black, blue and other shades, 
and sold either for what they are or under some fictitious 
name. The finer grades make articles as beautiful as they 
are serviceable; but as the best Siberian Wolves are now 
worth from twelve to fifteen dollars each, and fine Ameri- 
can skins are bringing as high as seven dollars, the 
manufacturers have to depend upon other and lower 
priced skins for their supply of ‘‘cheap’’ substitutes for 
Lynx and Fox. 

Scandinavian Wolves are similar in shape to the Rus- 
sian, but heavier, and deeper in the shoulders, and lighter 
in tint. In winter they become almost white. The 
wolves of Italy and southeastern Europe are fulvous, 
but in the Pyrenees a Black Wolf is found that is more 
common than the ordinary variety. The Wolves of 
France are smaller and browner than those of Germany, 
and the Indian Wolf approaches. the Jackal-in appear- 
ance more nearly than any of the other Old World 
wolves. The range of the wolf in the Old World extends 
from the German Sea to the Pacific Ocean, embracing 
all of Europe and the greater part of Asia. When 
wolves attack cattle they bite their hind legs so as to 
hamstring them, but their method of attacking a horse 
is to spring upon his back, or to seize him by the but- 
tocks taking care to keep out of the range of his heels. 

There is a difference of opinion among naturalists, as 
to whether the American Grey, and the European Com- 
mon Wolf belong to the same species, but it is certain 
that the geographical varieties of both species differ 
more widely among themselves than the type forms of 
each do from one another, and it is safe to say that they 
are identical. 


170 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


Pa 


THE JACKAL. 


The Jackals (Canis-aureus) are gregarious animals, 
hunting in packs and rarely attacking larger quadrupeds. 
They hide in the daytime and come out at night with 
dismal cries to feed on the remnants of the lion’s prey, 
dead carcasses and smaller mammals and poultry. These 
animals are numerous in India, and Algeria where the 
French government pays a bounty for their slaughter 
and as high as thirty thousand are killed in a year; but 
the fur is harsh and of little value; they interbreed with 
the common dog and can be domesticated. — 


THE JACKAL. 


The piercing, unearthly cry of a pack of Jackals prowl- 
ing through a village at night is familiar to all who have 
lived in Orental lands, and is appalling to weak nerves. 

The Wild Jackal emits an offensive odor, is about two 
feet long, and has a black sharply pointed nose. It is a 
lively animal and bites quickly and sharply. In color it 
is a light reddish brown shading deeper on the back than 
the other parts, and it is characterized by a small white 
mark on the throat. It has sometimes been called the 
‘“‘Lion’s provider,’’ because of the mistaken impression 
conveyed by some writers that it hunts prey for the King 
of Beasts. 


THe Hyarena Faminy. 171 


THE HYAENAS. 


The Hyaenas have three false molars above, and four 
below, all conical, blunt and singularly large; their su- 
perior carnivorous tooth has a small tubercle within and 
in front; but the inferior has none, presenting only two 
stout trenchant points. So powerful are the muscles of 
the neck and jaws of the Hyaenas that it is almost impos- 
sible to wrest anything from between their teeth, with 
which they are able to crush the bones of the largest prey. 
They are nocturnal animals inhabiting caves, and are 
extremely voracious, feeding chiefly on dead bodies, 
which they seek for even in the grave. A thousand super- 
stitious traditions are connected with them, and among 
the Arabs their name is a symbol of obstinacy. 

There are three distinct species of Hyaena, all repul- 
sive animals. Owing to the shortness of their loins and 
the lowness of their hind-quarters they do not walk, 
but progress by a sort of quick shuffle, occasionally giv- 
ing utterance to peculiar unearthly cries. They are as 
cowardly as they are ravenous, and hunt in packs for 
their food, whether it be carrion or living prey. Strange 
as it may seem these beasts can be tamed and even domes- 
ticated. 

The Striped, or Laughing Hyaena (Hyaena-striata), in- 
eludes most of Africa, and Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia 
and India in its range. It is about the size of a 
large dog, but its feet are redigitigrade with retractile 
claws. It has the prowling, nocturnal habits of all of its 
kind, hiding in caves during the day. 

The Spotted Hyaena (Hyaena-crocuta), has its habitat 
in South Africa. It has a thin fur of light brown color 
marked with dark brown spots; and there is a ridge of 
longer hair between the shoulders. The tail is thin and 
bristling; and the head is round, with dark, prominent 
eyes. bh tee 

The Brown Hyaena (Hyaena-brunnea) is also found in 
the south of Africa, where the inhabitants of the Cape 
call it the Shore Wolf which it resembles in size. Its 
pelage, which is darker than that of other Hyaenas, 
is from eight to ten inches in length on the back and 


172 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


sides. It is reddish in color, sprinkled with black spots. 

The Earth Wolf of the Dutch (Proteles-cristatus), gen- 
erally known as the Aard Wolf, is sometimes called the 
Hyaena by furriers; but it has weaker jaws, smaller teeth, 
and no tubular grinders in the upper jaw. It is about 
three feet long and is met with only in South Africa. Its 
thick and rather long under fur is mixed with still longer 
hairs; and the tail has long bristling black hairs. The 
color is a light brown, with black stripes running cross- 
wise of the body. It has a slight mane of bristling hair. 

The Hyaena is distinguished from the Dog, by the num- 
ber of its toes, four to each foot. The Wild Dog of the 
Cape has the dental system of the Dog, and not of the 
Hyaena. Its form is long and thin; it is about the size 
of a Wolf; has a white and fawn-colored mottled fur, 
large ears with black tips. It is a gregarious animal, and 
frequently approaches Cape Town, devastating its en- 
virons. 


173 


THE WEASEL FAMILY. 
(Mustelidae.) 


As the human family is composed of different branches 
of varying degrees of intelligence, wealth and _ refine- 
ment; so the Weasel family is’ made up of six dis- 
tinet groups differing widely from one another in com- 
mercial value, in exterior character, in coloration, in the 
structure of the teeth, and in other details; but they are 
all distinguished by the great development of the curved 
ridges of bone by which the lower jaw is held in place, 
and by the peculiar shape of the upper molar teeth. They 
are all carnivorous. 

The typical forms of the species are characterized by 
long, slender bodies and short limbs, and none of them are 
very large, most of them being of medium or small size. 
Several of the Northern forms have a dark summer and 
light winter dress, differing in this particular from all 
other carnivores, except the White Fox. One of the Mar- 
tens, and some of the Badgers, are remarkable for ex- 
treme brilliancy of color; and ‘‘warning colors,’’ or 
contrasting bands of dark brown, or black, and white, 
make the American Skunk, and the Cape Polecat, con- 
spicuous; but most of the members of the Weasel family 
are clothed with a fur of uniform dark tint. The family 
is widely distributed on all the great continents except 
Australia; it is also noted that none of them inhabit 
Madagascar. With very few exceptions members of the 
Weasel family are fierce and blood-thirsty; cases are re- 
corded where they have followed rodents twice as large 
as themselves into their own burrows, and destroyed 
them there. 

The first and most important group of the Weasel fam- 
ily is the Marten group; consisting of the Pine Marten, 
the Stone Marten, the Japanese Marten, the Indian 
Marten, the American Marten (H. B. Sable), the 


Sable, the Fisher, the Mink and the Kolinsky. In the 
second, or Weasel group, are included the Common 


Weasel, the Tayra, the Grison, and the Stoat or Ermine. 
The Polecats, Ferrets and Skunks constitute the third or 
Polecat Group. Under their own names, the Otter, the 


174 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


Badger and the Wolverine, form respectively the fourth, 
fifth and sixth groups of the Weasel family. 

The Civets, the Bears and the Raccoons are closely al- 
lied to the Weasel family; but there is no generic connec- 
tion between any of them, and each must be considered 
as belonging to a separate family. 


THE PAHMI. 


The Pahmi (Helictis-napelensis or \ferrogrisea), some- 
times called the ‘‘Chinese Stone Marten”’ by the Leipzig 
skin dealers, is an animal whose skins have lately come 
into favor, and it is estimated that more than eighty 
thousand pelts were marketed in 1913, causing a marked 
advance in the price. The Pahmi is principally found 
in the Central Provinces of China, where it is also 
known as the ‘‘Grey Marmot.’’ Different varieties of the 
genus showing considerable variation in color are also 
found in Nepal and Sikkin, and on the Island of Formosa. 
It is so closely allied to the Stinking Badger (Mydaus- 
miliceps) that the Germans have also named the Pahmi, 
Stinkdachs. 

The under fur is thick and silky, but the glossy top 
hair is coarse. The top hair of the Helictis-napelensis 
is a dark greyish brown, with a distinct white line 
running down the middle of the back from the neck to 
the tail. A white band also goes nearly to the back on 
both sides, from a great white pateh that covers the 
throat and chest like a baby’s bib. The under fur is 
light yellow, and the coarsely haired light grey tail has 
a white point. The pelt is heavy. The Pahmi lives 
under ground, in burrows of its own construction, but 
does not hibernate in winter. It is probably the con- 
necting link between the true badgers and the skunks, 
as it burrows like the former, and discharges a fluid after 
the manner of the latter, although it cannot throw it as 
far. 


THe WEASEL Faminy—Marten Group. 175 


RUSSIAN SABLE. 


The most important animal in the Marten group is the 
Russian Sable (Mustela-zibellina). By many it is consid- 
ered merely as a variety of the Pine Marten, distinguished 
by the greater length and finer quality of its fur; but it 
also has a much more distinctly cone-shaped head, longer 
and stouter limbs and larger feet. Like all the members 
of the Weasel family, the Sable has a habit of walking 
almost entirely on its toes, and its short and compressed 
claws are capable of partial retraction. It has soft, thick 
fur, the top hairs of which are darker and glossier than 
the under fur; in fact, the value of a Sable as well as of 
the other Martens depends upon the color and density of 
the top coat. The skins of animals taken in the depths 
of the forests where the sun’s rays never penetrate the 
gloom are almost black, and well nigh priceless in value; 
but ordinarily the color varies from a light to a deep 
chestnut brown, and is uniform, except for a reddish grey 
patch on the throat, and a mixture of black and grey on 
the cheeks and snout. The skins are worth from ten to 
two hundred and fifty dollars each raw. There are furs 
that cost more, per skin, than Russian Sable; but when 
the size of the animal is considered, its full length being 
from fifteen to twenty inches, exclusive of the seven inch 
tail, the Russian Sable is the most valuable of all fur- 
bearing animals. 

The finest Sables are the large, wide stretched skins 
received from the Vitim and Olekma river districts, on 
which the long, glossy top hair is very full and black. 
They are almost equaled in quality by the Bargusin skins 
that are generally stretched a little more in the length by 
the trappers. The skins from Jakutsk are smaller, and 
have browner top hair, but they have very large and full 
silky tails. The Okhotsk Sables are smaller and browner 
still, but fine and full furred. 

The large brown Kamschatka skins that come to the 
market stretched in the length, have many silver hairs in 
the top coat. The Nerschinsk Sables are also well silvered, 
but are coarser furred. Those from the valley of the 


176 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


Yenesei are large and coarse and for the most part light 
in color. 

Some long, thin-furred skins are received from the Altai 
mountain section, that like the large, coarse, light-colored 
skins from Nekolaievsk, Afghanistan and Turkistan, are 
only suitable for blending. Many of the small, wide- 
stretched, brown Sables from the Amur district are, how- 
ever, well silvered and of a fair quality. 

The range of the Sable originally extended from the 
Ural Mountains to the Bering Sea, and from the moun- 
tains on the southern border of Siberia to the 68th parallel 
north latitude. Now its chief haunts are in the mountain 
forests of Eastern Siberia and Kamschatka. 

Sables should only be purchased where the buyer can 
have the fullest confidence in the representations of the 
dealer, as skins that have been taken out of season, or 
artificially darkened, are often palmed off upon the 
uninitiated as prime or natural. 


The Sable is a nocturnal animal, averse to the presence 
of mankind, and inclining to the least known and most 
inaccessible parts of the country. It subsists upon hares, 
birds, fish and every living thing it can kill. Sables make 
their nests in holes in the trees, and bring forth one lit- 
ter of four or five young each year. Formerly they were 
caught in traps; but now they are generally hunted with 
dogs who either run them down, or drive them into trees 
from which they are knocked with long poles into nets 
stretched to receive them. A hunter who succeeds in cap- 
turing twenty Sables in a season is considered lucky. 
Hunting the Sable in the midst of winter and tremendous 
snows is a dangerous task. Is is largely to the pursuit 
of this animal that we owe the discovery of the eastern 
provinees of Siberia. 


HUDSON BAY SABLE. 


The American, or Brown, Marten (Mustela-americana) 
is generally known as the Hudson Bay Sable; although 
strictly speaking, it is more like the Pine Marten than the 
Russian Sable in color and habits. It is found in the 
forests of North America in the Hudson’s Bay district, 


THe WeaseL Famity—Marren GROvpe. 177 


and to some extent in Labrador and Alaska, and is some- 
times met with as far south as the Adirondack Mountains 
in New York. It never ventures near the habitations of 
man; and while gentle in appearance, when it attacks an 
animal larger than itself it becomes as fierce as a tiger. 
One strange peculiarity about the Brown Marten is the 
fact, that while in some years as high as one hundred 
thousand pelts are taken, at other times they are very 
scarce; the periods of scarcity recurring at regular inter- 
vals of ten years. 

The skins are at their best when the animal is taken 
in November, and are worth raw from fifteen to forty-five 
dollars each, some choice specimens even bringing as 
high as ninety dollars. The color of the fur is brown, but 
of a more reddish cast than that of the Russian Sable. 
As in the case of its European cogener the value depends 
upon the color, density and silky gloss of the top hair, 
rather than upon the nature of the under fur. The head 
and ears are grey, and the breast spot is yellow. 

American Martens are generally taken in wooden traps 
set up in line by the hunters for miles across the country. 


In Labrador Martens are large and rich in fur, but 
very scarce, the same is true of Nova Scotia. The skins 
received from Alaska are large, but the fur is coarse 
and light in color, occasionally being entirely white. The 
skins from the East Maine and Fort George districts of 
the Hudson Bay territory are the finest and darkest, 
some of them being almost black. 


PINE MARTEN. 


The typical representative of the Martens is the yel- 
low breasted Pine Marten (Mustela-martes). Its range 
is in the higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, but 
one species is found as far south as India and the Malayan 
region. It has a sharply-pointed muzzle with nose ex- 
tending far beyond the Jip, and ears that are thickly cov- 
ered with fur on both sides. The length of the body is 
from sixteen to eighteen inches, and the bushy tail is from 
nine to twelve inches long. The fur is of a rich brown 


178 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


color at the top, with a reddish grey tint to the under coat, 
and a white, yellowish or bright orange patch on the 
throat. The soles of the feet have a thick coat of fur be- 
tween the bare pads. This animal is arboreal in its habits 
and averse to the open country, but remains in the bosom 
of the forest ranging through the thickets, or creeping 
from branch to branch of the towering trees, where its 
sharp claws aid it in procuring a firm hold. When domesti- 
cated it is said Pine Martens will eat fruit, but in their 
natural state they subsist entirely upon mice, rats, moles, 
and poultry ; and in the neighborhood of the sea they sup- 
plement this diet with mussels. neers can be domesticated 
and taught to eat fruit. 

‘The skins of the Pine Martens, like those of the Sable, 
are used principally either in the natural color or dyed 
for the manufacture of muffs and neck pieces. When 
blended it is hard to distinguish the fur of the Pine Mar- 
ten from that of the Sable; in fact even in their natural 
color it is sometimes difficult for any one but an expert to 
tell some of the finer skins from Hudson Bay Sable. 


BEECH MARTEN. 


The white-breasted Beech or Stone Marten (Mustela- 
foina), is much more common than the Pine Marten; in- 
habiting the whole of central Europe, parts of 
European Russia, Asia Minor, and some sections of North 
America. Although a frequenter of woods and trees this 
animal is more often found among rocks and stones, and 
has therefore been called stein-marder, or stone marten, by 
the Germans. The fur is coarser than that of the other 
Martens and different in color; the roots of the fur being 
of ash color, the middle of chestnut and the points black, 
giving to the whole a greyish brown effect. The Turkistan 
and Afghanistan skins have beautiful, long, glossy black 
top hairs and very pale ashy under fur. They were once 
regarded as belonging to a distinct species, but are now 
considered a variety of the foina. The Beech Marten is 
bolder than the other members of its family, being fre- 
quently found in the neighborhood of human habitations, 
and sometimes even making its nest in an old barn or 


Tue WEASEL Famitry—MartTen GROUP. 179 


granary, although generally its abode carefully formed of 
hay and straw is found in a hole in a tree, or in a crannie 
between rocks. The young, generally four or five in num- 
ber, are born early in the spring; and are blind for the 
first two weeks of their existence. The food of the Beech 
Marten consists of mice, rats, rabbits and all kinds of 
birds; and no dove cote, however lofty it may be, is safe 
when a Marten is in the neighborhood. Beech Martens 
make a mewing sound, not unlike that of a cat, and a pair 
of them in a tree may be heard quite a distance. They 
are exceedingly bloodthirsty, but they have such a fond- 
ness for certain kinds of fruits, like cherries and plums, 
that in some parts of the continent of Europe the trunks of 
fruit trees are washed with tobacco-juice, or petroleum, to 
keep them away. 


Natural Stone Marten fur has not been very popular 
for some time, but many of the skins are being dyed to 
imitate blended Sable, and this creates a demand which 
serves to keep the price about normal. 

Professor Rolleston thought that the Ailouvos of the 
Greeks was a white breasted Beech Marten. The darkest 
skins come from Spain, Italy and France; and the finest 
from Bosnia. Stone Martens are very numerous in Rus- 
sia, but their fur is coarse and light in color. 

The Japanese Marten (Mustela-melanopus) has a yellow- 
ish underfur, almost white. 


INDIAN MARTEN. 


The Indian Marten (Mustela-flavigula), is the hand- 
somest member of the group. It is from twenty to twenty- 
two inches long, with a seventeen to twenty inch tail. It 
ean be distinguished by its beautiful coloration. The fur 
is generally short, but longer on the animals caught on the 
Himalayas than on those taken in the Nilgiri section. The 
color of the upper part of the head, neck, rump, tail and 
limbs is a blackish brown or black, the middle of the back 
being of a paler brown; the chin and upper part of the 
throat are white, the lower part of the throat and chest 
being orange, brownish yellow, or pure yellow. This ani- 
mal is found only on the densely wooded hills, and is not 


180 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


often seen, although its range extends from the Himalayas, 
where it is generally found at an elevation of from 7,000 to 
8,000 feet, to Nilgiri. This species generally travel in par- 
ties of five or six, and give utterance to a low chuckle, which 
becomes a harsh cry when they are excited. 


FISHER. 


The largest member of the Marten group is the Fisher 
(Mustela-pennanti), known also as the Pekan, Fisher 
Marten, Pennant’s Marten, ‘‘Black Fox’’ and ‘‘Black 
Cat;’’ the two last titles having been given it because in 
size, color and build it resembles the fox, and cat, more 
than it does the Weasel. The length of the body is 
from twenty-four to thirty inches, and the tail is from 
twelve to eighteen inches long. The general color of the 
fur is a blackish brown becoming grey at the head and 
neck, but showing no light colored patch at the throat. 

The range of the Fisher covers the greater part of 
North America from the upper part of Texas to Alaska, 
but continual hunting has exterminated the animal in 
the sections east of the Mississippi River. It is nocturnal 
and aboreal in habit and very agile, often leaping from 
tree to tree in pursuit of its prey. Its nests are found in 
holes in trees, high above the ground. The skins are at 
their best in the northern country from October to May, 
and the customary mode of capturing the animal is by 
means of set traps. 

The name Fisher is evidently a misnomer, for while it 
will eat any fish that may come in its way it does not 
catch fish for itself, and makes its home in the swamps 
and on the wooded sides of the mountains, away from the 
water, feeding principally on snakes and porcupines, 
varying the diet occasionally by devouring one of its own 
cogeners. 

The fur is coarser and not as valuable as that of the 
American Marten, but it is handsyume and durable, and in 
fair demand for fine neck pieces and muffs. In the Euro- 
pean markets the Fisher is generally known as the Vir- 
ginia Polecat. 

It brings forth its young in April or May, producing 
from two to four at a birth. 


THE WEASEL FAMILY—AARTEN GROUP. 181 


MINK. 


The true Mink (Mustela-vison) is confined to North 
America, but the Mustela-lutreola, called Nerz or Sump- 
otter by the Germans, has rightly been classed as the 
European Mink, in spite of essential differences in struc- 
ture and quality. A white upper lip always characterizes 
the European varieties. Minks of inferior quality that 
are classed as local varieties of the Russian Mink, are 
also found in Japan, and China where they are generally 
called Chinese Weasels. 

The Mink is distinguished from the other members of 
its genus by a narrower muzzle, longer premolar teeth, 
and a partial webbing of the toes. Like all members of 
the Marten group the Mink has a bushy tail, about half 
the length of its body which measures from fifteen 
to eighteen inches. The pelage consists of a soft, dense 
under-fur mixed with long, stiff, glossy hairs, the latter 
being most in evidence on the upper part of the body. 
The color varies from a light, yellowish brown in the 
poorer representatives of the species, to a rich chocolate 
in the finer grades. The chin is always white, and small 
irregular patches of white are often found on the under 
part of the body. The Mink ranges over the greater part 
of North America; the choicest specimens coming from 
Maine and Nova Scotia; next in value are those from 
Canada, New York and New England; the poorest Ameri- 
can qualities come from the southern section of the 
United States, and the intermediate grades from the cen- 
tral, western and northwestern states. 

The Mink is an amphibious solitary animal, semi- 
aquatic in habit, living in holes in the banks of streams 
and lakes. The young, four or five to a litter, are born 
early in the spring, and remain with the mother until the 
autumn. The Mink is a good diver and swimmer, and 
can remain under the water a long time; it has been 
known to pursue and catch as agile a fish as the brook 
trout; and as an evidence of its remarkable strength, it is 
said that a Mink has been seen to drag a mallard duck 
a mile to its hole so that its mate could join in the feast 
provided by so much effort. This animal has a keen 
sense of smell and wonderful tenacity of life, a case being 


182 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


recorded where a Mink was found alive twenty-four 
hours after it was crushed flat by a falling tree. 

The fur of the Mink is used for muffs, neckwear, coats, 
linings, trimmings, and sleigh robes. It is one of the most 
fashionable furs this season and it is never entirely out 
of style, although at some times it is less popular with 
wearers of furs than at others. 

The Russian Mink is a good size and dark in color, but 
it has a flatter appearance than that of the American 
Mink because the fur is shorter and the top hairs are not 
so long and numerous. 


KOLINSKY. 


The Kolinsky or Siberian Mink (Mustela-sibirica), also 
known as the Chorok, Red Sable and Tartar Sable, is the 
connecting link between the Marten and Polecat groups 
of the Weasel family. The Tartars call it the Kulon. It 
is about fifteen inches long, has an eight-inch tail, and the 
fur is of a rich brown or tawny color. This animal is 
found in the district east of the Yenesei River, and has 
for some time received favorable consideration from the 
furriers, by whom it is now dyed to imitate the Marten 
and Sable, the same as they dye Japanese and Chinese 
Mink to make a cheap substitute for American blended 
Mink. 

The hairs of the tail of this animal are sometimes used 
in the manufacture of brushes. 


THE WEASEL. 


The Common Weasel (Mustela-vulgaris), is  distin- 
guished from the Polecats by its smaller size, slender body 
and differences in cranial development, as well as the fact 
that its winter coat is different in color from its summer 
covering. The range of this animal extends over all 
Europe, Northern and Central Asia, and a large part of 
North America. It is about eight inches long, and its 
tail will measure from two to two and one-half inches. 
The throat and under parts of the body are always white, 
but the outside of the limbs and the back are a dark 


THe WEASEL FAMILY—-WEASEL GROUP. 183 


brown in summer, often changing to white in winter. It is 
a bold and inquisite animal, whose food consists of small 
birds, mice, etc., but it will seldom attack a rabbit or a 
poultry-yard. It is quick of movement, has a strong power 


INDIAN WEASEL. 


of scent, and follows the small animals on which it preys 
to their hiding places. Common Weasels bring forth from 
four to five young, and generally live in a nest of dry leaves 
placed in a hole in a cave or a hollow tree. 


THE TAYRA. 


The Tayra or Taira (Galictis-barbara), is found in 
Central and South America. It is the largest member of 
the Weasel group measuring over twenty inches, exclusive 
of the tail which is nearly as long as the body. It is dark 
brown above and yellowish on the under part of the 
body. Tayras often hunt in companies for the small 
animals upon which they prey. 


184 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


THE GRISON. 


The Grison (Galictis-vittata), has its habitat in Cen- 
tral and South America, and Mexico. It is about the size 
of a Marten, and is black in color except on the top of the 
head, back and tail, where the long hair is bluish grey. 
The sharp contrast between the grey crown and black 
face gives this animal a vicious look in keeping with its 
savage disposition. It lives in hollow trees, holes in the 
ground, and clefts in the rock. It feeds on small mam- 
mals and birds. Like the other Weasels it destroys the 
poultry in settled districts. The odor it emits is, if pos- 
sible, more nauseating than that of the skunk. 

Allemand’s Grison (Galictis-allemandi), a larger and 
less common species of this genus, has the same range as 
the above. The skins of these animals have no commercial 
value, and they are only noticed here because of their 
connection with the Weasel family. 


ERMINE. 


The most important member of the Weasel group is the 
Stoat or Ermine (Mustela-erminea), sometimes called the 
greater Weasel. The fur of common Weasels is often sold as 
Ermine, but the winter dress of the Stoat is the only true 
Ermine. The Stoat though closely allied to the common 
Weasel and of similar habits is its superior in size, and in 
the purity and depth of its fur; another distinguishing 
feature is the black tip on its tail which never changes 
color even when the rest of the fur turns white. 

The habitat of the Stoat, like that of the common 
Weasel, is spread over a large portion of the globe; the 
finest representatives of the species being found in 
Siberia, British North America and Alaska. In the higher 
latitudes it invariably assumes the white winter dress 
which characterizes the Ermine. This change also takes 
place in winter in the highlands of Scotland, and the 
United States as far south as Pennsylvania, New York 
and Massachusetts. Partly white specimens have even 


been taken at times in Virginia but in the milder climates 
/ 


Tue WEASEL FAMILY—WEASEL GROUP. 185 


the fur is generally of .a tawny brown color above all 
the year round. Various reasons have been advanced 
by different authorities for the change of color the Stoat 


Stroat In SUMMER DREss. 


undergoes at different seasons, and all seem to agree that 
the change is due to the necessity of the color of the 
animal being adapted to its external surroundings, as it 
is noted that the change of color seems to be determined 
by the presence or absence of snow in its habitat. The 
native of the far north have a legend that the white coat 


Stoat IN WINTER PELAGE. 


is given to the Ermine by the Creator to enable it to 
escape the notice, as it travels over the frozen wastes, of 
large and powerful enemies against whom it could not 
contend. 

The haunts of the Stoat are in stony places and im- 
penetrable thickets that afford it a refuge from the larger 
animals. It lives on poultry, game and smaller animals; 


186 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


and it is claimed that when food is abundant it will only 
suck the blood and eat the brains of its victims, leaving 
the flesh untouched. The Stoat moves very rapidly and 
hunts its prey by day and by night. It is a good climber and 
also a good swimmer, although not an aquatic animal. The 
young are produced in the spring, the usual number to a 
litter being five to twelve. The full-grown animal is about 
seven to twelve inches long, exclusive of the tail which 
will measure about four inches. 

Royal in its beauty, the fur of the Ermine has at all 
times adorned the state robes of kings and queens, and 
has always been in favor for occasions where full dress 
was demanded. At present it is very popular for street 
wear as well and the price is very high for the better 
grades. 

The fur of the Ermine when made up with black spots 
instead of tails is called minever, the whitest skins come 
from Ischimer. Good medium grades, with extra fine 
full furred tails that are black half their length, are 
received from Tomsky and Perchorsky. The smaller skins 
from Jakutsky and Janiseisky are white but flat, and the 
Lasky skins have no black points on the tails. The Bara- 
binsky skins are the largest and best of the Siberian 
Ermines. The skins are put up for sale in ‘‘timbers’’ of 
forty skins each. 


THE FERRET. 


Zoologists are now agreed that the Ferret (Putorius- 
furor), with its pink eyes and yellowish white color, is 
merely a variety of the Polecat, modified by the effect of 
long continued captivity. Ferrets came originally from 
Spain and Barbary, but now are bred for rabbit and rat 
hunting both in Europe and the United States. The Fer- 
ret has no strong local attachment and therefore must 
be carefully secured. 

As is the case with most domesticated animals Ferrets 
are more prolific than their wild allies; the young are 
usually born in the spring, but sometimes there are two lit- 
ters a year of from five to ten each. The Ferret will al- 
most invariably seize a rabbit behind the ears. 


Tue WEASEL FimmLy—Pouecat Group. 187 


THE SKUNK. 
A well known scientist, when asked if the Skunk was 
a polecat, replied: ‘‘Yes—and more too.’’ Cuvier ex- 


plains the meaning of this remark when he says: ‘‘ Among 
a family remarkable for its stench, the Skunk (Mephitis- 
mephitica) is distinguished by a sort of stench far ex- 
ceeding that of the remaining species. The odor it pro- 
duces resembles that of the Polecat, mixed with a strong 
smell of garlic—nothing could be more nauseous’’; any 
one who has encountered it, will know why the French 
formerly called this animal “enfant du-diable’’—the child 
of the devil. 

Like the Polecats, the Skunk has thirty-four teeth; 
two false molars above, and three below; but the superior 
tuberculous one is very large, and as long as it is broad, 
and the inferior carnivorous has two tubercles on its 
inner side; circumstances which ally it to the Badger, 
just as the Polecat approximates to the Grison and the 
Glutton. The anterior nails of the Skunk, like those of 
the Badger, are long and fitted for digging, and they are 
moreover semi-plantigrade. The American Skunk has 
sometimes been called the Fitchet of Pennant. Its general 
color is brownish black with a white tip on the head. It is 
marked on the back with white stripes of considerable 
individual variation, narrow in some and wide in other 
specimens, but all have the white spot on the head, and a 
white tip at the end of the long, bushy tail, which they 
carry curved over the back when walking. The slightly 
curved claws are set in straight toes. The head is small, 
and the ears are short and round, and the stoutly built 
body is moderately elongated. It is terrestrial and fos- 
sorial in its habits. 

The Skunks make their homes in holes in the ground, 
in hollow trees, or in crannies in the rocks. They are 
good climbers but prefer the clearings and the open 
glades to the dense forests. The young are born in the 
spring, six to ten in number, and remain with the mother 
until the following spring. Dr. Merriam says, that 
when captured early in life, Skunks make pretty and 


188 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


agreeable pets, gentle in manner, and cleanly in habits. 
They feed on insects, birds, eggs, frogs, mice and rab- 
bits, sometimes even leaves and berries. Several families 
of Skunks will live in one burrow. 

It is hard to intimidate a Skunk as besides being of a 
fearless and unsuspicious nature, it seems to be conscious 
of the power it possesses of putting all enemies to rout 
with the nauseous artillery which it can at all times 
bring to bear on the object of its wrath. This secretion, 
with its penetrating, lasting, never-to-be-forgotten odor, 
is contained in a pair of glands located under the tail; 
and can be ejected at the will of the animal with such 
force that the fluid will carry from thirteen to sixteen 
feet, as many unfortunate victims can testify. Strange 
as it may seem the flesh is said to be white. tender and 
highly palatable. Skunks are caught in traps. The finest 
skins come from Ohio, and the country east of that state. 
Western and southern skins are coarser and not so full 
furred. Skunk farming is carried on successfully in dif- 
ferent sections of the country. 


Whatever we may think of the Skunk otherwise, its 
fur is certainly worthy of the high regard in which it is 
held by the public. Many wearers of ‘‘Alaska Sable’’ 
and ‘‘Black Marten’* furs, have no suspicion that their 
beautiful muffs and neck pieces are made of Skunk 
skins, for when properly dressed and cured the skins 
soon lose the objectionable odor, which has made the 
useful and handsome Skunk famous—or infamous. 


The natural black skins are the most valuable, and 
where the white stripes are not too large they are cut 
out by the furriers, so the balance of the skin ean be 
used in its natural color, which is a brownish black on 
top, and deep grey at the roots. The white skins, and 
those in which the stripes are too prominent, are dyed 
either a jet black, or as near as possible to the natural 
color of the skin. Some dyers are very successful in 
imitating this shade, but when the natural and dyed 
skins are placed side by side it is easy to see that man 
at his best is only a poor imitator of natural products. 


The Lesser Skunk (Mephitis-putorius), sometimes re- 
ferred to as the Little Striped Skunk, amd for some 


Tue WEASEL FaMILY—POoLECAT GROUP. 189 


unaccountable reason called ‘‘civet’’ by the furriers, be- 
longs to the same genus as the common Skunk, but it is 
a much smaller animal, with different cranial character- 
istics, and it has the peculiar odor of the Poelcat. It also 
differs in the white markings which it shows in an endless 
variety of detail on its black fur, but which are always 
so arranged as to form a lyre, more clearly defined on 
some specimens than on others. This animal never ex- 
ceeds a foot in length, and its tail is shorter than the 
head and body. Its range is in the lower part of the 
United States, and as far south as Yucatan and Guate- 
mala. In working up these skins no attempt is made 
to cut out the white stripes, but the furriers match them 
so that on the finished article they will look like the lines 
of one general design. The largest skins come from the 
northern part of its habitat, the animals growing smaller, 
coarser and fatter as they go south. 


LESSER SKUNK. SKUNK. 


Nearly allied to the above species is the long tailed 
Skunk (Mustela-macrura), of Mexico, whose tail is longer 
than the head and body combined. 

There is a white backed Skunk in South America 
(Conepatus-mapurito), which is heavier than the others 
and has a more pig-like snout with nostrils directed down- 


190 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


ward instead of laterally. It hag only thirty-two teeth, 
extremely small ears, and a shorter tail than the other 
species. The body is from eighteen to twenty-four inches 
long, and generally marked on the back with two very 
wide white stripes; the under part is always black, and 
the tail is white and black. Its range is from Patagonia 
and Chili, through Central America, as far north as 
Texas. 

In Nicaraugua the Skunk goes along at night with its 
tail up as a danger signal. Naturalists claim that the 
conspicuous markings of the Skunk are ‘‘warning colors”’ 
that are a benefit to the species as well as its enemies, as 
many a time a man who would hesitate a long time be- 
fore hunting a Skunk, would take a shot at an animal of 
whose identity he was not certain. 

The gait of the Skunk is a measured walk, but it can 
shuffle along at a pretty good speed if necessary. A 
peculiarity of this animal is its indifference to the presence 
of man, which is evidenced by its being so often run over 
by vehicles. 


POLECATS. 


Polecats are the most sanguinary of all the Weasel 
tribe. They are larger and more powerful than the 
Skunks and Weasels, but as a rule are smaller in size 
and have shorter legs than the Martens. They were 
formerly known as Foulmart (Foul-Marten) because of 
their fetid smell, due to a secretion carried by these ani- 
mals in small glands. They are the terror of poultry 
yards and warrens, for while they are less active than the 
Martens, they not only work havoe with the rabbits, poul- 
try, birds and small rodents, but also destroy the eggs and 
young of their prey in their burrows and nests. The 
lower carnivorous tooth of the Polecat has no inner 
tuberele, and the superior tuberculous one is more broad 
than long; there are two false molars above and three 
below; they can also be distinguished from the Weasels 
and the other Martens by the absence of the first pair 
of molars in both jaws. , 


THe WEASEL FamMiILy—PoLecat Group. 191 


Fitchet, or Fitch Cat, is the name given to the com- 
mon Polecat of Europe (Mustela-putorius). It has a fur 
made up of a woolly yellow under-fur showing through 
long, glossy dark top hairs; in the Russian skins the under 
fur is almost white. The body of this animal is about seven- 
teen inches long, exclusive of the tail which measures 
about six inches. It is a nocturnal animal inhabiting 
the deserted burrows of other animals in the forest and 
issuing forth at night for its depredations. ‘‘Fitch’’ was 
a popular fur with our grandmothers, and at present has 
come back into favor. The finest darkest skins come from 
Germany. 

The Perwitsky or Sarmatian Mottled Polecat (Putorius- 
sarmaticus), is a distinet species, that has its habitat in 
the wilds of Siberia, Russia and Central Asia—principally 
Afghanistan. This species is not exclusively nocturnal, 
but it passes the greater part of the day in some deserted 
rabbit burrow, or in a deep, dark crannie in the rocks or 
an opening between large stones, issuing forth at night 
to procure food. It is a fearless, ferocious fighter, and 
does not hesitate to attack animals many times its size. 
Where it cannot outspeed its victims it patiently tracks 
them until it can steal upon them. The Perwitsky is 
generally caught in traps; sometimes it is smoked out of 
its burrow into a net spread over the opening; and 
occasionally it is roped as it escapes to the trees. The 
fur of this species is of an orange color, with irregular 
brown spots on the upper part very much like the thighs 
of the Russian Sable in color and texture, underneath it 
has glossy black fur. It is a much smaller animal than 
the common Polecat, measuring from seven to ten inches 
in length. Like that of the Fitch, the fur of the Per- 
witsky was very much in vogue fifty years ago, but for a 
long time was neglected by the furriers; it is in de- 
mand again at the present time, being admirably suited 
to the effects which the designers are producing in this 
season’s garments. 

The Black-footed Polecat of North America (Mephitis- 
migripis), is found in the Central plateau of the United 
States as far south as Texas. It is larger than the com- 
mon species, measuring about nineteen inches exclusive 
of the tail which is about five and one-half inches long. 


192 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


It is of a brownish white color, with the feet, the tip of the 
tail, and a broad stripe across the forehead black. It 
shows the distribution of dark and light colors character- 
istic of all members of this family. 


Other unimportant species of this animal are the 8i- 
berian Polecat (Mustela-eversmanni), which can be distin- 
guished by certain differences in the form of the skull 
and its nearly white back and head; and the Tibetan Pole- 
cat (Mustela-larvata),-found in Ladok and Tibet. 


PERWITSKY. POLECAT. 


The Cape Polecat of South Africa (Itonyx-zorilla), is 
so much like a small Skunk that it is often taken for a 
member of the same group; the teeth, however, are 
smaller and more like those of the Polecat between which 
and the Skunks it appears to be a connecting link. Both 
in size and shape it is like the Polecat. It has a broad 
head, small rounded ears, and a very sharp muzzle; the 
tail is bushy, and about three quarters of the length 
of the body which measures about twelve inches. The 
fur is glossy black and marked with white stripes and 
spots. The upper part of the tail is mostly white, and 
there are always some white spots on'the head and tail. 
Its range is from the Cape of Good Hope to Senegal. 


THE WEASEL F'AmMiILy—PoLecat GROUP. 193 


Another species of the Zorilla is the Itonyx-funata, 
which is found in Egypt, and ranges across the Isthmus 
of Suez into Asia Minor. This animal frequents the rocky 
districts, and is purely nocturnal; it is not able to climb 
like the Martens and Polecats, and only takes to the 
water when compelled to do so. It has an odor as in- 
tolerable as that of the Skunk, but it is found in many of 
the homes of the Dutch Boers in South Africa, where it 
is kept to destroy vermin. 


The South African Weasel (Poecilogali-albinucha), 
with one exception the only Weasel found in Africa south 
of thé Sahara, is almost exactly like the Cape Polecat 
in coloration and marking. It is placed in a distinct 
genus because it has two pairs of premolar teeth in each 
jaw, while generally there is only a single pair in the 
lower jaw of the Polecats. 


THE BADGERS. 


The Badger, which Linnaens placed with the Bears, 
but which is now conceded to belong to the Weasel fam- 
ily, is found throughout Europe, Asia, British North 
America, and the central and western portion of the 
United States; the best species coming from the western 
continent. In some places it is called the Javanese Skunk, 
because of its offensive odor. The Badger is of a shy 
and retiring disposition, never courting danger, but when 
brought to bay will put up a fierce and stubborn fight. 
It is nocturnal, lives in burrows of its own construction, 
and in the colder regions hibernates during the winter. 
It is partial to bird’s eggs and bee’s nests with their 
honey and larvae, but its principal food consists of fowl 
and the various species of small rodents. Badgers are 
conspicuously distinguished by a pouch beneath the tail, 
from which a greasy, fetid secretion exudes. 

This animal measures about two feet in length, ex- 
clusive of the six inch tail. It stands low on its legs, is 
clumsy in its movements, has a long snout, and long claws 
peculiarly adapted for digging. The American Badger 
(Taxidea-americana) has a light yellowish under fur, 


194. CARNIVORA FIgsIPEDIA. 


covered with long black and white hairs that grow much 
longer on the sides than on the back; and the skins are 
used principally for making robes, muffs and other furs. 
The European or Common Badger (Meles-taxus) is much 
coarser and darker than the American species; and the 
hairs of most of the skins of this variety are used for 
brush-making, although the great majority of skins used 
for that purpose come from Russia. 


( i) 


tea 


SSS 
re mT 
i 1 Fi = E 


AMERICAN BADGER. 


The brush manufacturers shave the skins on the leather 
side, then wash them in alkali to remove the grease, after 
which the hair is cut off close to the pelt and sorted into 
lengths; the longest hairs being used for graining brushes, 
and the medium length for shaving brushes, while the 
tooth brushes are made of the shortest hairs. 


Badgers at one time were very abundant in England, 
and are still found in the southern part of Great Britain. 

The Ratel, a small, clumsy looking creature, about the 
size and appearance of the Badger, is often called the 
Honey Badger. There are two distinct species of this 
animal; the (Mellivora-indica), found in India; and the 
(Mellivora-ratel), which has its habitat in Africa. A 
black Ratel, that ranges the Ituri forests, is known as the 


THE WEASEL Famity—Bapcers. 195 


(Mellivora-cottoni). Both the other species are iron grey 
on the upper parts, and black below, and have thickly 
built, stout bodies; their legs are short and strong, and 
armed, especially the anterior pair, with long curved 
claws with which they dig up the earth in search of the 
honey combs of the wild bees; their tails are short and 
their ears are reduced to mere rudiments. They have 
stout, heavy, conical skulls. The two species may be 
distinguished from one another by a distinct white line 
around the body of the African species, at the junction 
of the grey of the upper side with the black of the lower, 
which is wanting in the Indian Ratel; the teeth of the 
former species are also larger, rounder and heavier than 
those of the latter. 

The Sand Badger (Arctonyx-collaris) is a yellowish 
animal, larger than the common Badger and looking very 
much like.a small bear. It is nocturnal and omnivorous 
in habits and very fierce. It is found in Eastern India, 
from the eastern Himalayas to Burma. A small Sand 
Badger (Arctonyx-taxoides) is found in Assam, Arakan 
and also in China. It is said there is another species in 
Tibet, with a tail much longer in proportion to the body 
than any of the rest of the group. 

There are four species of Ferret Bagders (Helictes), 
which are found in Asia and the Eastern Archipelago; 
and the Stink-dachs of the Germans (Mydaus-meliceps), 
which is said to be the connecting link between the true 
Badgers and the Sand Badger, has its habitat in the Mala- 
van Peninsula. 


196 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


OTTER, 


All Otters are so like one another that it is difficult 
to determine the exact number of species, but it is certain 
that there are at least ten species of true Otters; one 
of which is European and Oriental, three are exclusively 
Oriental, two are African and four are American. The 
largest member of the group is the Brazilian Otter, the 
smallest representatives are the feline Otter of South 
America, and the clawless Otter of India; the best known 
of the species is the European or Common Otter (Lutra- 
vulgaris), and the most valuable is the North American 
Otter (Lutra-canadensis). 

Otters vary much in size, the average length being 
thirty inches, exclusive of the tail which will measure 
about fifteen inches. The general color of the fur varies 
from a fawn to a liver brown when the top or hair coat 
is on the skins, the chin, throat and under part of the 
body always being lighter than the back, The under- 
fur remaining, when the top hairs have been plucked 
out, varies from a light tan in some skins, to a golden 
brown tint in others. 

Their elongated forms, with but slight restriction at 
the neck, enable the Otters to glide through the water 
with ease and speed, and the dense under fur affords them 
protection against the cold. Their teeth are so constructed 
that they can both hold such slippery prey as fishes, and 
pierce their scales, with equal facility. They have broad, 


flat heads with small external ears, a neck so thick that 
it passes imperceptibly into the trunk, and short legs with 


webbed feet, and curved blunt claws. They are expert 
and graceful swimmers and divers, and live exclusively 
on fish when they are procurable., They frequent all kinds 
of bodies of water, sometimes even descending to the sea. 
In feeding they hold the fish in the forepaws, eating down 
to the vent, and leaving the tail, but only a small propor- 
tion of the fish they capture are devoured, as the Otter 
seems to delight in killing for killing’s sake. Otters 
never hibernate, and in winter, when they cannot procure 
fish, they will kill poultry, and smaller animals. They are 


Tye WEASEL FAMILY—OTTERS. 197 


generally found in pairs, or family parties of five or six. 
They are somewhat deficient in sight, but the other senses 
are well developed. When excited they give a yelping 
bark, and are said to sound a sort of whistle as an alarm 
note to their fellows. Otters build their homes in the 
hollows under roots of trees near the water’s edge, or in 
hilly districts in the clefts between the rocks; sometimes 
their abodes have several entrances, one of which opens 
under the water. The young may be produced at any 
time, although winter is the usual season; they are born 
blind, and a litter generally contains from two to five 
cubs, which can easily be tamed if caught when young. 
The North American Otters are said to travel so fast in 
going across country from river to river, that it is hard 
for a man to overtake them; on the ice they progress by 
making a series of jumps, and then sliding on their bel- 
lies as far as the impetus thus acquired will carry them. 
They have a curious habit of sliding down smooth or 
steep banks of snow or mud, and are caught in steel traps, 
set under the water at the bottom of one of these slides, 
or under the snow at the top. They are animals of high 
general intelligence, and very successful in evading traps. 
When domesticated they will follow like a dog. 


198 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


The fur of the Otter is very valuable, as it can be used 
for nearly every purpose, either in its natural state, or 
plucked and dyed. The skins of the North American 
Otter are worth raw from fifteen to fifty dollars each, 
and those of the European species from five dollars to 
fifteen dollars. The finest skins come from Canada, Nova 
Scotia and Labrador; those from the York Fort district 
are large, thick and dark; the Halifax skins are also very 
dark, but rather coarse, like the Norwegian Otters. The 
best skins come from the East Maine district, and are 
almost black. Otters found in the Southern States have a 
thick pelt, and are of low standard. Silvery skins are 
occasionally met with, but they are rare; the white are 
more common. 

There are three species of South American Otters; the 
largest of these, the Brazil Otter, is often called the Mar- 
gin Tailed Otter because it has a distinct ridge running 
along each side of the tail; it is about forty inches long, 
and has a twenty-two inch tail; the nose of this species 
is covered with hair. The color is chocolate on the back, 
but lighter on the under parts, and it also has light spots 
on the chin and throat, and some dark spots on the under 
fur. There is a hairy nosed Otter found in the Malay 
Peninsula. The Japanese Otter is very fine in quality. 


SEA OTTER. 


Zoologists while classing the Sea Otter (Latax-lutris) 
as belonging to a genus apart from that containing the 
common Otter, consider it as a member of the family 
Mustelidae, and we have therefore placed it with the Wea- 
sels, although in many of its habits, in its general ap- 
pearance, and in the possesson of long flipper-like hind 
feet, it very much resembles the Eared Seal. 

The body of the Sea Otter is about three feet long, 
tapering to the front so that it joins the small rounded 
head without any marked constriction at the neck. The 
skin is so large and loose for the size of the body that 
when it is removed from the animal it can readily be 
stretched to one-third more than its apparent length. 
The pelage consists mainly of a fine, soft fur, among 


THE WEASEL FAMILY—SEA Orrers. 199 


which are a small proportion of long stiffer hairs. The 
general color is a dark liver brown, silvered over with 
the greyish tips of the longer hairs. The Sea Otter dif- 
fers from the common Otter not only in external charac- 
teristics, but in the construction and the number of its 
teeth—having only thirty-two teeth, while the common 
Otter has thirty-six, and Dr. Coues says: ‘‘If the teeth 
of ordinary carnivorous quadrupeds be likened to fresh 
chipped, sharp and angular bits of rock, those of the Sea 
Otter are comparable to water-worn pebbles.’’ Sea Ot- 
ters are very playful and will lie upon their backs in the 
water for hours tossing pieces of sea weed into the 
air from paw to paw, or sporting with their young. Their 
food consists almost entirely of clams, mussels, sea urchins 
and other shell fish, from which they extract the contents 
by taking one in each paw and striking them together 
to break the shells. The young may be born at any sea- 
son, but only one is produced at a birth. The mother 
sleeps in the water on her back, with her young clasped 
between her fore paws. Pups have frequently been cap- 
‘tured alive, but it is impossible to raise them as when 
taken from their mother they invariably die of self-im- 
posed starvation. 

Sea Otters inhabit both coasts of the North Pacific; 
their chief haunts on the Asiatic side being found in 
Kamschatka, and on the American side in Alaska, the 
Aleutian Islands, Sitka Island on the west coast of Can- 
ada, Vancouver Island and the shores of the continent 
as far south as Oregon. It is stated by Mr. H. W. Elliot 
that when the Russian traders first opened up the Aleu- 
tian Islands they found the natives wearing cloaks made 
of the fur of the Sea Otter; and that when the Pribilov 
Islands were discovered in the Bering Sea upwards of 
five thousand Sea Otters were killed the first season, 
but in less than six years these animals had com- 
pletely disappeared from these islands; and now they are 
becoming so rare everywhere, that nothing but govern- 
ment protection can save the species from total extinc- 
tion. Mr. Elliott says: ‘‘Over two-thirds of the Sea 
Otters now taken in Alaska are secured in two small 


areas of water around the Islands of Saanach and Cher- 
nobours and most of those taken on the Coast of Wash- 


200 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


ington and Oregon are secured in the neighborhood of 
Grey’s Harbor, which shows that these animals seem to 
have a preference for certain localities to the exclusion 
of all other territory.’’ 

Because of their quick hearing and acute smell Sea 
Otters are hard to capture by shooting or clubbing, unless 
there is a heavy gale from the north to drown the sounds 
made by the approaching hunters. Some of the natives 
spread nets over the kelp-beds where the Otters are in 
the habit of sleeping, when the animals becoming par- 
alyzed with fear as they find themselves entangled in the 
meshes, fall an easy prey to the hunters. 

The Sea Otter furnishes one of the most valuable of 
furs as a single skin will often sell for from one thousand 
five hundred dollars to two thousand dollars, and the 
average price of a season’s catch is about five hundred dol- 
lars per skin. 


Sea OTTER. 


THe WEASEL F'AMILY— WOLVERINE. 201 


THE WOLVERINE. 


The Wolverine (Gulo-luscus), is known all over Eu- 
rope as the Vielfrass. By the French Canadians it is 
called Carcajou; and by the British residents of North 
America it is named Quick-hatch. 

Linnaeus placed the Wolverines among the Bears, 
whom they really only resemble in their plantigrade move- 
ments; approximating much nearer to the Weasels, in 
their teeth, as well as in their habits. Scientists are now 
agreed that the Wolverine should be placed with the 
Weasel, in spite of the fact that it belongs to another 
genus and is different in appearance and dimensions from 
all the other members of the Weasel family. It has the 
same number of teeth as the Weasel, but they are un- 
usually powerful and strong, distinctly resembling those 
of the Hyaenas. 

The Wolverine is an inhabitant of the northern regions 
of both hemispheres. It is heavily and clumsily built; 
has thick, stout limbs; and like the Badger walks with 
the back arched, and both head and tail carried low. The 
head is broad and rounded, with small, widely separated 
eyes, and small rounded ears. The length of the body is 
from twenty-four to thirty-six inches, and the tail, which 
has a plait or fold in place of a sac, measures from twelve 
to fifteen inches. The body is covered with a thick, 
woolly under fur, and a top coat of long, coarse hair. The 
general color is blackish brown, with distinct bands of 
chestnut brown or some lighter tint, commencing behind 
the shoulders and running down the flanks to meet at 
the root of the tail, forming a perfect dise on the back. 
The fur on the front and sides of the head is of a light, 
grey color. In the Western Hemisphere this animal 
ranges as far north as the Arctic coast, and as far south 
as Lake Erie on the eastern side of the continent, and 
Salt Lake on the western side; in the mountains it is seen 
as far south as Arizona and New Mexico. It is a forest 
haunting species, nocturnal in habit and can travel rapidly. 
It is so voracious that it has been termed the Glutton. 
It hunts during the night; does not become torpid dur- 
ing the winter; and is a solitary animal, living in sub- 


202 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


terranean holes, where its young are born in June or 
July. It is sanguinary and ferocious and masters the 
largest animals by leaping upon them from trees, and in 
pursuit of its prey it has been known to swim rivers. 


The Wolverine is a natural born thief, often stealing 
things for which it has no possible use. In search of 
food it will rob the traps set for other animals, and it 
will devour any beast or bird it can catch. It is won- 
derfully sagacious, and is very difficult to trap because 
of its ability to detect the preparations made for its cap- 
ture. lydecker says: ‘‘When one of them has discov- 
ered a line of Marten traps the trapper may as well re- 
linquish his trade until he has destroyed the marauder. 
Every trap along the line will be pulled to pieces and the 
bait or captured marten removed, and after the hunger 
of the Glutton is satisfied the remainder of the booty will 
be buried. Another curious propensity of the Glutton 
is its habit of stealing and hiding articles which can be 
of no posible use to it; and an instance is recorded where 
these animals removed and concealed the whole para- 
phernalia of a hunter’s lodge, including such articles as 
guns, axes, knives, cooking vessels and blankets.’’ Strange 
as it may seem, in spite of its cunning, this animal is itself 
caught in large traps made to look like caches, into 
which it will break to get the bait which is concealed in- 
stead of being exposed in the usual way. 


The darkest specimens of this animal are found in the 
glacial regions of the Eastern Hemisphere. The Common 
Glutton or Kossomak (Urus-gulo) of Russia has a fine, 
deep maronne color, with a darker disc. 


The fur of the Wolverine is seldom used for anything 
except sleigh robes and rugs, and the manufacture 
of tails that make a good imitation of the stone marten 
tails. 

Hot climates produce some species, which only differ 
from the Gluttons in having one false molar less in each 
jaw, and a long tail. Such are the animals called Ferrets 
by the inhabitants of South America, which while they 
have the teeth of our Ferrets and Polecats and similar 
habits, are distinguished from them by their plantigrade 
movement. 


203 
RACCOONS. 


The Raccoons or Ratons (Procyonidae), are a very small 
family of Carnivores whose habitat is principally con- 
fined to the central and southern portions of the North 
American continent. The skull has the same essential 
characteristics as that of the bear, and while in some other 
respects their external appearance is like that of a bear 
in miniature, they differ in other ways very materially 
from that animal, having well developed tails marked 
by alternate dark and light rings. They have the same 
plantigrade feet, but they rest the whole sole of the foot 
on the ground only when they stand still; when they 
walk they raise the heel. The dark brown fur on the 
body of the Raccoons is thick and rather coarse and 
has tips of greyish hair; the muzzle is white, and 
they have a brown streak across the eyes. The length of 
the body is from twenty-two to twenty-six inches long. A 
Raccoon will weigh from fifteen to thirty-five pounds 
when in the best of condition. Raccoons have three back 
tuberculous molars, the superior of which are nearly 
square; and three pointed false molars in front forming 
a continuous series to the canine, which are straight and 
compressed. The total number of teeth in these animals 
is forty. 


Raccoon. 


Raccoons (Procyon-lotor) are extremely common 
about the borders of the Adirondacks. They are good 
climbers, and they delight to sport on the margins of 


204 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 


pools and streams, where they capture fish lurking be- 
neath the stones and the fresh water mussels buried in 
the mud and sand, but although they are good swimmers 
they are unable to dive in pursuit of their prey. Trees 
are their refuge when pursued by foes, and form their 
resting, and breeding places. Their nests are made in 
hollows high up from the ground; but as it does not hunt 
its prey among the tree tops the Raccoon cannot be 
considered as an arboreal animal, nor does it gather 
nuts or fruit from the branches, or feed upon young 
shoots or twigs, preferring a diet of eggs, birds, fish and 
smaller animals like mice. From a singular habit it has 
of eating nothing without first dipping it in water, the 
Germans call it the Wash Bear. 


Raccoons are the most strictly nocturnal of all North 
American mammals. They commonly live.and travel in 
small companies and do not return to the same nest every 
morning, but often make excursions in various direc- 
tions that last several days, taking refuge at the 
approach of dawn in any convenient arboreal shelter. 
In the Adirondacks the young, numbering from four to 
six to a ltter, are produced early in the spring, and 
remain with the parents about a year. Raccoons hiber- 
nate during the severest part of the winter, retiring to 
their nests high up in the trees early in the fall, and not 
appearing again until February or March of the following 
year. | 

Raccoons are easily caught in steel traps, if these are 
set under the water at the edge of swamps or streams; 
but the sporting method of hunting them is at night with 
trained dogs, when after a short run they invariably take 
to a tree where they are shot by the hunter. 


Because of the many purposes for which it can be 
used the fur of the Raccoon ,though not expensive, is 
very valuable. Hither in its natural state, or dyed, it is 
manufactured into sleigh robes and coats; as well as such 
small furs as muffs, neck pieces, caps and gloves. 

The Coatis have a singularly elongated and flexible 
snout, and the teeth, tail, nocturnal habits, and slow 
dragging gait of the Raccoon. Notwithstanding their long 
nails, which are used for digging, and their semi-palmate 


Tue Raccoon FaAmiuy. 205 


feet, they'climb trees. They inhabit the warm climates 
of America, and their diet is nearly the same as that of 
the Marten in Europe. 


The Cacomistle or Bassarisk is a small member of the 
Raccoon family, inhabiting Mexico and parts of the United 
States. Its body is sixteen inches long, and its tail will 
measure about fifteen inches. It is rather slender, has a 
sharp, fox-like face, and large bright eyes surrounded by 
light patches which, with the erect ears, give an alert and 
pleasing expression to the countenance. Its fur is long, 
soft and light brown above, darkest along the back, and 
the long bushy tail has six or eight broad, white rings; 
the fur on the under parts of the body is white. 

This animal has been called the Cacomistle hy the 
Mexicans, and the Bush Cat, Raccoon Fox and Ring Tail 
by skin dealers in different parts of the world, but the 
scientists have now agreed upon the name Bassarisk for 
the various species of the Basaris-astuta. 

Plucked and dyed the fur of the Bassarisk resembles 
that of the Marten, and has become very popular as a 
substitute for it under various names, the French furriers 
calling it Bassarius, and others listing it as the Ringtail 
and Bush Cat. 


The Panda (Aelurus-fulgens), or Red Cat-bear, which 
seems to be the connecting link between the Raccoons 
and Bears, approximates to the Raccoon by its canines 
and what is known of its other teeth, with the exception 
that it has only one false molar, making the total number of 
its teeth thirty-eight. This animal is rather larger than a 
eat, has a sharp muzzle and small round ears, the inner sur- 
face of which are white; a moderately long tail covered 
with long hair; and plantigrade feet, with semi-retractile 
claws in the five white toes. The face is white, with the 
exception of a vertical stripe of red from just above the 
eye to the angle of the mouth and a red stripe running 
down the center of the nose; there are several pale rings 
on the tail, the tip of which is black. Its back fur is of a 
remarkable rich, reddish brown color, darker below than 
on the upper parts. Its thick, fine, woolly under 
fur is concealed by long, soft, glistening and richly 
colored hairs, making it, according to some authorities, 


206 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


the most beautiful animal in the world. It dwells chiefly 
among the rocks on the high mountain slopes, 7,000 to 
12,000 feet above sea level, but it also climbs trees, and 
preys on birds, small animals and insects. It also eats 
fruits, roots and other parts of plants, and will feast on 
milk and butter. It is a harmless, defenseless animal, 
equipped for climbing, rather than fighting. It makes 
its nest in hollow trees, and brings forth its young, gen- 
erally two in number, in the spring. They are helpless 
for a long time, one litter remaining with the parents 
until the next comes. The Panda is easily tamed. 

The Kinkajou (Viverra-caudivolvula), an animal with 
thirty-six teeth, a short muzzle, slender tongue, and a pre- 
hensile tail, found at elevations of from 4,000 to 5,000 
feet, from Central Mexico to the Amazon River in Brazil; 
and the Potto found in parts of Africa, are also related 
to the Raccoons. 


PINNIPEDS. 207 


PINNIPEDS. 


The Seals and Walruses are the only Pinniped or fin- 
footed Carnivores. Their entire organization is adapted 
for an aquatic life. Both the fore and hind limbs are 
modified into paddle or flipper-like organs; the upper 
parts of which are enclosed with the same integument as 
the body, while the elongated feet or flippers are cov- 
ered with a skin resembling india rubber. The feet have 
great power of expansion and the five toes are completely 
connected with web. The first and fifth toes on the hind 
feet are stouter and longer than the three middle toes; 
and the skin covering on all the feet terminates in large 
lobes projecting beyond the extremity of the bones, and 
is thick and ribbed on the exposed parts, to prevent it 
from being injured by abrasions, when brought into vio- 
lent contact with the rocks or ice. These animals all have 
very short tails, and are further characterized by the 
absence of rudimentary collar bones and the presence of 
large protruding eyes by which they are enabled to 
secure accuracy of vision under the water. 

Seals are the only pinnipeds that come within the scope 
of this work, as the Walruses can hardly be considered 
as fur-bearing animals. Seals have either thirty-four or 
thirty-six teeth, but none of them show the flesh tooth, 
always found in the jaw of the fissiped or true Carni- 
vores. The number of incisors is invariably reduced 
below the typical pairs in each jaw, some Seals having 
only two pairs in each jaw, and none having more than 
three pairs in the upper, and two pairs in the lower jaw. 
They all have five cheek teeth in each jaw, the first four of 
which belong to the pre-molar system. A marked pecul- 
iarity of the teeth, is a groove in the upper incisors, into 
which the sharp lower incisors fit so as to form a vice 
from which it is impossible for a fish to escape. The milk 
teeth are of no real use to these animals, and are fre- 
quently shed by them before birth. 


208 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


At the present time, the aggregate number of Fur 
Seals killed in a year, in all parts of the world, is less 
than 30,000; and the yearly catch of Hair Seals is some- 
thing less than 250,000. The following estimates of the 
number of Seals, of all kinds, taken in 1886, will give an 
idea of the location of the different sealing grounds and 
the relative commercial importance of the different spe- 
cles thirty-five years ago. 


HAIR SEALS. 
Newfoundland, including Labrador and the Gulf 
OF St, Thawrenee@ cnn je cacea ys cee dene ews dee 400,000 
Canadian Net Fishery, Gulf of St. Lawrence... 75,000 
Jan-Mayen and adjacent seas ..........-.---- 110,000 
Western Greenland ............ 0.0.0 cece eee 50,000 
Nova Zembla, White Sea and Arctic Ocean... 75,000 
Caspian S64) ¢ Arc cient eaun walt aoe eee wen aeess 140,000 
North and South Pacific Oceans ............ 5,000 
875,000 
FUR SEALS. 
Pribilov Islands (Alaska) ................04- 100,000 
Commander Island (Copper Island) .......... 30,000 
Straits of Juan de Fuca, and vicinity ......... 15,000 
Patagonia, including South Shetland Islands, 
and Straits of Magellan ................... 15,000 
Lobos Islands, mouth of Rio de la Plata ....... 12,000 
Falkland. Islanid® si 0c%6a04 ash1eeoase ce eae 5,000 


Cape of Good Hope, including southwest coast 
of Africa, and islands in South Indian Ocean 10,000 


Islands belonging to Japan .................. 2,500 


185,000 

All Seals are maritime and extra-tropical with the ex- 
ception of a few unimportant species found in the Medi- 
terranean and other inland seas, and in West Indian 
waters. Seals are divided into two distinct families—the 
Phocidae or True Seals, and the Otariidae or Eared Seals 
—differing from one another in character and habits, as 
well as in external appearance. Those species having a 
dense coat of soft, short fur under the stiff long hair 
which forms the outer covering of all the members of 


Harr SEALS or SEA Does. 209 


both families, are called Fur Seals; and those which are 
entirely devoid of this under fur, or possess it only in a 
limited degree, are known as Hair Seals. Not all the 
Otariidae are Fur Seals; but all the Phocidae are Hair 
Seals, although the cubs of some of the species of the 
latter family are called Wool Seals, until they lose the 
soft woolly white coat with which they are born. The 
time of shedding this coat varies in different species. The 
eubs of the Common Seal take to the water and change 
their coat within a few hours of their birth, while the 
young Greenland Seals do not go into the water or shed 
their fur, until they are from four to six weeks old. Seals 
seldom produce more than one cub in a year, and never 
more than a pair. They subsist entirely upon fish, crus- 
taceans and mollusks, and can sleep as well floating on 
their backs on the sea, as upon the ice floes or the land. 


TRUE SEALS (Phocidae) 


True Seals occur along the shores of the temperate and 
colder portions of the globe, but the greater number are 
found on the Northern Hemisphere. The members of 
this family have no trace of external ears, and the front 
limbs are always smaller than the hinder. The under 
surfaces of both front and hind feet are well covered with 
hair, and in most cases all the digits are furnished with 
well-developd claws. The hind feet are incapable of the 
great power of expansion, and want the long flaps of skin 
at the extremities characterizing those of the Eared Seals. 
There is but little difference in size between the males and 
females of this family, and none of the various species are 
Fur Seals. True Seals are with few exceptions gregar- 
ious, gentle and submissive, offering no resistance when 
attacked by man. They have strongly developed social 
instincts, and display an extraordinary affection for their 
young, who generally remain on the land for the first few 
weeks of their existence, and who, strange as it may seem, 
take reluctantly to the water, and have to be taught the 
art of swimming by their parents; but the cubs of the 
Common Seal are a marked exception to this rule. True 
Seals are more specialized for an aquatic life than the 


210 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


Eared Seals. They can remain under the water twenty 
minutes, or more, without coming up to the surface to 
breathe. 


Owing to their hind limbs being turned permanently 
back, so as conjointly to form a sort of rudder, True Seals 
move very slowly when out of water. They progress with 
a kind of wriggling motion, made by pressing the palmer 
surface of the forepaws on the ground either alternately 
or simultaneously, and sliding the body forward in a suc- 
cession of short jerks. 


Two of the species, the Greenland Seal and the Hooded 
Seal, are migratory. In May, attended by their young, 
they commence their northerly movements to the Green- 
land seas, where they spend two or three months. In 
September they begin a southerly migration to escape 
the intense cold of the northern winter; one division 
passing through the straits of Belle Isle to the Gulf of St. 
Lawrence, and the other along the east coast of New- 
foundland. By the close of the year they reach the Great 
Banks, which is their southern headquarters. Early in 
February they again start northward to meet the ice 
fields upon which their young are brought forth in March. 


The appearance of the herds as they pass a given point 
on their journey from the north is most imposing. Mr. 
J. C. Stevenson says: ‘‘The southern migration commences 
soon after the frost sets in. A fisherman posted as a sen- 
tinel on some headland commanding an extensive sea 
view, will first notice small detachments, of from half a 
dozen to a score of Seals each, passing at rather long in- 
tervals; the detachments gradually increase in frequency 
and numbers, until they are seen in companies of a hun- 
dred or more, closely following one another. After two 
or three days the main body, consisting.of an uncount- 
able crowd, will come into sight, and then for the greater 
part of two days the sea as far as the eye can reach will 
seem to be literally paved with the heads of the Seals. 


True Seals seldom stay on the land for long periods, 
and even when basking in the sunshine on the beaches 
and ice floes, they generally keep so near the water’s 
edge that it is difficult for the hunters to cut off their 
retreat. pa 


Hair SEALS or SEA Does. 211 


With the exception of the Elephant Seal, none of the 
species of this family resort to any particular breeding 
ground, but produce their young on the ice floes and 
beaches. There are sixteen or seventeen varieties of True 
Seals, but only such as are of special interest, structurally 
or commercially, are considered in this work. 

The Elephant Seal, whose habitat is in the seas of the 
antipodes, is the largest of all pinnipeds, measuring from 
fifteen to twenty feet in length. Like the next largest 
representative of the Phocidae—the Sea Leopard of the 
Antarctic Ocean—this species is well nigh extinct, and 
the few skins now taken are used for leather purposes 
only. Unlike most True Seals the Elephant Seal is polyg- 
amous. 


The Grey Seal, or square flipper, by some authorities 
also claimed to be polygamous, is one of the largest True 
Seals of the Northern Hemisphere, sometimes attaining 
a length of twelve feet, although the average ‘‘Grey 
Back,’’ which will weigh about 400 pounds, is eight feet 
long. The cubs or White-coats of this species are larger 
than the adult Ringed Seals, measuring from four to five 
feet, which is nearly the size of the full-grown Greenland 
and Common Seals. The Grey Seal is found in compara- 
tively narrow limits in the North Atlantic, being com- 
moner on the shores of Europe than on the American 
side, where it ranges from Sable Island to the Straits of 
Labrador and Disco Island, and is sometimes seen in the 
Gulf of St. Lawrence and Hudson’s Bay. It also occurs 
in Iceland, and is one of the two species occasionally met 
with off the British Islands; but its chief habitat is the 
northern coast of Norway, where it usually breeds at the 
end of September, producing its young on the ice. The 
Grey Seal is the sole representative of its genus, and can 
be distinguished from all other species of True Seals by 
the form of its skull, and the simple character of its teeth. 
It is less docile and intelligent than the Common Seal, 
and cannot be tamed in the same manner. 

Grey Seals have chosen localities where they come 
ashore, generally selecting places on the leeside of an 
island. Before landing they will swim back and forth 
several times, with head erect and eye, ear and nose on the 


212 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


alert, to detect the slightest sign of danger. Then care- 
fully choosing a place where a shelf of rock, raised but 
little above the sea, descends vertically several feet be- 
neath, so ‘it will be possible for them to plunge head first 
into the water, and disappear upon the first alarming 
sound, they will emerge. Upon gaining the surface of 
the rock, they at once turn completely around, so they 
can lie with the head seaward, ready to dive on the in- 
stant, should occasion require. 

The coat of the Grey Seal is yellowish in color, becom- 
ing lighter on the under parts, and is marked with dusky, 
ill-defined spots. The skins are seldom met with in com- 
merce, and the few that are marketed are bought exclu- 
sively by tanners. 


The Ringed Seal, or floe-rat, is the smallest representa- 
tive of the Phocidae, averaging about three feet in length. 
{t is sometimes called the Fetid Seal, because of the odor 
it exudes. While they are found to some extent in the 
North Atlantic and the North Pacific Oceans, the true 
home of the Ringed Seals is in the icy Arctic Seas, where 
their favorite resorts are sheltered bays and fjords, in 
which they will remain as long as they are filled with solid 
ice, but when the ice breaks up, they drift out to sea upon 
the floes, and there the young are born in April and May. 

This species is not migratory, but very abundant, and 
of special local value to the Eskimos, who take large 
quantities of them through holes which they cut in the 
ice. The skins that are exported are used exclusively for 
leather. 

The Ringed Seal can be distinguished from all others, 
by the peculiar markings to which it owes its name, its 
smaller body, slenderer form, longer limbs and tail, nar- 
rower head and more pointed nose. It is one of the spe- 
cies of True Seals that make circular blow holes in the 
ice, through which they ascend and descend at pleasure. 
The covering of the body is a dense, coarse hair, almost 
like wool, and the color of the adult, is blackish grey 
above, with oval rings, and whitish on the under parts. 

The Baikal Seal, and the Caspian Seal, which are re- 
spectively confined to the seas which bear their names, 
although they are much larger, are closely allied to the 


Hair Seaus or SEA Dogs. 2138 


Ringed Seal. They are of special interest only because 
of the nature of their habitat; the Baikal Seal inhabiting 
a fresh water lake, and the Caspian Seal living in a sea 
but slightly salt. 


The Common Seal belongs to the same genus as the 
preceding species, and the’ Greenland Seal. While its 
teeth are smaller and sharper than those of the Grey Seal 
they are more massive than those of the other representa- 
tives of its own genus, from whom it is further distin- 
guished by its stouter build, longer head, broader nose and 
shorter limbs. In color the adult Common Seal is yellow- 
ish grey, with irregular dark brown or blackish spots; 
but the cubs, which are brought forth in May or June, are 
born with a woolly, yellowish white coat, which they shed 
immediately after birth. The full-grown males vary from 
five to six feet in length. 

These Seals do not make seasonable migrations, but are 
found in the same haunts throughout the year. They are 
gregarious, but do not gather together in such large num- 
bers as some of the other species, and prefer sheltered 
sounds and bays, with shallow water and an abundant 
supply of fish to more exposed positions. Common Seals 
leave the water at every tide, to rest on the rocks or 
beach almost invariably selecting portions that are sep- 
arated from the mainland. They are more intelligent 
than their cogeners, and can be readily tamed; instances 
being recorded where they have followed their owners 
about like dogs, and also where they have been taught to 
perform tricks. Like other True Seals these animals 
are readily attracted by music, and will follow a vessel, 
from which such sounds proceed, for a considerable dis- 
tance. 

The Common Seal has a wide range; occurring princi- 
pally, however, in the North Atlantic and North Pacific 
Oceans, extending on the shores of both oceans to 
the Arctic regions. In the Atlantic it is sometimes found 
as far south as the Mediterranean on the European side, 
and New Jersey on the American side. In the Pacific its 
southern limit seems to be marked by Kamschatka on the 
eastern, and Southern California on the western side. 
This species does not confine itself to the coast, but often 


214 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


ascends the tidal rivers to a considerable distance from 
the mouth, and has been known to pass up the St. Law- 
rence River into the Great Lakes. Apart from the Grey 
Seal, this is the only species ordinarily met with on the 
coasts of the British Islands. 

The skins used in commerce come principally from 
northern waters, and are manufactured into leather, or 
used with the hair on for making saddle housings, trunk 
covers, tobacco pouches, toy knapsacks and a variety of 
similar articles. ‘ 


The Greenland Seal, which is essentially a northern 
species, is the most important member commercially of 
the True Seal family. It is about the same size as the 
Common Seal, and at some periods of its existence sim- 
ilarly marked; but when full grown it can easily be dis- 
tinguished by the characteristic coloration of the back, 
because of which it is often called the Harp or Saddle- 
Back Seal. The general color of the adult Greenland Seal 
is a yellowish white with black markings on the back, 
fore part of the head and limbs—the markings being less 
distinct on the females than on the males. In neither sex, 
however, is the full coloration obtained before the fifth 
year, and so different is the appearance of the animal at 
various stages of its growth that it is called by different 
names at different ages. For the first few months it is 
classed as a ‘‘White-coat’’; when the woolly hair begins 
to fall off, and dark spots to appear in the new coat, it 
is designated a ‘‘Small Spot.’’ At two years old it is 
known as a ‘‘ Middling Spot’’ or ‘‘Bedlamite’’; and later 
it is called a ‘‘Spot,’’ until such time as it develops by 
reason of full coloration into a ‘‘Harp.’’ 

The migratory habits of the Greenland Seal have al- 
ready been referred to; and a study of its itinerary shows, 
that while it is found to a limited extent in the far north, 
and is at rare intervals a visitor to the British islands, 
and parts of the West Coast of Northern Europe, its 
habitat is on the west side of the North Atlantic from 
Newfoundland to the Arctic regions. 

During their migrations these animals keep close to the 
coast, and frequently enter the bavs and estuaries. but 
when settled at their breeding resorts, they prefer ex- 


Hair Sars or Sea Docs. 215 


posed ice floes in the open sea. They are very gregarious, 
always assembling in immense herds. Some idea of their 
abundance a few decades ago is given in the estimates 
printed on another page of the catch in 1886; in that 
year a single steamer secured 22,000 skins, valued at $2.50 
each, in nine days. 

At the present time, the total number of Greenland 
Seals taken annually in the Jan-Mayen seas, is probably 
30,000, and the yearly catch in the Newfoundland dis- 
trict is about three times that number. Unlike the Ringed 
Seals, and the Bearded Seals, the Greenland Seals do not 
make breathing or blow holes in the ice. This is prob- 
ably the reason why they frequent the floes in preference 
to the stretches of unbroken ice. Off the coast of New- 
foundland the young are born early in March, and in the 
Jan-Mayen district a few weeks later. 

The skins of ‘‘Harps’’ are manufactured into leather: 
of the finest quality, and lower grades of leather are pro- 
duced from the ‘‘Spots.’’ The White-coat skins are dyed 
black or brown, and under the name of ‘‘ Wool-seals’’ are 
sold to furriers by whom they are worked up into muffs, 
collars, capes and other articles of fur wear. The bulk of 
the skins are sent to London for sale. 

The Crested or Hooded Seal, also known as the blad- 
der-nose seal, because the males have an appendage on 
the nose which they are able to distend at pleasure, is 
the boldest and fiercest of all True Seals. It is about the 
same size as the Grey Seal; the full-grown males measur- 
ing from seven and a half to eight feet in length. This 
species can easily be distinguished from all others by the 
peculiar casque-like prominence crowning the forepart 
of the head. It has the same migratory habits as the 
Greenland Seal, whose habitat it shares; and, like the lat- 
ter prefers the ice floes in the open sea to the neighbor- 
hood of the land; but ‘‘Hoods’’ and ‘‘Harps’’ are never 
found on the same floe. 

The young of the Crested Seal are born on the ice in 
March; and the parents will often lose their lives in de- 
fense of their offspring, rather than seek safety in flight. 

The ground color of the coat, after the second year, is 
a blackish blue, becoming lighter on the flanks and the 
nether parts. The head and limbs are uniformly black, 


216 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


and the body is marked with whitish spots. The skins 
are known to commerce as ‘‘Bluebacks.’’ They are chiefly 
used for shoe trimmings, muffs, gloves, military caps and 
clothing, but they are not nearly so abundant as the 
Greenland Seal skins, 


The Bearded Seal, probably the largest of all northern 
True. Seals, is circumpolar in distribution; never being 
found south of Labrador on the American, or of the North 
Sea on the European side of the Atlantic. It is boreal 
and solitary in its habits, nowhere abundant, and produces 
its young in the fall of the year. It can be distinguished 
from other species of the family, by the beard from which 
it derives its name, its superior size, its broad muzzle and 
convex forehead, as well as its small weak teeth. It dif- 
fers from all other Seals in that the third or middle digit 
of the front flipper is longer than the rest, while in the 
other species the digits of the front flippers decrease in 
length from the first, or first and second, to the last. 

Like the floe-rat, the Bearded Seal makes blow holes in 
the ice; and a ditsinguishing peculiarity is its habit of 
turning a complete somersault when about to dive. Its 
color is a shade of grey, showing individual variations in 
tint but always darker on the back than elsewhere. This 
Seal is of no commercial importance. 


The Monk Seal, found in the Mediterranean and Black 
Seas, and the West Indian Seal are the orily two species 
of the Phocidae that inhabit the warmer seas. They are 
neither of commercial value, nor of special interest other- 
wise. The full-grown males, of either species, will meas- 
ure from seven to eight feet in length. 


217 


HAIR SEAL FISHERIES. 


The pursuit of the Elephant Seal in the southern seas 
and the Pacific Ocean, was a profitable occupation in 
the first half of the present century. Owing to the 
decimation of the southern species the sealers -have 
changed their field of operations, and now the Greenland 
Seal is the species mainly hunted, and the principal seal- 
ing grounds are off Newfoundland and Labrador, and in 
the seas adjacent to Jan-Mayen Island; although quite a 
number of Hair Seals, of other species, are taken in the 
Arctic Ocean, and in the White and Caspian Seas. 


It is interesting to trace the evolution of the sealing 
industry in the Newfoundland district, from the day 
when the Seals were taken in nets set from the shore 
or beneath: the ice, through various stages of develop- 
ment when expeditions were sent out, first in large boats, 
and later in small schooners, to harpoon, shoot or club 
the Seals upon the ice or in the sea, to the present time 
when large steamers carry crews of from 150 to 300 men 
to the immense ice fields, far out in the sea, where the great 
herds resort for the purpose of producing their young. 


The cubs, which weigh about five pounds at the time 
of their birth, grow so rapidly, that at the end of four 
weeks the skins, with the three or four inches of fat 
which have accumulated beneath, weigh from forty to 
fifty pounds each. It is at this time, when the oil that is 
yielded is of the best quality, and their capture is easy 
because they have not yet taken to the water, that the 
young Seals are killed. When the steamer reaches the 
floe upon which the Seals are congregated the hunters 
take to the ice, armed with poles or gaffs that have a hook 
at one end, and are shod with iron at the other. A blow 
on the nose quickly despatches the animals, and then the 
skins with the fat adhering to them are rapidly detached 
with scalping knives. The skins secured are rolled into 
bundles, and taken aboard ship. When the ship reaches 
port the skins are separated from the fat, and salted for 
export to Great Britain and other parts, where they are 
sold as ‘‘Wool-seals’’ to furriers. The fat is ground by 


218 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


machinery into minute particles and steamed, and the 
oil resulting from the process, after being exposed to the 
rays of the sun for a time in glass-covered tanks, is bar- 
reled for exportation. The vessels then make a second 
trip for the capture of the older animals, whose skins are 
principally used for leather purposes. These are taken 
either by shooting them in the water, or by clubbing when 
they can be caught congregating on the ice. By a conven- 
tion between the powers interested a close time has been 
established, and sailing vessels are not allowed to clear 
for the fisheries before March lst, and steamers before 
March 10th. 

For years seal hunters from all nations conducted op- 
erations in the Jan-Mayen district, in a reckless and bar- 
barous way; shooting the mothers as they were suckling 
the young, and leaving thousands of their offspring to die 
of starvation upon the ice; but since the establishment in 
1876, by an international treaty between England and 
Norway, of a close time in these waters, the industry is 
carried on the same there as in the Newfoundland district, 
where the hunters wait until the cubs are ready to leave 
the mothers before killing the older animals. 

The Russians take some Seals in the White Sea, but 
their most valuable sealing grounds are in the Caspian 
Sea, where the animals pass the summer in deep water, 
but in the autumn resort to the east basin, where their 
young are born in December and January. Some of the 
Caspian Seals are taken in nets, others are shot, but the 
greater number are clubbed to death on the ice. The Nova 
Zembla Fisheries, though once productive, have declined 
in value until they are of no importance. 

Some of the Eskimo still practice what is probably the 
oldest method of capturing Hair Seals, harpooning from 
kayaks, or canoes made of skins. When within about 
twenty-five feet of the Seal the hunter hurls his harpoon 
from a wooden thrower. <A bladder, attached to the har- 
poon by a cord, enables him to follow the course of the 
Seal under the surface, and to wound it again and again 
with his lance as it comes up to breathe, before it is finally 
despatched. 

Tn some parts of Scandinavia the seal box is still used 
by the natives. This is a contrivance with a swining 


Harr SEAL FISHERIEs. 219 


plank by means of which the Seal as it attempts to land 
is hurled headlong into a deep pit. 


Where nets are used, in Newfoundland or Labrador, 
two are usually set together in the neighborhood of rocks 
to which the Seals resort, and they are always placed to 
the leeward of the mainland or some headland. When 
nets are used in the Caspian Sea they are hung from 
boats at some distance from the land; and on Lake 
Baikal, they are let down through the breathing holes of 
the Seals in the ice. When they strike the nets the Seals 
thrust their heads through some of the meshes, and in 
their efforts to extricate themselves become completely 
involved. 


GREENLAND SEAL. 


Besides the skins, a valuable product of the hair seal 
industry is the oil extracted from the blubber of the 
young animals and used for lighting and lubricating 
purposes. The natives of the far north look to the seals, 
not only for lamp oil, and the greater part of their food, 
but for material from which to make their boats, sledges, 
clothing and hunting implements. 


220 Hair SEALS. 


GREY SEAL. RINGTAIL SEAL. 


ELEPHANT SEAL. 


Va 


Ve 

SY Wf : 

TY, MY ZB 
ay) 4, 


‘ 
Y 


Sea LE&oparp. 
CRESTED SEAL. GREENLAND SEAL. 


ComMMON SEAL. 


Earep SEALs or Sea Lions. 221 


EARED SEALS (Otariidae) 


FEared Seals are active, aggressive and polygamous. 
They are not so highly specialized as the True Seals, hav- 
ing well-marked necks, well-defined external ears and 
hind flippers that can be turned forward under the trunk. 
Their fore feet are nearly as long as the hind ones, and 
the soles of both fore and hind feet are entirely devoid of 
hair. The toes of the fore feet, decrease in length from 
the first to the fifth, and have merely rudimentary claws; 
on the hind feet the three middle toes have better devel- 
oped claws, but the first and last are quite clawless. These 
animals can progress fairly well on the land by arching 
the back, and carrying the body forward with a sort of 
jerk, or bear-like lope. The males of the family are all 
very much larger than the females of their species. 


At one time all Eared Seals were grouped under one 
generic title; but now the thirteen species considered in 
this work are assigned to five different genera, and di- 
vided into two sub-families; the Eared Hair Seals, or Sea 
Lions, being grouped together in the sub-family, Trico- 
phocinae; and the Eared Fur Seals, or Sea Bears, being 
grouped together in the sub-family Ulophocinae. The 
Sea Lions are always considerably larger, and much more 
powerful, than the Sea Bears found in the same locality. 
While these animals frequent the same shores, and often 
breed on the same islands, they never live together; as 
the Sea Lions, who are very shy and wary, and much 
slower and clumsier in their movements, seldom travel 
as far inland as the Sea Bears; and when they do meet 
by chance on the narrow belts of land to which the Sea 
Lions resort for their stations, the Sea Bears always yield 
their places without a struggle to their formidable op- 
ponents. 


The Eared Seals spend a large portion of their time on 
the land, assembling in great numbers at regular seasons, 
at certain breeding grounds. The males are the first to 
arrive at these rookeries and having selected individual 
stations, about ten feet square in size, they keep up a con- 
tinual struggle to maintain their positions, and to preserve 


222 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


the females they secure. As the males who have suc- 
ceeded in securing stations have from six to fifteen females 
and in some cases even a larger number each, to protect 
from those who, having failed in the struggle for part- 
ners, are waiting close at hand in the rear of the colony 
to take advantage of any unguarded moment to raid the 
harems of their successful rivals, the preservation of the 
stations requires constant vigilance on the part of the 
males in possession of them. They are compelled to remain 
continually on the ground during the entire breeding 
season, undergoing an unbroken fast of about three 
months’ dnration, and becoming in consequence weak and 
emaciated to the last degree and losing half their weight 
before they return to the water. Some of the males show 
wonderful strength and courage in the defense of their 
homes and families. The, fighting is mostly done with the 
mouth; the opponents seizing each other with their teeth, 
and clenching the jaws, so the sharp incisors tear deep 
gutters in the skin and blubber, and shred the flippers 
into ribbons. 

The females are as gentle as the males are truculent. 
They remain for a time after their arrival continuously 
at the stations of their lords, but as they go to the sea at 
frequent intervals for food, they do not spend such a long, 
unbroken period on the shore. 

The Sea Lions are less systematic and exacting in the 
formation and protection of their families than the Sea 
Bears; allowing their consorts to move more freely from 
place to place, and to go to the shore accompanied by 
their young to disport themselves in the surf. 

On the Pribilov Islands, the Sea Lions come ashore, and 
produce their young, a month earlier than the Sea Bears. 

With the exception of the California species, the gen- 
eral color of all Sea Lions is a reddish brown showing 
darkest at birth, and becoming gradually lighter with age. 

Sea Bears are black, or nearly so, when born; but they 
become lighter as they grow older, through an abundant 
mixture of greyish hairs—varying, in the different spe- 
cies, from a whitish to a yellowish grey. The adults, of 
the southern species, are generally much greyer than the 
northern representatives of the family, and there is also 
considerable individual variation of color, in all the spe- 
cies, due to age, sex and season. 


Earep Hair Seats or Sea Lions. 293 


EARED HAIR SEALS 


The Patagonia Sea Lion was met with by Magellan as 
early as 1579, and was the first species to be exhibited 
alive in England, a specimen having been bought by the 
London Zoological Society in 1866. It is found as far 
north as the Coast of Chili on the Pacific side, and the 
Rio de la Plata on the Atlantic side of South America ; 
and as far south as the Falkland Islands and Terra del 
Fuego. It is docile and clever, but very suspicious, sel- 
dom leaving the shore line. It always selects isthmuses 
and headlands where it can have an unobstructed outlook, 
for its resting place when it does wander away from the 
water’s edge. The representatives of this species 
are solitary in their habits, for even where a number of 
families, of from six to fifteen\each, are seen in the same 
creek, it will be noticed that the individuals of different 
families do not associate with one another. Their daily 
occupation seems to be divided between sleeping and pro- 
curing food; at high tide they take to fishing near the 
entrances of the fresh water rivulets into the sea, the rest 
of the time’ they lie huddled together. The full-grown 
males of the species measure about seven feet in length, 
and are of a rich brown color. The young are of a deep 
chestnut, and the adult males of a brownish grey shade. 
The ears of this animal are smaller than those of any 
other Sea Lion, and it is also characterized by the pres- 
ence of a distinct mane. The profile of its head is nearly 
straight. 


The Northern Sea Lion, discovered by Behring, in 1741, 
is noted for its leonine expression and ferocity of counten- 
ance. It has an entirely different head from that of the 
southern species, having a pointed nose and flattened pro- 
file, like the northern Sea Bear. It is the largest repre- 
sentative of the Eared Seal family, the full-grown males 
often weighing from 1,000 to 1,300 pounds, and measuring 
from ten to thirteen feet in length, and from eight to ten 
feet in girth. The voung are of a dark chocolate color, 
and the adults of a golden rufous or ochrey tint, the shade 
varying with the seasons. Its principal breeding places 


224 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


are on the Aleutian and Pribolov Islands in the Bering 
Sea; but the northern limit of its habitat is apparently 
determined by the southern border of the Polar floating 
ice, while its southern range extends to California on one 
side, and to Japan on the other side of the North Pacific 
Ocean. Although provided with flippers, apparently the 
same as those of the Sea Bears, these animals are unable 
to use them in the same free manner; for where the Sea 
Bears can be driven six miles, the Sea Lions can barely go 
two. They seldom raise their hind quarters from the 
ground, but draw them after the fore feet with a slide 
over the grass or sand. The Sea Lions do not leave the 
islands in the fall as the Fur Seals do to return in the 
spring; but remain there the whole year, keeping close to the 
shores near the stations even after the close of the breed- 
ing season, although they are only seen in small groups 
from the time the cold weather sets in late in December, 
or early in January, until spring once more frees the 
islands of ice and snow. The voice of the Northern Sea 
Lion is a deep, grand roar. Unlike the Northern Sea Bears, 
the Sea Lions have a marked affection for their young; 
the males often going into the water with the females to 
watch over the cubs, as they learn how to swim. 


The California Sea Lion, or West Coast Seal, is also 
found on both sides of the North Pacific; but the northern 
boundary of its habitat is the southern limit of the range 
of the Northern Sea Lion. The general habits of these 
animals seem to be very similar to those of the Northern 
Sea Lion, but they utter a sharp bark, or howl, by which 
they can easily be distinguished even at night, when it is 
impossible to note differences in size and color and truc- 
tural appearance. The shape of the head of the Cali- 
fornia Sea Lion is different from that of all other Seals, 
resembling that of the dog-faced baboon. The cubs are 
almost black in color, but the general color of the adults 
is a chestnut brown, deeper on the under parts and limbs 
than on the back. The length of the full-grown males 
varies from seven to eight feet. California Sea Lions 
breed on the Farralone Islands and the island of Santa 
Barbara. During the hauling-up season they congregate 
there in vast numbers, and are considered one of the 
sights of California, summer visitors to San Francisco 


Earep Harr Seaus or Sea Lions. 225 


seldom failing to make excursions to Seal Point, about six 
miles from the city. As each of these animals consumes 
from ten to forty pounds of fish a day, it is a natural con- 
sequence that most of the thousands of Sea Lions who 
are seen in the neighborhood of San Francisco during 
the summer are obliged to swarm away in various direc- 
tions in a quest of new feeding places at the close of the 
pairing season in September. This is the Sea Lion often- 
est seen in captivity, as it seems to thrive better in that 
state than any other representative of its family. Its 
wonderful sagacity and activity are best illustrated by 
the method it pursues in capturing the Sea Gull. Sight- 
ing its prey, the Sea Lion will dive deeply and swim some 
distance under the water, then it will rise and expose the 
tip of its nose above the water giving it a rotary motion 
like a water buoy at play. The Sea Gull, attracted by the 
object, will alight to catch it, only to be seized and de- 
voured by its wily foe. 


Hooker’s Sea Lion, found south of New Zealand; and 
the Australian Hair Seal; believed by many to be the miss- 
ing link between the Fur and Hair Seals because the cubs 
have a soft thick underfur, which however disappears in 
the adults, are the remaining species of Sea Lions. 


Sea Lions are too formidable to be taken in nets, or 
clubbed to death, and are generally shot with rifles. Where 
they congregate in large numbers, as on the Pribilov 
Islands, they are driven from the shore to a village from 
ten to twelve miles inland; the journey taking about five 
days. A man will get between the edge of the water and 
the herd, and by running at them with an umbrella, which 
he expands as he approaches, will alarm and rouse the rear 
line of animals, who will press forward upon those in 
front until the whole herd is in motion. By shouting and 
waving flags, at the rear and on the flanks of the herd, 
the Sea Lions are kept moving in the right direction un- 
til they reach their destination, or it is necessary to halt 
them for a rest. At the killing-grounds the full-grown 
males are shot with rifles, after which the slaughter is 
continued with lances. The skins are valued only for 
leather purposes; as the under fur, in the few cases 
where it is present, is very scarce. 


296 _ Harr SEALS. 


SraLts SwIMMING. 


227 


FUR SEALS 


We now come to the consideration of the most valuable 
and interesting of all Seals, the Sea Bears of the Eared 
Seal group, commonly called Fur Seals because they are 
the species possessing the soft, dense underfur which pro- 
duces the beautiful ‘‘sealskin’’ of commerce. Of the 
eight different kinds of ‘‘sealskin’’ recognized in com- 
merce, three—‘‘Shetland,’’ ‘‘Lobos Island’’ and ‘‘Cape”’ 
—are produced from the skins of the Southern Sea Bears; 
and five—‘‘Alaska,’’ ‘‘Victoria’’ or ‘‘North West,’’ 
“‘Copper Island,’’ ‘‘Robben Island,’’ and ‘‘Japan’’—are 
the products of the skins of the Northern Sea Bears. The 
variations in the quality, and size of the skins are due to 
differences in the age, sex and location of the habitat of 
the animals, rather than to generic distinctions. Fur 
Seals are valued only for the skins, as the oil obtained 
from them is too rank to be refined. 


The Fur Seal is polygamous. Steller, its discoverer, 
found it living in families, numbering eight, fifteen, fifty, 
and in some cases even one hundred and twenty females 
to one bull. An exact account of the full birth rate of 
pups in 1912, showed an average family of sixty cows to 
one bull, with idle bulls to spare. 


Shetland Seal is the name commonly given to the skins 
of all Sea Bears of the southern seas, but rightly it 
should only be applied to those taken from the Sea Bears 
of the South Shetland Islands and adjacent groups. 

The cubs of this species are almost black, but the gen- 
eral color of the adults is a silvery grey, blending into a 
deep rich brown on the sides and the belly behind the 
flippers. The underfur is of a reddish or deep pink color, 
and being longer, softer and more abundant than that of 
any other species it produces the richest and most beau- 
tiful ‘‘sealskin.’’ At one time Sea Bears were very num- 
erous around the South Shetland, South Georgian, South 
Falkland and other islands of the Antarctic and Indian 
Oceans. In the year 1800, 112,000 skins were shipped from 
the South Georgian Islands alone, and 320,000 skins were 


228 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


taken off the South Shetland Islands, in 1820 and 1821; 
but the immense herds of Southern Sea Bears, at one time 
numbering up into millions, have been gradually reduced 
by overcatching, and the indiscriminate slaughter of the 
females and the young, until today a few hundred skins 
represent the entire catch of a year. Southern Sea Bears 
breed in December and January. 


The Cape Horn, and Lobos Island, Fur Seals belong to 
the same genus and are in fact the same animal in dif- 
ferent localities of its habitat. Like all Sea Bears of the 
Southern Hemisphere, these animals are longer and nar- 
rower and have more depressed muzzles than their north- 
ern cousins. The range of the species extends from the 
Gulf of Tres Monte to the Straits of Magellan in the Atlan- 
tic Ocean. They are most abundant on the Cordova Penin- 
sula, and the Lobos Islands at the mouth of the LaPlata 
River, the best representatives of the species coming from 
the latter district. In color they are yellowish brown, 
with sides of a darker hue. As compared with the North- 
ern species the fur of these Seals is longer and of poorer 
quality; but the skins are easy to work and take the dye 
well. They are used quite extensively for repair work, over- 
coat linings, and other purposes for which moderate- 
priced skins are demanded. The Lobos Island breeding 
grounds are under the protection of the government of 
Uruguay. 


Other species of Southern Sea Bears are the ‘‘South 
Sea Seals’’ (Otaria-gazella) of the Crozet and Kerguelan 
Islands; the ‘‘San Louis Seal,’’ of the same genus, fre- 
quenting Marion, Prince Edward and St. Paul Islands; 
the Lima Fur Seal; and the New Zealand and Australian 
Fur Seal (Arctocephalus-fostereri); but the first three 
species have been virtually exterminated; and the others 
are too poor in quality to be worthy of consideration. 

Alaska Seal is a name which strictly speaking should 
only be applied to the skins of the bachelor Sea Bears 
taken on the Pribolov Islands in the Bering Sea; but 
many dealers do not hesitate to sell the skins of the Cop- 
per Island and other Northern Sea Bears of the same 
genus, as ‘‘Alaskas’’; and some even go so far as to in- 
clude the skins of all Fur Seals under this name. The 


Fur SEALS or Sea Bears. 229 


reason for this will be apparent, when it is understood 
that the ‘‘sealskin’’ obtained from the Pribolov Islands 
skins is next in quality to the Shetland, and is superior to 
that produced from any other Sea Bear. The Northern 
Sea Bears would long since have shared the fate of the 
Southern species, if the United States government had 
not, in a measure, limited the catch, by confining the right 
to kill Sea Bears on the Pribilov Islands, to a company 
working under a lease from the government, and subject 
to government restrictions. When the lease of the North 
American Commercial Company expired in 1909, the 
government took over the management of its own busi- 
ness at the rookeries on the Pribilov Islands; and during 
1910 and 1911 twenty-five thousand skins taken by the 
government on the Islands, were sold for eight hundred 
thousand dollars. Since 1847 no female Sea Bears have 
been killed on the islands. 

The Alaska Commercial Company, who held the lease 
from 1869 to 1889, are said to have realized over $33,000,- 
000, from the sale of furs during that time; and it is es- 
timated that since the purchase of Alaska in 1867, citizens 
of the United States have received more than $50,000,000, 
for skins taken on the Pribilov Islands. 

The payment of $7,000,000 to Russia for the territory of 
Alaska has proved a profitable investment for the United 
States; for, besides the profits that have accrued to in- 
dividual citizens from the industry, the government has 
realized over $10,000,000 from the sale or leasing of the 
sealing privileges on the Pribilov Islands. 

These figures do not include the duties paid on dressed 
skins, returned from London for consumption in the 
United States. 

The Alaska Commercial Company paid the United 
States an annual rental of $50,000, and a royalty of $2.25 
per skin, for the privilege of killing 75,000 male seals 
each year on the island of St. Paul, and 25,000 on the 
island of St. George. 

Under the terms of the twenty-year lease secured by 
the North American Commercial Company in 1889, no 
dogs or vessels, other than those in the employ of the 
company, were permitted to touch at, or to land persons 
or merchandise on the islands of St. Paul and St. George, 


230 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


except in case of shipwreck or distress; and the company 
was obligated to pay the government a yearly rental tax 
of $2.00 per skin, for the privilege of killing each year 
20,000 bachelor Seals, between the ages of one and five 
years. In addition to the payments to the government 
the company was obliged to furnish the natives of the 
islands mentioned, such quantities of salt, and such a 
number of barrels, as they might need for the preserva- 
tion of the meat kept for food, and eighty tons of coal an- 
nually; to erect, and keep in repair, comfortable dwell- 
ings, and a suitable house of worship; to establish, and 
maintain for eight months each year, proper schools for 
the education of the young; to provide competent physic- 
jans and medicines for the sick; and to supply the 
widows and orphans, and the aged and infirm inhabitants 
of the islands, with the necessities of life. The govern- 
ment reserved the right to change the terms of the lease 
at any time by giving due notice of its intentions, and re- 
quired the company to deposit, with the United States 
Treasury at Washington, the sum of $50,000 as a guaran- 
tee fund. 

The only change made in the conditions of this lease 
was one limiting the catch to 15,000 skins yearly, and 
obliging the company to brand and sequester one thousand 
each of one and three-year-old male Seals before the killing 
commenced. In spite of all restrictions it is claimed there 
had been up to 1906 a falling off of forty-two per cent. in 
the number of breeding males or bulls, and the Congress- 
ional Committee having the matter in charge recommended 
the entire suspension of killing on the islands for a num- 
ber of years, as the only way to prevent the complete ex- 
termination of the species. Those who made a careful 
study of the subject were however convinced that, in- 
asmuch as the proportion of males and females is about 
the same at birth, the polygamous nature of these animals 
will safely allow the killing of six or even nine out of 
every ten males. They therefore claimed that the 
preservation of the herd did not depend upon further 
protection for the males on the islands, but upon the ces- 
sation of pelagic sealing, which results in the destruction 


of at least three lives for every skin taken—the mother, 
the unborn offspring and the nursing pup. That this was 


Fur SEALs orn SEA Bears. 231 


not an idle contention is proved by the fact that in 1896 
over 16,000 young Seals were found dead from starva- 
tion on the Pribilov Islands because they had been de- 
prived of their natural sustenance; while careful esti- 
mates, made in 1897, showed that since the beginning of 
pelagic sealing 300,000 young Seals had died as the direct 
result of the slaughter of 400,000 adult female Seals at 
sea. 

“Originally descended from a land animal, the Fur 
Seal has become adapted to life in the open sea, and seeks 
the land only for breeding purposes. When the young 
are able to care for themselves, and on the approach of 
winter, the animals leave their island home and the long 
migration down the Pacific Ocean to the latitude of Santa 
Barbara in California begins. The return journey, which 
brings them back to the island, is not completed until June 
of the following year. The food they consume on the islands 
in the summer is procured at a distance of from one 
hundred to two hundred miles from the rookeries.”’ 

The Indians have always hunted the stragglers from 
the migratory herd who came within reach of the shore, 
but it was not until the spring of 1879, that sailing vessels 
were used, to take the hunters out to meet the main body 
of the herd, and follow its course northward. In time the 
hunting extended to the summer feeding grounds in the 
Bering Sea, where the female Seal was the chief victim 
because of the greater regularity of its feeding, leaving 
many unprotected young to die of starvation. 

Beginning with the catch of eight thousand in 1879, 
the number of Seals taken annually by Pelagic sealers 
steadily increased on account of the extension of the 
fleet; and in 1894, sixty-one thousand skins were taken. 
Since 1894, the pelagic catch has declined, with the de- 
elining herd; but the actual toll, in the period from 1879 
to 1911, exceeded one million without taking into account 
the seals killed but not recovered. As the adult males do 
not as a rule accompany the female and their young on 
the long journey to the south, eighty-five per cent. of the 
animals destroyed by pelagic sealers were females, 

The United States attempted to stop pelagic sealing 


years ago, and in 1886 seized a number of British vessels 
found pursuing the industry in waters declared closed 


232 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


by this government. England however successfully con- 
tested the claim of the United States to jurisdiction in the 
Bering Sea outside of the three-mile limit, but the In- 
ternational Tribunal, which sat in Paris in 1893, and de- 
cided against the claims of this government, as a compro- 
mise measure established a close season from May Ist to 
July 31st, in both the North Atlantic and North Pacific 
Oceans; and excluded all killing in the waters within 
sixty miles of the Pribilov Islands, These conditions, 
however, failed to accomplish the desired result; and the 
herd, which in 1874 numbered over 4,000,000, and in 1891, 
1,000,000, had in 1909 been reduced to less than 200,000. 

A treaty was finally concluded on July 7, 1911, by 
which the Governments of the United States, England, 
Japan and Russia agreed to co-operate in abolishing 
pelagic sealing for fifteen years. In this treaty it is 
agreed; that the United States and Russia, as the owners 
of the principal fur seal herds, shall each pay to Great 
Britain and Japan, fifteen percent of their land sealing 
operations. This treaty went into effect in 1912, and it is 
estimated that as a result fifteen thousand breeding fur 
seal females, who under the operation of pelagic sealing 
would have failed to reach the islands, brought forth their 
young at the rookeries. This fact alone demonstrates the 
cause of the herd’s decline as well as its ability to restore 
itself if protected from further loss from this source. On 
February 15, 1912, a bill, which has since become a law, 
was introduced in the House of Representatives to give 
effect to certain provisions of the treaty of 1911. An 
effort was at once made to attach to this bill an amend- 
ment providing for the suspension of all land sealing dur- 
ing the period of the treaty. The amendment was defeated 
as originally offered, but a compromise was finally effect- 
ed fixing the period of the suspension of land sealing at 
five years, and permitting only the killing of a limited 
number of the animals as food for the natives on the 
islands; and that is now the law. 

As the essential consideration in the treaty of 1911, is 
the agreement of the United States and Russia, to give 
to Great Britain and Japan each fifteen per cent. of the 
land catch, to compensate the pelagic sealers; this action 
was an actual repudiation, by this government of the 


Fur SEALs or Sea Bears. 233 


terms of the treaty, and for a time threatened to lead to 
its abrogation by Great Britain and Japan, as the killing 
of the superfluous males on the islands would yield more 
than twelve thousand skins annually, while killing for 
food supplies alone would not allow of the taking of more 
than from three to five thousand. 

Apart from the question of bad faith, it is the judg- 
ment of those who are posted on this subject that the 
cutting down of the number of bachelor seals to be killed 
on the islands from the number provided in the treaty, 
will result in the existance, in 1917, of at least thirty 
thousand superfluous bulls, who in their struggles to 
establish their harems, will not only destroy one another, 
but many of the female and the young as well. The 
amendment, instead of helping to conserve the herd, will 
hasten its destruction. Statistics show that only fifteen 
hundred bulls were needed for the herd on the island in 
1912. 

Another thing about which those who voted for the 
amendment seemed to be ignorant of, is the fact that 
the carcasses of the seals are needed for the sustenance 
of the blue foxes, and other subsidiary life on the islands. 
As the government has taken forty thousand blue foxes 
during the time it has been in possession there; and as 
the skins of three year old bachelor seals are worth forty 
dollars apiece; it is easy to calculate the money loss to 
the government by the passing of this amendment. 

Previous to this the United States Congress, in 1890, 
passed laws prohibiting American vessels from engaging 
in pelagic sealing, and preventing the bringing into this 
country of the Victoria or Northwest Coast skins which 
are the fruit.of this industry. In the absence of co-opera- 
tion on the part of England, Russia and Japan the only 
result of this legislation was an increase in the number 
of Canadian and other foreign vessels engaged in the 
work of indiscriminate slaughter; and it looked as if, 
for want of united action on the part of the great 
maritime powers interested, it would be only’ a short 
time before human greed and folly would so reduce the 
number of Sea Bears, in northern waters, that their 
pursuit would no longer be profitable. Referring to this 
condition in a message to Congress. President Roosevelt 


234 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


said: ‘‘In case we are compelled to abandon the hope 
of making arrangements with other governments, to 
put an end to the hideous cruelty now incident to pelagic 
sealing, it will be a question for your serious considera- 
tion how far we should continue to maintain and protect- 
the Seal herd on land, with the result of continuing such 
a practice; and whether it is not better to end the practice, 
by exterminating the Seal herd ourselves, in the most 
humane manner possible.’’ 

There was considerable difference of opinion as 
to the wisdom of the President’s suggestion and a 
joint resolution introduced in the Congress, in 1907, pro- 
viding for the killing of all female Seals on the islands 
down to a minimum of not less than 10,000, and of all 
male Seals down to a minimum of not less than 1,000, 
was killed in the House Ways and Means Committee. 
The opponents of the measure justly claimed that if such 
reduction was desirable, the Secretary of Commerce and 
Labor should be empowered to authorize the North 
American Commercial Company to kill the Seals on the 
islands down to the number designated, and thus accom- 
plish the result aimed at without any violation of the 
contract with the lessees, or expense to the government, 
which on the contrary would receive the sum of $10.22 
for every skin thus taken by the lessees. 

It was the judgment of the writer at that time that 
there should be no change in the provisions then existing 
for the killing of Sea Bears on the Pribilov Islands, unless 
England, Russia and Japan would agree to a convention 
to put a stop to pelagic sealing in northern waters; and 
that in the absence of such an agreement, the United 
States government should, at all times, keep a sufficient 
force on the islands, and in the Bering Sea, to compel 
the observance of the regulations of the Tribunal of Paris, 
and to prevent the possibility of a repetition of such a 
raid as was made on the Island of St. Paul, in June, 1906, 
by the crews of Japanese vessels. He claimed it was also 
imperative for the better protection of American interests 
in the Pribilov Islands, that the restrictions regarding the 
landing of aliens and citizens upon the islands of St. Paul 
and St. George should be made to apply to Sea Otter, 
Walrus, and Sea Lion Islands as well, so that designing 


Fur Seats or Sea Brars. 235 


persons would not have it in their power to establish a 
base. of operations within easy reaching distance of the 
rookeries. 

Hutchinson Hill Rookery, on the Island of St. Paul, 
is the principal breeding place of the Alaska Seals. Dur- 
ing the winter the island is deserted, the Seals, late in the 
fall, following the southward migration of the fish upon 
which they feed. The first males to revisit the old haunts, 
in the following spring, are very shy and sensitive; and 
will spend several days swimming around among the 
rocks before venturing to land. The first arrivals, though 
not always the oldest, are generally the finest specimens, 
of their race who are fully capable of maintaining pos- 
session of the stations they may select. As a rule the 
males do not re-occupy the same stations year after year, 
although some will occasionally do so for a number of 
seasons. Only a few of the bulls come ashore in May, but 
when the humid, foggy, summer weather sets in, about 
the first week in June, they come up, fat and sleek, by 
hundreds and thousands, and having selected their sta- 
tions, prepare for the reception of the females who begin 
to arrive from three to four weeks later. 

The first females to land are always received with 
marked attention by the stronger bulls, who by virtue 
of their superior prowess have succeeded in securing 
possession of the most available stations nearest the 
shore. They are seldom allowed to remain long with 
these however, as the males from the more inland sta- 
tions take possession of them the first time their mas- 
ters are away on the outlook for new additions to their 
harems. In this way some of the unfortunate females 
are again and again taken by the scruff of the neck, 
as a cat seizes its kittens, and passed on from station 
to station until they find security at last in one of the 
families farthest away from the water. By the time 
the last batch lands late in July, the males have become 
so exhausted by constant fighting, and the stations have 
become so fully occupied, that the late arrivals are allowed 
to crowd their way unmolested through the fifteen or 
sixteen rows of stations intervening between the shore 
and the open ground, to the rear of the colony. There 
they congregate in droves, always being careful how- 


236 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


ever to select positions where there are no depressions 
in which the water can collect in puddles. 

Pairing begins immediately after the birth of the cubs, 
who are born shortly after the landing of the females, 
and come into the world with their eyes open. At birth 
the young Sea Bears weigh from three to four pounds, 
and measure from ten to twelve inches. Their skins are 
valueless, but many of the young Seals are killed by the 
natives for food. The females make frequent visits to 
the sea after the birth of their offspring, and the cubs at 
such times gather together by thousands. A mother Seal 
upon her return from the water never has any difficulty, 
however, in singling out her own offspring by its cries, but 
will without a moment’s hesitation and with unerring cer- 
tainty push her way direct to the spot in the assembly 
where it happens to be. 

Early in August the bulls leave their families, and 
the majority of them do not return to the islands after 
going to the sea; and those who do come back, instead 
of returning to their stations, remain near the shore until 
the colony migrates in the fall. After the departure of 
the males the family parties break up; the females and the 
cubs, together with the older males who did not succeed 
in getting partners, and the younger males who up to this 
time have been prevented by their older brethren from 
gaining a footfold on the shore, take possession of the 
entire sea area in a very disorderly manner. At this 
period the females spend three-fourths of their time in 
the water, and the cubs nearest the shore make their first 
attempts at swimming. Though at first they are very 
awkward and tire quickly the cubs soon become adepts 
at the art, and by the middle of September all the young 
have become thoroughly familiar with the water, and have 
deserted the higher ground to take positions on the rocks 
and beaches near the water’s edge, where they remain 
until the southward migration of the colony begins a few 
weeks later. 

By November the islands are deserted by the great 
mass of Sea Bears, although a few remain until driven 
off by the ice and snow in December. 

The Sea Bears, which the lessees had the privilege of 
killing on the Pribilov Islands, are the males from one to 


Four Seats or Sea Bears. 237 


five years old called ‘‘Hollus-Chuckie’’ or Bachelor Seals 
by the natives, because they are not allowed by the old 
bulls to mix with the females. 

The Bachelor Seals arrive at the islands early in the 
season, but they are not compelled to undergo any long 
periods of fasting. Even when they take a position in 
the rear of the colony, they are allowed to make their way 
to and from the beach through passages between the 
stations. 

The hauling ground they select however is generally 
a space on the beach at some distance from the stations 
and extending about a quarter of a mile inland. They 
are restless creatures, but though very sportive and frolic- 
some they never quarrel or fight. They only keep to the 
shore on dull, foggy days. When it is bright and warm 
they spend most of their time in the water; doing all kinds 
of fancy tumbling, jumping out of the water like so many 
dolphins, or describing beautiful elliptical curves, as they 
rise three or four feet from the sea, with the back slightly 
arched, and the fore flippers folded back against the sides 
while the hinder limbs are extended and pressed together 
straight out behind. 

The fact that the Bachelor Seals are compelled to herd 
by themselves, frequently miles away from the breeding 
grounds, greatly facilitates the arrangements made for 
their slaughter. Some morning early in June, the time 
when the skins are at their best, a company of natives 
will run along the beach; and having turned them inland 
from their hauling grounds will drive the animals at 
the rate of a half a mile an hour to the place of slaughter. 
At the killing-grounds the herd is first allowed to rest and 
cool, and then they are drawn off in ‘‘pods’’ or detach- 
ments of from fifty to a hundred each, and despatched 
by being knocked on the head with oaken bludgeons. The 
killing gang always have an understanding as to what 
grades are to be killed, and permit the others to escape and 
make their way back to the sea. In the days before the 
limitation of the catch, a party of forty-five natives would 
drive, kill and skin upwards of 72,000 Seals in four weeks. 
Now there is no occasion for such haste, and more time 
‘ean be given to the careful selection of the animals to be 
killed. 


238 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


“The female Seals are protected by law and custom 
from killing; and breeding seals are never disturbed. The 
three-year-old, and large two-year-old bachelors are the 
animals killed; the younger, and older animals being allow- 
ed to return to the sea; the former to be the basis of a 
future killing quota, the latter to replenish the stock of 
breeding males.’’ 


‘“The processes of driving and killing are simple and 
humane. The fur seal is well adapted to land travel to the 
extent to which it is necessary to drive the animal. The 
powerfully developed muscles of the fore limbs on which 
it depends in swimming are the ones used in land locomo- 
tion. Though of strong instincts the fur seal is not an 
animal of high intelligence, or susceptible to injury by 
nervous strain. The processes of land travel do not con- 
travene that natural law which decrees that the fittest 
shall survive.’’ 


As the skins will spoil in a few hours if they are not 
flayed at once, and properly salted, they are taken from 
the field to the salt-houses as quickly as possible; there 
they are laid out flat, one skin upon the other, in bins or 
on benches, salt being spread thickly over the pelt side of the 
skin. After lying in the salting bins for two weeks the 
skins are taken out and rolled pelt to pelt, in bundles of 
two skins each, and strongly corded. In this shape they 
are packed in casks, containing from forty to fifty skins 
each, and shipped to the point where they are to be sold 
at auction in December. Before being offered for sale 
the skins are sorted according to the following classifica- 
tion: 


Middlings and Smalls ................. 4 to 5 years old 
mals: cot Seow eked eee ae ele oe | 
Laree Pups: u2xaiiade kates sees Bie Ses 
Middling and Small Pups .............. Dy tke 88 
Extra Small and Grey Pups .......... 1 year ‘ 


The average price for raw seal-skins in 1888 was 78s. 
each, and the figures, showing the prices obtained at the 
December sale in 1906, prove that they had increased three 
hundred per cent. in value up to that time. There was 
a further increase of more than fifty per cent. during the 
period from 1906-1913. 


Fur SEAus or SEA Bears. 239 


After being thus sold in the rough state the salted 
skins are sent to the dressers by the purchasers, and there 
and at the dyers they are changed by various processes 
into the beautiful seal-skin exhibited by the furriers. 

First the strips of blubber and flesh still adhering 
to the skin are removed with a blunt knife, then the ears 
are cut off, and the skins are washed in warm alkali water; 
next they are stretched on hoops and dried in warm rooms 
where currents of hot air pass over them; after this they 
are soaked in water so the hair is loosened without effect- 
ing the underfur. Then the skins are warmed on the fur 
side, and the top hairs removed with a blunt knife. The 
skins, which now have nothing but the fur on them are 
then rubbed to soften the leather, shaved, repaired, and 
sent to the dyer’s. 

At the dyer’s, the skins are limed back to back, with 
a thick layer of paper over the paddle holes to prevent 
the dye from going through and damaging the skin by 
being absorbed by the pelt. The ground color is then trod- 
den in, and after this has thoroughly dried the necessary 
coats of the top color are applied with a brush or by 
dipping. When the dying process has been completed 
the skins are scraped and shaved, and cleaned in a revolv- 
ing drum containing saw dust; and finally are machined 
to remove the fine water hairs. The entire process by 
which the raw hide of the Sea Bear is converted into the 
‘“‘sealskin’’ of commerce takes from three to four months, 
and greatly increases the value of the skin. 

The sea migration of the males of the Pribilov Island 
colonies is unknown. The females and the young of 
both sexes pass out through the Bering Sea into the 
North Pacific, where they are known as Victoria or North 
West Coast Seals because some of them are speared on 
the North West Coast of British Columbia by the natives, 
who go out in canoes to take them. Most of the Victoria 
Seals however are taken in deep water as before stated, 
and the United States, in its war against pelagic sealing, 
has declared the skins of the Victoria Seals to be con- 
traband, and to prevent their introduction into the country 
in manufactured garments or other articles has found it 
necessary to adopt such stringent customs regulations that 
it is often difficult for tourists, not familiar with the 


240 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


requirements of the government, to get their own American- 
made garments back into this country after taking them 
abroad. There need be no trouble on this score however 
if American going abroad will take their sealskin gar- 
ments to the custom house at the port of departure before 
leaving and have them registered, receiving at the same 
time an order for their re-entry into this country. 

Pelagic sealing is carried on by well-appointed 
schooners, and other vessels. When the Seals are sighted, 
swimming or sleeping in the water, small boats are lowered 
and the hunters are rowed to the sealing-ground by the 
sailors. The percentage killed is very small, for in a great 
majority of cases the Seal will take alarm and dive before 
the hunter can get within ranze; and even when a Seal is 
shot it commences to sink so quickly that the boat has to 
be pulled very rapidly up to the careass if it is to be gaffed 
and pulled abroad. At the end of the day’s hunt the 
boats return to the vessel, and the Seals are skinned and 
the pelts salted and laid away in the hold. 

While the headquarters of the Northern Sea Bears are 
on the Pribilov Islands, these animals are also found in 
other parts of the Bering Sea; and on both shores of the 
North Pacific, as. far south as Victoria on the American 
side, and the island of Saghalien on the other. Thus it will 
be seen that the Alaska, Copper Island, Victoria, Robben 
Island and Japan Seals are all species of the same genus; 
differing in quality, color, form and size, according to 
locality and sex, but having the same disposition and 
habits. ; 

‘‘Victoria’’ Seals, being the females of the same 
species, are of course much smaller than Alaska Seals, and 
the fur, though beautiful to look at, is less durable than 
that on the skins of bachelor Seals; and the money value 
of the skins, figured inch for inch, is about one-third less 
than that of the bachelor skins taken on the Pribilov 
Islands. 

Copper Island Seals, breed on the Commander Islands, 
about two hundred miles east of Kamschatka. Their habits 
are identical with those of the Alaska Seals. of the Pribilov 
Islands, and some authorities claim that they are the same 
species in a different locality. However that may be 
although some of the Copper Island skins are very fine, 


Fur Seats or Sea Baars. 241 


the fur of these animals is not as rich as that on the 
Alaska Seals, and the money value of the skins is con- 
siderably less. The difference in the quality of the two 
species is probably due to climatic influences. The general 
migration of this species is along the east coast of Japan. 
The Alaska Commercial Company for years held a lease 
from the Russian government, allowing them to kill 30,000 
Seals, annually, on the Commander Islands. 


The fur of the skins taken from the Sea Bears found 
on Robben’s Island, south of Kamschatka, is of poorer 
quality than that of the Copper Island skins; and con- 
sequently of much lower value. The Japanese Sea Bear 
has the shortest, and thinnest fur, of all Northern Fur 
Seals; and the skins of this species are used principally 
for the manufacture of caps, and other small articles, where 
a short fur is not objectionable. 


Northern Sea Bears show considerable variation in 
color, both in the underfur and the top hair. In the 
adult males the general color of the upper parts, with 
the exception of the shoulders which are a decided grey, 
is nearly black, with a more or less marked grey or reddish 
grizzle. The sides of the nose and lips are brownish, the 
breast is brownish orange, and the limbs and under parts, 
are reddish brown. The females, and the bachelors, are 
lighter in color; being uniformly grey above, with under 
parts of brownish or rufous color. In both sexes there are 
individual variations due to the varying proportion of 
grey hair. The color of the Copper Island Seals is lighter 
than that of the Alaska Seals, being a dark brown. The 
Robben Island Seals are yellower and coarser-haired than 
either of the above, and their short even under-fur is red. 
The skins taken on the Japanese Islands are mostly those 
of female Seals, with yellow necks and cheeks. The males 
are called bachelors from the time they cease to be year- 
lings until they are six years old, and from that time until 
they become fully materialized bulls at seven years of age 
they are classed as half bulls. All Seals under two years 
are yearlings. At two years the females are designated as 
virgins, and at three years as cows. The males when undis- 
turbed will live from fifteen to twenty years, and the 
females nine or ten years. 


242 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


The difference in the dimensions of the sexes is greater 
in the Northern Sea Bears than in any other species of 
Eared Seals. The old bulls weigh from 700 to 800 pounds, 
and measure from seven to eight feet; while the full-grown 
cow only weighs from 80 to 100 pounds, and measures 
about four feet in length, and two and a half feet in girth. 
The finest fur is obtained from the skins of the three- 
year-old Bachelor Seals, which weigh about 100 pounds, 
and measure from four to five feet in length, and a little 
over two and a half feet in girth. As the animals grow 
older the fur becomes longer and loses in density until 
in the old bulls it is so long and thin that they are some- 
times called wigs. 

All the Northern Sea Bears have a short face, with 
a sharp profile; but the other species have a slenderer head 
than those frequenting the Pribilov Islands; this is espe- 
cially true of the Copper Island Seals. 

The cows of this group have but one note, a hollow 
prolonged, bla-a-ting call; but the males utter four dis- 
tinct notes—a loud, long, hoarse roar, a low gurgling growl 
or chuckle, a sibilant piping whistle and a kind of spitting 
sound. Mr. Elliott says: ‘‘The sound arising from the 
great breeding grounds of the Fur Seals, where thousands 
upon thousands of angry bulls are roaring, chuckling, 
piping; and multitudes of mother Seals are calling in 
blaating tones to their young, who in turn respond in- 
cessantly is simply indescribable, and under favorable 
conditions can be heard five or six miles away; often warn- 
ing vessels that are approaching the islands in thick, foggy 
weather, of the positive, though unseen proximity of land. 
Night and day, throughout the season, the din of the 
rookeries is steady and constant.’’ 

Both Sexes of these animals have a marked indiffer- 
ence for their offspring, cases being on record where a 
cub has been killed before the eyes of its mother without 
causing the parent to show the least concern. 

The hauling grounds of the bachelors are always on 
the beaches, but the rookeries of the bulls are on the rock- 
covered slopes back from the shore. 

All Northern Sea Bears are impatient of heat. A 
temperature of 45° is unpleasant to them, and when the 
mercury in the thermometer rises to 55° or higher they 


Fur SEAus or SEA Bears. 243 


suffer great inconvenience; and the rookeries, at such times, 
present a peculiar appearance, because the distressed Sea 
Bears spread out in every conceivable position their bodies 
can assume and try to obtain relief by briskly fanning 
themselves with their hind flippers, while they hold the 
front flippers aloft so as to form a sort of ventilator for 
the air to pass through. 


In their native element these animals are as grace- 
ful and quick in their movements as they are slow and 
clumsy on the land. In commenting on this fact, Mr. El- 
liott says: ‘‘Sea Bears of all ages swim with great 
rapidity, and may be fairly said to dart along under the 
water, with the velocity of a bird on the wing. The fore 
feet can be seen to work, feathering forward, and sweeping 
back flatly opposed to the water, with great rapidity and 
energy, and are evidently the sole propelling power; for 
if the long, flexible hind limbs have any propelling power, 
or are used otherwise than as a steering medium, my eye 
has never been quick enough to detect it.’’ 


A census of the seal herds taken by the agents of the 
Government, showed that there were on the Pribilof 
Islands in 1913, 1,403 active bulls with harems, 364 idle 
and young bulls, 47,000 one, two, three and four-year-old 
pups, 92,269 young pups, with an equal number of breed- 
ing cows, and 35,000 one and two-year-old cows. 


The number of seal skins shipped from the islands in 
1912 to C. M. Lampson and Company in London and sold 
for the Government was 3,764. Under the leasing system, 
which prevailed prior to 1910, the Government would have 
received $38,589.25 for these skins, instead of the $130,- 
640.57, which represented the net proceeds of the sale. 


244 CaRNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 


FLIPPERS OF THE TRUE SEAL. 


DESMAN. 245 


INSECTIVORA. 


Insectivora are small mammals with carnivorous ten- 
dencies, that are compelled by their inferior size to depend 
principally upon insects for their supply of food. On 
account of differences in the development of their incisor 
teeth, these animals were distributed by Linnaeus among 
several orders, but Cuvier in 1816 grouped them together 
in one independent order, all the species of which have 
teeth encased in enamel, and grinders studded with coni- 
eal points, which distinguishes them from the Mono- 
tremes, while the peculiar clondyles of their jaws separate 
them from the rodents, and their limbs distinguish them 
from the bats. As Dr. Theodore Gill says, the various 
types of Insectivores differ so much in external charac- 
teristics that it is only possible to give general characters 
to the order. They commonly lead a nocturnal and sub- 
terranean existence, and in cold climates many of them 
pass the winter in a lethargic state. Their feet and legs 
are generally short, and their motions are feeble; in 
walking they place the whole sole of the foot on the 
ground. Some of them have long incisors in front, fol- 
lowed by other incisors and canines shorter than the 
molars. Others have large separated canines, between 
which are placed small incisors. Some species are covered 
with robust spines, while others have the finest and softest 
fur; some have barrel-shaped bodies, minute eyes, and 
wide, sharply-clawed fore-feet fitted for digging; some 
are ground animals with mouse-like forms, and still others 
are squirrel-like and arboreal. Formerly the naturalists 
called all the round, digging Insectivores Talpidae; and 
those with mouse-like forms Soricidae, but now they are 
divided according to structural characteristics, into a 
dozen different families, the most important of which as 
a fur producer is the Talpidae, of which the Common Mole 
(Talpa-europaea) is the principal representative. 

The European Mole is about four inches long, has 
extremely small eyes that are almost hidden by the thick 
fur which prevents the dirt from entering them when 
the animal is burrowing. It has no external ears, but 


246 INSECTIVORA. 


the openings can be distinguished just above the fore- 
feet; the long naked snout is furnished with a few black 
whiskers, and the one inch tail has a scanty covering of 
bushy hair, which is most abundant at the tip. The fur 
on the body is short and very fine and silky, the color 
generally being a peculiar shade of lustrous brownish 
grey that has become very popular with fur wearers. 


Moles are entirely insectivorous and usually feed early 
in the morning and again in the evening, boring long 
tunnels in the ground in pursuit of their prey. Their 
nests are made by throwing up the earth in hillocks with 
their fore feet, which are very large and furnished with 
five strong, sharp claws that turn outward. In some 
parts of England Mole catching is a regular business; 
they are sometimes captured with spring traps, but can 
be easily taken, before eight in the morning or after six 
o’clock in the evening, by placing a spade a few inches 
below where they are working and catching them with 
the hand; as the long passages they make under the earth 
are clearly visible on the surface this is easily accom- 
plished. In severe frosts the moles sometimes seek shelter 
in the hedges, but they never hibernate, but work all 
through the winter. The inconvenience they cause by 
spoiling walks and uprooting plants, is more than com- 
pensated by the service they render in draining the sub- 
soil of meadows, and in destroying the larvae of insects 
that would become a pest. 

Moles have well developed senses of smell and hearing 
and are good swimmers, and are found in the hill country 
as well as on the bottom lands. 

Bell, in his History of British Quadrupeds, gives an 
interesting description of the way in which each Mole 
confines itself to its own district or encampment. He 
says: ‘‘ Within its limits, or at least in immediate commu- 
nication with this district, all the labors of the animal 
are pursued. It consists of the habitation or fortress, 
from which extends the high road by which the animal 
reaches the opposite extremity of the encampment, and 
of various galleries or excavations opening into this road, 
which it is continually extending in search of food, and 
which constitute, in fact, its hunting-ground. The fort- 
ress is formed under a large hillock, which is always 


Mote. 247 


raised in a situation of safety and protection, either 
under a bank, against the foundation of a wall, at a root 
of a tree, or in some similar locality. The earth, of which 
the dome covering of this curious habitation is composed, 
is rendered exceedingly strong and solid by being pressed 
and beaten by the mole in forming it. It contains a 
circular gallery within the base which communicates 
with a smaller one above by five nearly equidistant pas- 
sages; and the domicile or chamber is placed within the 


Star Mots. . Common Mots, GARDEN MOLE. 


lower and beneath the upper circular gallery, to which 
last it has access by three similar passages. From the 
chamber extends another road, the direction of which 
is at first downwards for several inches; it then rises 
again to open into the high road of the encampment. 
From the external circular gallery open about nine other 
passages the orifices of which are never formed opposite 
to those which connect the outer with the inner and 
upper gallery; these extend to a greater or less distance, 
and according to De Vaux return, each taking an 
irregular semicircular route, and opening into the high 
road at various distances from the fortress. Such is a 
very hasty description of this most singular structure; 
and nothing surely can be imagined more admirably calcu- 
lated to ensure the security or the retreat of the inhab- 
itant than such an arrangement of internal routes of 
communication as this. The chamber communicating 


248 INSECTIVORA. 


beneath directly with the road, and above with the upper 
gallery—this with the lower five passages, and the 
latter again with the road by no less than nine—exhibit 
altogether a complication of architecture which may rival 
the most celebrated erections of the beaver. 


‘‘But the labors of the mole are not confined to the 
excavations already mentioned. In lands newly sown in 
summer with barley or turnips, the surface of which is 
consequently light and yielding, after a moderate rain 
has brought the earth-worms to the surface, the mole 
follows them and pursues its chase along the super- 
ficial layer of the soil, digging a shallow continuous 
trench, in which work it advances with great rapidity. 
This is done by merely forcing its way through the light 
soil, and thus lifting it up; and mole-eatchers take advan- 
tage of these times to steal softly upon them, and throw 
them out of the ground with their paddle. But great 
quickness is necessary in doing this, for the mole will 
bury itself again so rapidly as often to escape, even when 
fairly thrown on to the surface. We have on more than 
one occasion seen a mole making so shallow a run that 
the fine soil has fallen away on each side, leaving the 
ereature’s back exposed to view. It is said that the 
gravid female, to whom the usual excavations in the 
subterranean alleys would be too laborious, limits herself 
principally to this lighter toil.”’ 


DESMAN. 249 


THE DESMAN. 


The Desman (Myogale-moschata), sometimes called the 
Russian Muskrat, and also the Wuychuchol or Musk Shrew, 
although it approaches nearer to the Mole in appearance 
than the Shrews, has comparatively narrow feet that are 
not specially fitted for digging like those of the great 
burrowing Insectivores. It is a peculiar looking little 
animal about ten inches long, exclusive of the six inch 
tail. It has no external ears and the eyes are very small. 
The muzzle is elongated into a small four inch proboscis 


> 


i n ty | 


DESMAN. 
which is constantly in motion. The tail is scaly and 
flattened at the sides, and makes a powerful swimming 
organ, and the feet have the five toes fully webbed so 
the animal is entirely aquatic. It lives in burrows in 
the banks of the lakes and rivers of its habitat, the 
entrances to which are beneath the surface of the water. 
The Desman feeds on insects, leeches and similar food, 
which it finds in the mud and beneath the stones. There 
are four genera of the family found in different parts of 
Europe and Asia, and one in South America; but the type 
representative of the family Myogalidae is the species 
described in this article, which is confined to southeastern 
Europe and western Asia. Like the otter and other 
aquatic animals, the Desman has an outer coat of long 
stiff hairs to protect the fine, dense, soft, short under-fur, 
which is purplish brown on the back, and silvery white 
on the belly, and is used to some extent for trimmings, 

glove tops and similar purposes. 


250 PoucHED MAMMALS oR MARSUPIALS. 


MARSUPIALS. 


‘‘Marsupials are peculiar in the premature production 
of their young, whose state of development at birth is 
hardly equal to that of the ordinary foetus a few days 
after conception. Incapable of motion and hardly exhibit- 
ing the germs of limbs, or other external organs, these 
diminutive beings attach themselves to the mammae of the 
mother, and remain fixed there until they have acquired 
a degree of development similar to that in which other 
mammals are born. Theskin of the abdomen is so arranged 
as to form a pouch, in which the imperfect little animals 
are carried about, as in a second uterus; and to which, 
long after they are able to walk, they fly for shelter upon 
the approach of danger. Two particular bones, attached 
to the pubis, and interposed between the muscles of the 
abdomen, support the pouch. These bones are also found 
in the males, and even in those species in which the folds 
that form the pouch are scarcely visable.’’ 


It is a peculiarity of the Marsupials that in spite 
of a general resemblance in appearance, the species vary 
so much in the formation of their teeth, and feet, and 
organs of digestion, that they really should be separated 
into several special orders. Cuvier says: ‘‘They carry us 
by insensible gradations, from the Carnivora to the Roden- 
tia; and actually form a distinct class, parallel to that of 
Quadrumana or Primates, and dissolvable into similar 
orders.’’ 


R. Ramsey Wright, in an article written for the River- 
side Natural History, says: 


‘‘A glance at the map of the world will show the very 
curious distribution of existing Marsupials. All the 
families but one have their home in the Australian 
region; that is, either on the continent of Australia, the 
Island of Tasmania to the south, Papua or New Guinea to 
the north, Celebes to the northwest, or, finally, on the 
small islands which lie to the east and west of Papua. 
The remaining family (the opossums) is confined to 
South America and the southern parts of North America. 
The characteristic difference between the Australian and 


MARSUPIALIA, 251 


American Marsupials extends also to the fossil forms 
found in these regions, for the earliest marsupial remains 
which have been detected in both countries are distinctly 
allied to the existing Fauna. 

“‘In none of the orders of the higher mammalia do we 
find such wide limits as to the size of the body, for the 
order includes kangaroos as tall as a man, and little 
mouse-like creatures of dwarf proportions. The fur is 
in most cases long and soft, its coloring rarely very 
marked, and often very sober. In the structure of the 
skeleton the Marsupials-are rather allied to the higher 
mammals than to the Monotremes. The lower jaw is 
always characterized by the inflection of the angle, a 
peculiarity which has assisted in the recognition of the 
marsupial character of the earliest fossil mammalian 
remains, which almost invariably consist of lower jaws. 
The number of bones in the vertebral column is remark- 
ably constant, except in the caudal region, the tail being 
more or less rudimentary in the Wombat and Koala, but 
well developed in the Kangaroos and Phalangers, serv- 
ing the former species as a sort of fifth leg, and being 
used by the latter in climbing. 

‘““The relative length of the fore and hind limbs is 
very different in the different groups, the difference being 
especially striking in the kangaroos, where the fore limbs 
are particularly short. The bones of the fore arm are 
distinct, and allow of a rotary motion, the one around 
the other; the same is true of the bones of the hind legs 
in the climbing forms, but in the leaping forms such 
rotation is not possible. Of the toes of the hind feet, 
the inner one is sometimes opposable after the fashion 
of a thumb. This inner toe may be absent, or the second 
and third next it may also disappear or be much reduced. 

‘‘The brain of the marsupials is small, and consequently 
the cavity of the skull is relatively small as compared 
with the bones of the face. The surface of the brain is 
almost destitute of convolutions, and the two halves of 
the brain are less intimately joined by the corpus callo- 
sum than is the case in the higher animals. 

In the number and arrangement of their teeth the 
different families of Marsupials differ from one another 
more than those of the higher orders. The vegetable 


252 PoucHED MAMMALS oR MARSUPIALS. 


feeders have teeth with constantly growing roots like 
those of the Rabbits. In the insect and flesh eating 
pouched mammals the roots of the teeth do not increase; 
and the canine teeth, which are well developed in the 
carnivorous forms of the order, are absent or very much 
reduced in the vegetable feeders. It is also worthy of 
notice that, with the exception of the Wombat, most of 
the Marsupials have an unequal number of incisor teeth 
in the upper and lower jaw. The premolars are double 
fanged and are usually ; on each side. The com- 
monest formula for the true grinders is #, but in the 
Banded Ant Eater it rises to $ and in the flying Pha- 
langer falls to #.- In the Kangaroos the mode of suc- 
cession of the teeth is singular, the hinder ones eventu- 
ally replacing in function those in front as the latter 
become worn away. 

“The stomach also varies in shape with the food, being 
_ simply oval or rounded in the carnivorous or insectivorous 
forms, while in the herbivorous kangaroos it is converted 
into a gut-like tube, sacculated like the colon, sometimes 
as long as the body, and occasionally provided, near the 
entrance of the gullet, with two blind sack-like append- 
ages. 

“‘The most preposterous theories as to the mode of 
development of the kangaroos were at one time credited 
by the Australian colonists and even by naturalists. It 
was thought that the young were formed at the end of 
the teat, and indeed the intimate connection which 
exists between the teat and the young readily explains 
such a popular conception. Now, however, ripe embryos 
have been discovered in the uteri, and such have also 
been observed a few hours after their fixation to the 
teats. There appears to be no doubt that the trans- 
ference of the young from the womb to the pouch is 
effected by the mother’s lips, the fore-paws being only 
employed to hold the lips of the pouch widely open. 
Both transference and fixation are, however, difficult to 
observe, for the little embryo, hardly an inch long, is 
first concealed by the lips of the mother, and then more 
effectually so by the insertion of the mother’s head into 
the pouch. Even in the largest member of the family, 
the giant kangaroo, the young, when born, are no larger 


MARSUPIALIA, 253 


than a newly-born mouse. It is interesting to compare the 
degree of development of the hind and fore legs at this 
stage. While in the fore feet the five fingers are distinctly 
formed, even to the tips of the claws, the hind feet are 
more like short fins shghtly notched into three lobes, the 
inner of which is again perceptibly divided, in correspond- 
ence with the structure of the adult foot. One of the most 
remarkable features about the young kangaroo is the 
largely-developed mouth and tongue; by their aid the 
little creature is able to grasp the teat firmly, and in 
fact the orifice of the mouth may grow smaller after the 
teat has onee been firmly secured in it. The milk is 
injected into the gullet of the young, passing on each 
side of the upper end of the windpipe which is carried 
as far up as the hinder part of the nasal cavity. In 
this way the little creatures may breathe, and be fed at 
the same time, without danger of choking. The injec- 
tion of the milk is effected by a specially modified part, 
the cremaster, of one of the superficial abdominal mus- 
cles. The epipubic, or so-called marsupial bones, serve. 
as a sort of pulley by which the cremaster muscles are 
enabled more effectively to compress the milk glands. 
“‘The duration of the pouch-life of the young varies 
with the species. The Kangaroo, according to Owen, 
suckles her young for eight months. During this period 
the hind legs and tail assume a great part of their adult 
proportions; the muzzle elongates, the external ears and 
eyelids are completed, and the hair begins to develop 
_about the sixth month; at the eighth the young kangaroo 
may be seen frequently to protrude its head from the 
mouth of the pouch, and to crop the grass at the same 
time that the mother is browsing. Having thus acquired 
additional strength it quits the pouch, and hops at first 
with a feeble and vacillating gait, but continues to 
return to the pouch for occasional shelter and supplies 
of food till it has attained the weight of ten pounds; 
‘after this it will occasionally insert its head for the pur- 
pose of sucking, notwithstanding another foetus may have 
been deposited in the pouch, for the latter attaches itself 
to a different nipple from the one which had been used 
by its predecessor. 


Lo 
oO 
ns 


PoucHEp \[AMMALS oR AJARSUPIALS. 


THE KANGAROO. 


Nearly all the twenty-three species of Kangaroos are re- 
stricted to Australia, although a few are found in New 
Guinea. The family, which embraces the Kangaroos and 
their allies the Wallabies, includes not only the largest 
forms, but also has the greatest number of genera and 
species, and the widest geographical range. It owes its 
name, Macropodidae, to the difference between the size of 
the fore and hind legs. Kangaroos are entirely herbivorous, 
and the lower incisors, which are elongated, play upon each 
other like the blades of a pair of scissors, and crop the 
erass. Of the upper incisors, the foremost are the largest, 
and occasionally the premolars are strikingly large. In 
contrast to the other Marsupials the members of this family 
generally have well developed eyelashes. The tail of the 
Kangaroo is very thick and strong, so that the animal can 
use it as a fifth leg in standing upright or moving slowly. 
The hind legs are very strong, and the fore limbs are short, 
which enables them to progress and get over the ground, 
very swiftly and gracefully by a series of bounds. 

Although very powerful animals, all species of Kangaroos 
are exceedingly timid, and in captivity have been known to 
die of sheer fright. In freedom, when alarmed by any un- 
familiar sight, sound or smell, they will immediately raise 
upon their tail and hind limbs as upon a tripod. Mr. R. 
Ramsey Wright says that when resting, one male of the 
family will support himself on the tail and ankle bones, 
while the others lie about or browse at their ease, commonly 
applying their fore-feet to the ground till they receive a 
danger signal from their sentinel. Some species of Kan- 
garoos are the size of a small rabbit, while others are as 
large as sheep, the head always being small compared to the 
rest of the body and tapering towards the muzzle. The 
fore-paws each have five digits armed with a strong curved 
claw. The hind foot is extremely long, narrow and without 
the first toe, consisting mainly of one very large and strong 
toe corresponding to the fourth of the human foot, and end- 
ing in a strong curved and pointed claw; close to the outer 
side of this lies a small fifth digit, and to the inner side, two 


KANGAROO. . 255 


exceptionally slender toes bound together almost to the 
extremity in a common integument. 


GIANT KANGAROO. 


The Common or Grey Kangaroo (Macropus gigantius) 
is the best known species. It is also the largest, an old male 
Grey Kangaroo when erect on his hind feet and tail often 
standing ‘seven feet high, the females being about one-third 
shorter than the males. The color of this species is usually 
a dull yellowish brown, pale on the under parts and darker 
on the tail, but while the exact shade varies greatly in dif- 
ferent individuals, generally the color has a distinctly grey- 
ish cast. This species is the most numerous as well as the 
most common of its genus, and is also known as the Boomer, 
Forester, and Old Man Kangaroo. Although their num- 
bers have diminished considerably in the proximity of the 
towns, on the other hand they have increased on the sweet 
pasture of the newly settled districts, so that on the whole 
Kangaroos do not seem to have decreased much since they 
were discovered by Cook off the coast of New South Wales 
over a hundred and thirty years ago, although they have 
been steadily driven further inland by the persistent hunt- 
ing of the colonists and natives. 


256 PoucHED MAMMALS oR MARSUPIALS. 


‘‘The natives generally hunt the Kangaroo by forming a 
circle around the herd and killing them with clubs. By the 
colonists they are generally driven toward a particular spot 
where the sportsmen have been stationed before hand after 
the fashion of a bateau, but they are also stalked, and occa- 
sionally hunted by dogs. In spite of their timidity Kan- 
garoos are enemies not to be despised when brought to 
bay, and a blow from the powerful tail or hind legs is 
sufficient to cause serious injuries, and the dogs are often 
torn open by the strong claws of the hind feet.’’ 

Mr. W. H. Blundell, in a letter to ‘‘Nature,’’ a number 
of years ago wrote: 

““The great plains and deserts over which these marsup- 
ials wander in search of food afford an exceedingly precar- 
ious supply of pasture, in consequence of drought and bush 
fires, which not infrequently follow a super-abundance of 
herbage. These animals by means of their procumbent teeth, 
which they make use of as shears, are enabled to cut off 
any green root or half buried remains spared by a scorching 
sun, and obtain nourishment where any grass feeding pla- 
cental animal would certainly starve. It is in consequence, 
I believe, of the power which is by this means given these 
animals, that in the great pastural districts in New South 
Wales and Queensland, it has been found that they are far 
more destructive of food than any stock that can be put upon 
the land. And in places where Wallabys and Paddy Melons, 
are exceedingly numerous, it is noticed that the native 
grasses In the particular localities which they frequent be- 
come completely destroyed, and that such places remain 
entirely ungrassed until fresh seed is scattered over them 
by the winds. 

Brehm in describing the locomotion of Kangeroos 
says: ‘‘the fore limbs are tightly clasped against the 
chest and the tail stretched backwards, while the powerful 
thigh muscles are caused suddenly to straighten the 
joints, by which action the body flies through the air in 
a low curve. In ordinary locomotion the leaps are only 
nine or ten feet, but when alarmed the animal doubles 
or even trebles its exertion. The right foot seems to be 
employed more than the left and is held a little in front 
of it. With each leap the tail swings upward and down- 
ward, but it is not employed in changing the course of 
the animal, for this is always effected by two or three short 
leaps. The fore limbs are never lowered in locomotion, and 
in fact, only the toes of the hind limbs touch the ground. In 


ra 


KANGAROO AND ITs ALLIES. 257 


open ground it is more than a match in speed for the swift- 
est dog, and can keep up its swiftest pace for hours. When 
there is any cover it has immeasurably the advantage by 
clearing clumps or shrubs six or eight feet high; on uneven 
ground, on the other hand, it is at a disadvantage, especially 
when going down hill, for it is liable to slip and roll over on 
reaching a sloping surface.’’ 

Kangaroo flesh is said to be excellent eating, but the 
Giant Kangaroo is hunted principally for its skin which 
is largely used in the manufacture of shoes. Only the 
fur of the younger animals is dense enough to make 
the skins of value to the furriers. 

The Red Kangaroo (Macropus-rufus) is next in size to 
the Giant Kangaroo, but, as its name indicates, the fur has 
a reddish hue, and as it is also coarse and woolly, it is not 
sought by furriers, the skin is also too harsh for leather. 

The Blue Kangaroo (Macropus-erubescens) is still 
smaller than the Red species, but has a long soft fur, the 
under coat of which is pinkish or light blue in color. The 
pelt is soft and thin, and the skins very much appreciated 
by the tanners. The fur is also valued by the furriers. 

The Walleroo (Macropus-robustus) is smaller than any 
of the foregoing, and is the scarcest of all Kangaroos. It 
is whitish grey in color, and the hair is so coarse and harsh 
that the skins are only suitable for the tanner’s use. 

The smallest members of the Kangaroo tribe are the 
gregarious Kangaroo Rats that live in colonies in connect- 
ed burrows, and the tree-climbing Musk Kangaroo, whose 
body exhales a strong odor, and which feeds upon insects 
and worms. The Rat Kangaroos live in the grass and 
‘““serub,’’ and according to Ingersoll, ‘‘scratch the ground 
all day in search of the roots upon which they feed, and 
cause havoe in the potato patches of the frontiersmen.”’ 

The so-called Hare Kangaroos (Lagorchetes), live on the 
open plains, and in size, color and habits resemble the com- 
mon hare. They make ‘‘forms’’ in the grass, but are 
exceedingly fleet, so that at the first approach of danger 
they generally succeed in reaching the galleries, they have 
made in the ‘‘scrub’’ by cutting away the lower branches 
and spines, where it is almost impossible to reach them. 
Like the Kangaroo Rats, the Kangaroo Hares differ from 
the true Kangaroos in anatomical peculiarities as well as 
in their habits and appearance. 


258 PoucHED MAMMALS oR MARSUPIALS. 


THE WALLABIES. 


Of the Wallabies, or Rock Kangaroos, the Yellow Wall- 
aby (Petrogale-xanthopus is the one oftenest seen in cap- 
tivity. It is about two feet long, and has a tail as long 
as the body, and the narrow head and long ears that 
characterize all Kangaroos. The long dense fur is soft 
and fluffy, and the general color is yellowish, shading to a 
light brown on the back, and showing a black stripe down 
the center and white marks on each side. This species is 
not very numerous, and the skins that are marketed are 
shipped to London from Adelaide. 


The Rock Wallaby, or Bush-tailed Kangaroo (Petrogale- 
pencillata), is more numerous, and has a two inch long 
reddish silvery fur very similar to that of the red Lynx; 
the hair on the back is grey speckled, rather longer than 
that on the belly which is brownish in hue. There is a 
black line between the eyes, and there are occasional 
white spots on the body. The fur is serviceable, and exten- 
sively used for making coats, capes and various other 
articles. This species inhabits New South Wales and 
Victoria, and the best skins are those shipped from 
Sydney. 


PHALANGERS. 259 


All the species of the genus Petrogale, or Wallabies, 
have shorter toes and hind legs than the true Kangaroos 
of the genus Macropus; and the under surfaces of their 
feet are covered with horny tubercles to prevent them 
from slipping. They do not support the weight of their 
bodies on the tail, although they can use it to balance with. 

The representatives of the genus Halmaturus, to which 
Bennett’s Wallaby, or Bush Kangaroo (Halmaturus-ben- 
netii), and the Black or Swamp Wallaby (Halmaturus- 
wallabutus), belong, do not live on open ground like the 
Macropus, but inhabit the swamps, and sections of country 
more or less thickly covered with brush and shrubs. The 
close lying hairs on the former species in short and griz- 
zly, similar to the Raccoon in color but browner, and the 
skins are used by furriers as an imitation for raccoon, or 
made into leather by the tanners. The Swamp Wallaby is 
one of the largest representatives of its genus, being about 
three feet long, but the reddish brown fur is coarse and 
covered with long black hairs. It is strong and service- 
able however, and the smaller skins are quite extensively 
used in the manufacture of coats but the large skins are 
made into leather. ; 

Among the other species of this genus are the large 
Antelope Kangaroo (Halmaturus-antelopinus) ,of Northern 
Australia, and the small Bridled Kangaroo, or Pedemelon 
—Paddy Melon—(Halmaturus-thetidis), of New South 
Wales, the Halmaturus-billardieri that lives in herds in the 
interior of Tasmania; and the eighteen inch Wood Wallaby 
(Halmaturus-brachyurus), which spends most of its time 
in the trees, and whose grizzly brownish soft fur is well 
adapted for coat linings. 


THE PHALANGER. 
(Australian Opossum.) 


The Phalangers are for the most part small in size and 
are divided into two classes, the common and the flying 
Phalangers; some of them are insect eaters, but most of 
them live on the young shoots, leaves and blossoms of the 
trees they inhabit. All the species of Phalangers have long 
prehensile tails, and six incisor teeth in the upper, and 
two in the lower jaw, with four molars on each side, but 
the small premolars vary in number. 


260 PoucHep MAMMALS orn MARSUPIALS. 


The Vulpine Phalanger, (Trichosurus-vulpecula) com- 
monly known as the Australian Opossum, is the most  in- 
teresting of the many different species of Phalangers. It is 
found in nearly every part of Australia, and seems to be 
constantly increasing in numbers in spite of the fact that 
millions of the species are killed annually for the fur value 
of their skins. In the finest skins the under fur is a bluish 
grey, with longer and darker hairs on the back than on the 
belly, which is yellowish, and has very dense fine short hair. 
The largest representatives of this species are found in Tas- 
mania, and sometimes measure twenty-five inches in length, 
exclusive of the eleven inch tail; it is yellower, and the fur 
is longer and thicker than that on the varieties found in 
other parts of Austraha. The Victoria skins have a darker 


‘* AUSTRALIAN OPOSSUM.’’ 


and richer blue-grey shade than any others except those of 
the so-called ‘‘ Adelaide Opossum,’’ which is the smallest 
of its species, and has a fur resembling that ofthe chinchilla 
in appearance. The ‘‘Melbourne Opossum’? is the most nu- 
merous of all the Vulpine Phalangers. Its length is about 
sixteen inches from tip to tip. The dense one and a half 
inch long fur is usually bluish grey, mingled with larger 
and coarser dark hairs on the upper parts, and white be- 
neath. Most of the ‘‘ Australian Opossum”’ skins are worked 


OPOSSUMS. 261 


up and sold in the natural color, but they take a brilliant 
dye, and the fur becomes soft and silky in the process. 

Cook’s Phalanger, generally called the Ring-tail Opossum, 
is a small animal only six inches long, with a tail twice the 
length of its body. The fine soft fur is a rich blue on the 
back, and a pure white on the belly; like the ‘‘ Adelaide 
Opossum,’’ it has very much the appearance of chinchilla, 
and is sometimes used for making small articles of fur wear. 

The skin of the Great Flying Phalanger (Petaurus-aus- 
tralis), is too thin to allow of its being used for fur pur- 
poses, but mounted specimens of this animal are often seen 
in museums. 


THE OPOSSUM. 


Of all the Marsupials the Opossum approaches most 
closely to the typical mammal in the structure of its 
reproductive organs; and while fossils show that the 
different families of Australian Marsupials are of com- 
paratively recent origin, the American Implacentals are 
represented amongst the earliest mammalian fossils. 

Some of the family Didelphidae, which includes all the 
American Marsupials, are very small and few of them 
attain the size of a cat. They feed chiefly on insects, but 
will also eat small reptiles, birds and eggs. The Water 
Opossum (Chironectes) differs entirely in habits from the 
other species of the family, and has the webbed feet 
necessary for an aquatic existence. The other species, 
all belonging to the genus Didelphy, are arboreal and 
more or less nocturnal and while some are provided with 
a pouch, others are destitute of it. 

The Virginian Opossum (Didelphys-virginiana) is one 
of the largest members of the family and has a well 
developed pouch, as have also the species found in Brazil. 
It has an elongated muzzle that makes its head appear 
large in proportion to the rest of its body although the 
brain cavity is small. The tail is scaly like a rat’s, 
except at the root, and the black ears are naked, resem- 
bling a bat’s wing. The feet, which are naked on the 
under surface, each have five toes, the inner toes of the 
hind feet being opposable. 

The general color of the woolly fur is a yellowish grey 
or grizzly, caused by the white underwool showing through 
black or brownish top hairs. 


262 PoucHEeD MAMMALS oR MARSUPIALS. 


Opossums lead solitary lives, except in the pairing 
season when they occupy nests of dried grass, in the 
hollows or roots of trees, which are shared by the young 
as soon as they are able to leave the pouch. 


“The opossum brings forth a litter corresponding 
more or less nearly to the number of her teats. These 
are thirteen, disposed in a circle, six on each side and one 
in the middle. 

‘‘The developmental changes which take place within 
the body of the mother occupy from twenty-four to 
twenty-eight days. The young are then born in a per- 
fectly helpless condition, and only about half an inch 
in length. They are immediately placed in the pouch by 
the mother, one being attached to each of the long teats. 
The mouth at this stage is well formed, and the fore 
limbs are sufficiently advanced for the claws to assist 
the young to cling to the teats, but the hind limbs are 
developed afterwards. After attachment, the corners of 
the mouth grow up around the teat, insuring a more per- 
fect channel for the flow of the milk; this is further aided 
by a well-marked groove on the upper surface of the 
tongue. In five or six weeks the young opossums have 
attained the size of little mice, and in about two months 
have developed sufficiently to leave the pouch. 


In the species of Opossums that are characterized by 
the absence of the pouch, the young are born practically 
in the same condition, but they are carried on the back of 
the mother after they are old enough to leave the teats, 
being securely held there by means of their prehensile 
tails, which are twined around the tail of the mother. 

The color variation in Opossums is largely due to age, 
the half grown animals looking blackish at a little dis- 
tance while the old ones have a whitish appearance. The 
skins are worked up either in their natural color. or dyed 
and sold as Black Marten or skunk opossum. 


Koaua. 263 


THE KOALA. 
(Native Bear.) 


While not as important commercially as the Common 
Phalanger, the skins of the Koala are used extensively in the 
manufacture of sleeping bags, coats and other articles 
where a durable, reasonable priced fur is desired. The sci- 
entific designation of this animal signifies Ashy Pouched 
Bear, which is a very good description of it. The Koala is 
strictly arboreal, the natives often being obliged to fol- 
low it to the top of the highest trees sixty and seventy 
feet above the ground. 


Koaua. 


The Koala is the largest Australian mammal living in the 
trees and that is probably the reason why it is called the 
bear by the natives, as it is unlike that animal in its noc- 
turnal habits as well as its slow movements, in both of 
which characteristics it resembles the sloth. 

It is from eighteen to twenty-four inches long, and the 
general color is a light grey, the tips of the coarse hair be- 
ing white. The upper part of the belly and chest and the 
insides of the legs are white, and the lower part of the belly 
is reddish brown, at times approaching to a dark purple 
hue. The fur on the hind quarters is much shorter than on 
the rest of the body, and has patches and spots of white. The 

‘ears are very short, tufted on the inside with long white 


264 PoucHEeD MAMMALS OR MARSUPIALS. 


hairs. The head, which is broad and short, is surrounded 
with a fringe of hair. The nose is bare, and whiskers are 
absent. The formation of the feet is singular, the claws of 
the fore-paws being five in number, the two inner ones op- 
posable to the toes like the thumb of a man to the 
fingers of the hand. The next two toes are small and joined 
together, and the fourth, which is the longest, is separate, 
as is also the fifth which however is somewhat shorter. 


THE WOMBAT. 


The Phascolomyidae is a family of Marsupials repre- 
sented by a single genus, the Wombat, sometimes called 
the Australian Badger. There are three species of this 
animal—Phascolomys-platyrhinus, Phascolomys-latifrons 
and Phascolomys-wombat. The latter is the most com- 
mon. It is a clumsy animal, but in spite of its shuffling 
gait is able to cover considerable ground, as it is patient 
and persistent. It is easily caught alive, and in captivity 
is indifferent to its keeper’s appearance and cares for 
nothing but its food. It is difficult to arouse Wombats 
from their ordinary condition of good natured indiffer- 
ence, but when excited they are able to take care of 
themselves with their chisel-like teeth. 

The Common Wombat is about two feet long, has a 
rudimentary tail, short thick neck, and a large head. The 
short stout legs are adapted for burrowing by the stout 
curved claws with which the toes, with the exception of 
the innermost toe on each hind foot, are armed. It lives 
chiefly on roots which it gnaws after the fashion of the 
rodents. It has two chisel-like incisor teeth in the upper 
and two in the lower jaw, which like the beaver’s are 
separated by a gap from the molars. Of the five rootless 
molars in each jaw, the foremost of each series is a pre- 
molar of only half the size of the true molars. 

The short fur is soft and dense, and of the general 
whitish grey color characteristic of most of the Australian 
mammals. It is used extensively in the manufacture of 
cheap, serviceable fur coats, sleeping bags and robes. 

The Bandicoots are small animals that show the same 
disproportionate development of the hind legs which char- 


Banpicoots AND DaSsyURES, 265 


acterizes all the species of Kangaroos, but instead of 
progressing by a series of bounds like the latter their 
gait is a combination of running and leaping similar to 
that of the hares; they are distinguished by having the 
opening of the pouch turned backward instead of forward, 
as is the case with all other Marsupials. 

The Bandicoots live in the cooler and more mountainous 
regions of Australia, and form burrows in their search 
for roots and tubers often proving a nuisance to 
settlers by ravaging potato fields and burrowing under 
the walls of barns to get at the grain. There are two 
genera of Bandicoots—the Perameles, resembling the rat 
in form and the sparsely haired character of the tail, 
which is represented by a half dozen or more species on 
the continent of Australia, and the Choeropus-castanotis, 
or Pig-footed Bandicoot, found only in South Australia. 
They agree in general habits, but the Choeropus, instead 
of living in burrows, make nests for themselves in the 
thick underbrush where they easily escape notice. Their 
fur is longer than that on the Perameles, and they have 
slenderer legs and only two toes—the second and third— 
on the fore feet, and only one on the hind feet—the 
fourth—which bears the weight of the body; the second 
and third joined toes, and the fifth are present and bear 
nails, but are quite rudimentary. All the species of the 
Perameles bear the weight of the body on the fourth and 
fifth toes of the. hind feet, and have five toes on the fore 
feet, the two inner ones being rudimentary and nailless. 

The skins of the Bandicoot are of little value either for 
fur or leather purposes. 

The Dasyuridae Family includes both Carnivorous and 
Insectivorous types, differing from the other Marsupials 
in the character of their dentition and in having the 
second and third toes of the hind feet perfectly free from 
each other. The Dasyuridae is rich in Genera and Species, 
ranging from mouse-like insect eaters to the Carnivorous 
Spotted Cat of Australia (Dasyurus-maugoei) and the 
Tasmanian Devil (Dasyurus-ursinus) resembling the Bad- 
ger in the form of body and large head, while the tex- 
ture of its deep black fur is more like that of the bear. 
Some of the smaller species possess a small inner toe on 
the hind foot which is wanting in the type variety. 


266 MONOTREMATA, 


THE MONOTREMATA. 


The Monotremata are an order of Australian Mam- 
mals whose young are hatched from eggs laid by the fe- 
male, and they are known as egg-laying mammals because 
the young when hatched are suckled by the mother. 

The Platybus (Ornithorhynchus-anatinus), or as it is 
sometimes called the Duck Bill, because of the bill which 
forms the extremity of its head, has a mole-like brownish 
black under fur that excells that of the seal in richness. 
The color of the water hairs that protect the under fur 
are a silvery brown on top and lighter on the belly, giving 
the animal a beautiful appearance when in full pelage. 

The Platybus is a small animal, from eighteen to 
twenty inches long from tip to tip; in structure it some- 
what resembles the reptiles, and like all water animals 
has a thick pelt and no external ears. It has no teeth. The 
eyes are small, and the bill is perforated with two holes 
for nostrils. The limbs are short, and each foot has five 
complete toes furnished with strong nails. The fore feet 
are webbed considerably beyond the extremity of the 
nails, but on the hind feet the web reaches only to the 
base of the nails. The nails of the fore feet are some- 
what flattened and expanded, but those on the hind feet 
are longer, narrow and curved. The heel of the Platybus 
is furnished with a spur like that of the gamecock but not 
so long. 

The Platybus lives in burrows from twenty to forty 
feet deep, with one entrance to its nest from the land and 
another from the water. The young are born hairless and 
blind and totally unlike the full grown animal, having 
short fleshy lips with which to obtain the milk from the 
mammae of the parent. While possessing marsupial 
bones similar to those of the Pouched Mammals the female 
Platybus has no pouch. 

Dehaired and dyed, the fur of the Platybus is much 
finer than that of the seal, and well adapted for the manv- 
facture of caps and other small articles or trimming orna- 
ments, but comparatively few skins reach the fur markets 
of the world. 


Eeo Laying MAMMALs. 267 


The Echidna (Echidna-hystrix) is an ant eater that 
has a much more extensive distribution than the Platybus, 
from which it differs in structure as well as appearance; 
instead of a mole-like fur, the upper part of the head and 
body are covered with a mixture of stiff hairs, and short 
thick spines that have caused it to be called the Australian 
Porcupine. Although in some localities the underwool of 
the Echidna is abundant, its skin is of little value for any 
purpose, and it is only mentioned here because of its pe- 
culiarities. It has a long bill but no teeth, and feeds solely 
on ants which it obtains by means of its long tongue, 
which like the palate is beset with spines. The eyes are of 
fair size, but it has no ears, and the tail is a mere stump. 
The body is broad and depressed, and the line of division 
between the spine covered back and the hairy under parts 
is sharply drawn. The short strong limbs are armed with 
very powerful claws, varying in number in the different 
species from three to five on each foot. 

Echidnas are fossorial and in the main nocturnal 
animals, inhabiting rocky districts in the mountains at an 
elevation of three thousand feet and upwards. Little is: 
known of their breeding habits, but according to the na- 
tives they lay eggs, and the young, two in number, are 
born during the Australian winter, usually in May. 


2.68 THE PRIMATES. 


Si 
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Z 
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43 
Za 
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val 
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— 


CHIMPANZEE. 


Wuitrt THIGHED CoLoBUs. 
MARMOSET. 


269 


THE PRIMATES. 


Linnaeus included Man and the Bat, as well as the 
Monkeys and Lemurs, in the order of Primates; but now 
the Bats are placed in a separate order—Chioptera, and 
Man is referred to as belonging to the Bimana, while the 
Monkeys and Lemurs are usually spoken of as Quad- 
rumana; although strictly speaking the Bimana and Quad- 
rumana, the latter so called because of their ability to use 
both front and hind feet as hands, are simply subdivisions 
of the order of Primates, which is therefore naturally con- 
sidered the first and highest order of the sub-kingdom 
Vertebrata. 


Cuvier, writing of the Quadrumana in his ‘‘ Animal 
Kingdom,’’ says: ‘‘Independently from the anatomical 
details which distinguish it from Man, this family differs 
from our species in a remarkable way. All the animals 
belonging to it have the toes of the hind feet free and 
opposable to the others, and the toes on all are as long and 
flexible as fingers. In consequence of this the whole 
species climb trees with the greatest facility, while it is 
only with pain and difficulty they can stand and walk 
upright, their foot resting on its outer edge only and their 
narrow pelvis being unfavorable to an equilibrium. They 
differ from Man by having a much more elongated muzzle 
and a tail, and a gait more like that of other quadrupeds. 
Notwithstanding this, the freedom of their arms and the 
complication of their hands allow them all to perform 
many of the actions of man as well as to imitate his ges- 
tures.’’ 


Everybody knows what an Ape or Monkey is, but com- 
paratively few can tell how to distinguish the Apes from 
the true Monkeys and the Baboons or Dog-faced Monkeys, 
or what constitutes the line of demarkation between these 
two groups and the Lemurs, which are closely related to 
them but have so many different characteristics that they 
are placed in a separate family (Lemuridae) ; while the 
Apes are classified as Simiidae and all the Old World 
Baboons and Monkeys are grouped together in the family 
Ceropithecidae, and all the American Monkeys, except the 


270 (QUADRUMANA. 


Marmosets, which belong to the family Halpalidae, are 
included in the family Cebidae. 

Because of structural differences and peculiarities of 
coloration and appearance, there are numerous genera 
with a variety of species in each family of the Quad- 
rumana, but only a few of them are entitled to considera- 
tion as fur-bearing animals. Monkeys are most abundant 
in the tropical parts of South America and Africa, al- 
though they are fairly numerous in the warmer portions of 
Asia, and some specimens are found as far north as the 
snow line. The only species in Europe is the Barbary 
Maccaque (Macacus-inuus). Nearly all the leading species 
of Monkeys have specific common names as well as differ- 
ent technical scientific designations. 

The Monkeys all have four straight incisors in each 
jaw, and with a single exception flat nails on all the ex- 
tremities, two characters which: approximate them more 
nearly to Man than the Lemurs; their molars are blunt 
tubercles like ours, and their food consists chiefly of fruit. 
Their canine teeth being longer than the rest supply a 
weapon which we do not possess, and require a hollow in 
the opposite jaw to receive them when the mouth is closed. 
- The’ Monkeys of the Eastern Continent all have the 
same number of grinders as Man; but the Marmosets are 
the only Monkeys of the New World of which this can 
be said, all the representatives of the Cebidae having eight 
bicuspeds instead of four. None of the American Monkeys 
have cheek pouches, and they can always be distinguished 
by the absence of the deep callosities which are found on 
the buttocks of all the Old World species except the Apes, 
with which they could never be confounded because of 
their small size. The American Monkeys are purely ar- 
boreal, passing all of their time in the tree tops, swinging 
from branch to branch, and rarely if ever descending to 
the ground. They have all their digits provided with well 
developed nails, but those who have thumbs cannot oppose 
that digit to the other digits of the hand as the repre- 
sentatives of the foreign species do. 

For a long time zoologists classed all the Old World 
Monkeys as belonging to one family (Catarhini)' because: 
of the very thin partition between their nostrils, while 
they grouped all the broad-nosed monkeys of the Western 


APES, BABoons AND MoNKEYS. 271 


Continent in the family (Platyrhini) on account of the 
greater width of the vertical partition between the two 
nostrils. This classification has been generally aban- 
doned for the one that divides the Monkeys of the Old 
World into the Simiidae and Ceropithecidae families, and 
places the Marmosets with their thirty-two teeth, clawed 
toes, and nonprehensile tails, in the family Halpalidae, 
and all the other South American species with prehensile 
tails and thirty-six teeth, in the family Cebidae. 

The Baboons differ from the rest of the Quadrumana in 
disposition as well .as appearance, having fierce tempers 
and a bull dog courage, combined with strength and agil- 
ity that enables them to meet their most powerful enemies 
upon something like equal terms; and it is said that even 
in captivity they must at all times be treated.as dangerous 
animals. The Mandrill (Cynocephalus-mormon) of West 
Africa, with its long shaggy hair, lion like appearance, 
and the peculiar markings on its face which accentuate 
the grimaces which it is constantly making, is the most 
interesting and wonderful of the Baboons. It is easily the 
largest, most formidable, ferocious and hideous of its kind, 
and fully justifies Dr. Hornaday’s statement that ‘‘It 
seems like an animal not of this earth, but reminds one 
of the great beasts of the vision of St. John the Divine.”’ 
The Hamadryas Baboon, with long side whiskers and a 
cape of long hair, is the handsomest representative of the 
Dog-faced Monkeys, while the Golden Baboon has the 
liveliest disposition, is the best tempered. 

Of all the Quadrumana, the Gorilla (Gorilla-savagei), 
resembles Man the closest in walk and in structural for- 
mation, but the Orang Utang(Simia)and the Chimpanzees 
(Athropopithecus-niger and -calvus) approximate the 
nearest’ to the Hominidae in intelligence and susceptibility 
to training, both being mentally superior to the Gorilla 
and the long-armed Gibbons (Hylobartes-lar); but as 
none of the Apes are fur-bearing animals, our present in- 
terest lies with some of the representatives of the Cero- 
pithecidae rather than any of the members of the Simiidae 
family. 

Generally speaking, the Black Monkey of commerce is 
the skin of the White Thighed Colobus (Colobus-velloro- 
sus) while is very abundant on.the west coast of Africa. 


272 QUADRUMANA. 


This species is from one to two feet long exelusive of the 
tail which will measure fully two feet. The long black 
silky hair on the back is from two to four inches long, and 
in some cases is divided by a natural part in the center. 
In some localities the hair is coarse and harsh and the 
skins consequently are of less value. The tail of this 
animal is white and slightly tufted, and the beard, cheeks 
and the long fringe around the black face are also pure 
white and there is a white spot on the chest. The legs and 
feet are black, but the sparse short hair on the thighs and 
rump is of a greyish white color. Theskins of the Ursini 
Colobus (Colobus-ursinius), from Sierra Lerone, are also 
sold as Black Monkeys, but they are smaller and harsher 
and only a small quantity are marketed. 

The Abyssinian Monkey (Colobus-guereza), whose home 
is in the mountains of East Central Africa, is one of the 
largest and the most beautiful of all the true Monkeys. 
The skins measure from two to two and one-half feet, 
exclusive of the four-foot tail; the long silky white hair is 
marked with a black saddle on the back, and the thick bushy 
black tail has a beautiful long white tuft on the end. The 
legs are all black, but the black face is surrounded by a 
white fringe. The skins are highly prized but they are 
very rare. 

The skins of the Grey Monkey of the west coast of 
Africa, also known as the Diana Monkey (Ceropithecus 
diana), are much more common in the fur markets than 
those of the Abyssinian Monkey. It is almost eighteen 
inches long with a black tail twice the length of the body. 
The color of the back is a bright chestnut brown, the 
sides are grizzly, and the cheeks, chest and belly, white. 
A white beard, and a white line on the forehead, as well 
as one on the thighs separating the black extremities from 
the brown and silvery body, help to give a striking ap- 
pearance to this animal. 

The fur of the Blue Monkey or Mountain Entellus of the 
Himalayas (Semnopithicus-schistanus), is highly esteemed. 
The hair is three inches long, dense and silky, and varies 
in color from a bluish grey in some specimens to a dark 
grey in others; the belly being lighter in color than the back 
and almost bare. There is a white tuft on the two-foot 
tail, and a crest of black fur between the eyes. The 


THE MonKEY TRIBE. 273 


length of the body of this animal is from two to three feet. 

There are a number of other African Monkeys that are 
hunted more or less for their skins, but none of them are 
of much importance commercially, the skins of the various 
species all being sold under the comprehensive name of 
“Common Monkey,’’ which is made to include: Camp- 
bell’s | Monkey (Ceropithecus-campbelli), the Mona 
Monkey (Ceropithecus-mona), the Green Monkey (Cero- 
pithecus-callithricus), the Grivet Monkey (Ceropithecus- 
griseoviridis), the Malbrouck Monkey (Ceropithecus- 
cynosurus), the Patas Monkey (Ceropithecus-patas), the 
Vervet (Ceropithecus-lalandi), the Moustache Monkey 
(Ceropithecus-cephus), the Red Monkey (Ceropithecus- 
erythrogasta), the Pluto Monkey (Ceropithecus-pluto), the 
Blue Monkey (Cerocebus-fuliginosis), the Wanderoo Mon- 
key (Macacus-silenus), the China Grey Monkey (Macacus- 
tehelicusis), and a number of others. 

The Marmosets of South America, also known as Ouistitis 
and Tamarins, are the smallest of the Monkey tribe; and 
in fact are more like squirrels than Monkeys in size as 
well as habits, climbing in the same way and subsisting 
not only on fruits, but also to a large extent on insects. 
The Marmosets measure from several inches to one foot 
in length, and have a short thick silky or woolly fur, 
which lengthens in some species into ear tufts and in 
others into a kind of mane. These little animals are ex- 
tremely variable in coloration, and are very sensitive to 
cold; they are of a low order of intelligence but make 
amusing pets when kept in confinement. There are many 
different varieties or species in the two genera into which 
they are divided to distinguish those whose lower canine 
teeth are longer than the front teeth from the others; but 
they all have long prehensile tails, and toes that with the 
exception of the great toe are furnished with pointed claws 
instead of the more or less flattened nails that characterize 
other Monkeys; the differences in appearance are occa- 
sioned principally by the length of the fur and the variety 
in coloration. 

The best known American Monkeys are some of the 
species of the Woolly Monkey (genus Lagothrix), the 
Spider Monkeys of the genera Eriodes and Ateles; and the 
Sapajous or Capauchin Monkeys of the genus Cebus, 


274 QUADRUMANA, 


which are the typical long prehensile tailed representa- 
tives of the family Cebidae and the variety commonly 
seen in the menageries. The non-prehensile tailed mem- 
bers of this family are the Owl-faced Monkeys of the 
genus Nycthitithecus, the Squirrel Monkey of the genus 
Chrysothrix, the Brazilian Titi Monkey of the genus Cal- 
lithrix, the Saki Monkey of the genus Pithecia, the UkKari 
Monkey of the genus Uacaria, and the Howling Monkeys 
of the genus Mycetes. 


THE LEMURS. 


The Lemurs, according to Linnaeus, comprehend all the 
Primates that have in either jaw incisors different in num- 
ber from four, or at least differently directed than those 
of the Monkeys; this negative characterization could not 
fail to embrace very different beings, while it did not even 
include those which should be combined. Geoffroy has 
established several divisions of this genus which are much 
better characterized. The fore-thumbs of these animals 
are well developed and opposable, and the first hind finger 
is armed with a pointed raised nail, all the other nails 
being flat. Their fur is wooly, and their teeth exhibit 
sharp tubercles catching in each other as in the Insectivora. 
They are very active animals, and from their pointed 
heads have sometimes been called Fox-nosed Monkeys. 
Their food is fruit. Their species are very numerous, but 
they are only met with in the Island of Madagascar where 
no Monkeys are found. Nearly all the difference that 
exists between the different species of Lemurs is in the 
eolor. Their skins are of little value. 

The Black Lemur (Lemur-macaco) is a handsome ani- 
mal about twenty inches long, which inhabits the dense 
inland forests on the Island of Madagascar. The head 
and back are covered with a thick jet black fur about 
one inch long, but on the chest the thin fur is brown with 
a patch of white in the center. 

The Black and White, or Ruffled Lemur (Lemur-albi- 
frons), is really a variety of the Black Lemur and is found 
in the same habitat. It has the same narrow head, short 
tail, long legs, and fingers furnished with spongy pads. 
The back and lower half of the body are light brown, 
almost white, but the hind legs and arms are a dark 
brown. 


THe LEMURS. 275 


The Red-Fronted Lemur (Lemur-rubifrons) ; the Ring- 
Tailed Lemur (Lemur-catta), and the Grey or Brown 
Mouse Lemur (Cherogalens-nutri), are all smaller than 
the Black and the Ruffled Lemurs, the general color of 
each being various shades of grey, with the distinctive 
markings that the different names indicate. 


The Woolly or Dwarf Lemur (Microcebus-senithir), the 
smallest of the Lemurs, is of a brown grey color and only 
six inches in length. 


BAW TOT 
\ ih yoo 
ly Wh LE 


\ 


WS 
SN 
Wy 


NX 


Dritt (Doc-Facep MONKEY). 


We have devoted so much space to the Quadrumana 
on account of the general interest felt in these animals 
because of theories advanced by Darwin and other scien- 
tists in regard to their relationship to man, rather than 
because of their value as fur-bearing animals. 


276 CHIROMYIDAE AND TARSIIDAE. 


The Aye Aye (Chiromys-madagascariensis), the only 
representative of the family Chiromyidae, is the last of the 
lemur-like animals, but it has teeth so different from the 
Primates that it must be considered as belonging to the 
Rodentia. This animal measures about three feet from 
tip to tip, most of the length being in the bushy tail. The 
claw corresponding to our middle finger is of great length 
and slenderness, and is probably used to extract from 
their burrows the larvae which is the principal article of 
its diet. The Aye Aye is dark brown in color on top, red- 
dish on the under parts, and greyish yellow on the throat. 
It is nocturnal, builds its nest in the upper branches of 
trees, and gives birth to but one young at a time. The 
natives of Madagascar have a superstitious fear of the 
creature, and it is therefore hard to obtain, although it is 
inoffensive and easily tamed. 


The Tarsier (Tarsius-spectrum) is another animal that 
in many respects resembles the Lemurs, but is so different 
in others that it is placed in a separate family—the Tar- 
siidae. It is arboreal and nocturnal in habit, about the 
size of a small rat, and covered with a soft thick fur; the 
general color is a dark fawn, with a reddish face and fore- 
head, and dark rings around the eyes. The tarsal bones 
of the hind limbs are unusually long and the hand is also 
noticeable for its length and the curious claws with which 
it is provided. It has thirty-four teeth—four more than 
the Indri, and two more than the true Lemur. It feeds on 
insects and small reptiles, never eating fruit. Its habitat 
is in the Malayan Islands, where it is looked upon with 
dread by the natives. 


277 


THE BEAVER (Castoridae) 


The Beaver is the most interesting of all fur bearing 
animals. It possesses almost human intelligence, and its 
instinct is often better than human judgment. It works 
with marvelous ingenuity, and illimitable patience in the 
construction of its lodges and dams; and will attack the 
trunk of a tree, without any regard to its size, and fell it 
by gnawing through the wood with its chisel-like teeth. 

According to Cuvier, ‘‘The Beavers choose waters of 
sufficient depth not to be frozen to the bottom; and, as 
far as possible, running streams, in order that the wood 
that they cut above, may be carried down by the cur- 
rent to the spot where it is to be used. They keep the 
water at an equal height, by dams; composed of all sorts 
of branches, mixed with clay and stones, the strength of 
which is ever increased, and which finally, by a process 
of vegetation, become converted into hedges. Each hut 
serves for two or three families, and consists of two stor- 
ies. The upper story is dry, for the residence of the 
animals; and the lower is under water, for the storage of 
their bark, etc. The lower story alone is open, and the 
entrance is under water, having no connection with the 
land. The huts are a kind of rude wicker-work, being 
made of interwoven branches and twigs, plastered with 
mud. There are always several burrows along the bank, 
in which they seek shelter when their huts are attacked. 
They only reside in these habitations in winter, in the 
summer they separate, and live singly in holes in the 
bank. They are usually caught in traps, but they are 
sometimes taken in nets; or their houses are broken into, 
and when the animals take refuge in the water, they give 
the alarm to their companions by striking the surface of the 
water with their tail. Beavers have been known to cause 
the waters of a lake to rise by building a dam across the 
outlet; and the soil, in many sections, has been enriched 
by the alluvial deposits, resulting from the dams which 
have been constructed by beavers-to collect the water, 
that but for their efforts, would have been carried off in 
many smal] streams.’’ 


278 RopENTIA. 


Kingsley claims that many of the tales that have been 
told about this animal are fanciful exaggerations. He 
says, ‘‘No beaver could learn the trick of felling the tree 
to fall in a given direction. What it has found out, is, 
that by biting a tree long enough, and hard enough, it can 
bring down within reach the twigs it wants to eat. The 
appearance of a stump left by a beaver is different from 
that left by a woodsman, who causes the tree to fall in 
the required direction by cutting one side lower than the 
other. The tree felled by the beaver is gnawed all around 
its circumference, so that an hour-glass shape results, with 
a constantly contracting center, until the tree falls to 
whatever side it is inclined, the trunk as well as the end 
of the stump being conical.’’ Those who have seen trunks 
of trees floating in the streams, where the beavers have 
operated, know that the stories told about its sagacity 
in only cutting the trees that can be used in the construc- 
tion of its homes and dams are products of the imagina- 
tion; but on the other hand, it is certainly something 
more than a coincidence, that the trees felled by the 
beavers never fall in the direction of their lodges; some- 
thing certainly teaches them to bite harder on the side 
where a deeper cut will cause the tree to fall in the direc- 
tion that will save the work, upon which they have ex- 
pended so much time and skill, from destruction. 

Beavers work only at night, and their food is of a 
vegetable nature. They thrive in captivity, and can be 
tamed and made to eat bread and cabbage, or flesh. 
Dr. Richardson says: ‘‘The Beaver attains its full size 
in about three years, but breeds before that time. Ac- 
cording to Indian report, it pairs in February, and after 
carrying its young about thrée months, brings forth from 
four to eight or nine cubs, toward the middle or end of 
May.’’ Hearne states the usual number of young pro- 
duced by the Beaver at a time to be from two to five, 
and that he only saw six, in two instances, although 
he had witnessed the capture of some hundreds in a gra- 
vid state. In the pairing season, the call of the Beaver 
is a kind of groan; but the voice of the eubs, which are 
very playful, resembles the ery of an infant. 

The Beaver is a large animal, weighing from forty-five 
to sixty pounds; and measuring from two to three feet in 


279 


Tue BEAVER. 


ivy wAVAg 
MHAVaG Ad FAV AHO 


= 


(vIaLaAN) ivy Nda0g 


HLOOJ, YOSIONT 8, WAVE 


280 RovENTIA. 

length, exclusive of the tail, which is about ten inches 
long. Its life is completely aquatic, both the feet and 
tail aiding it in swimming, and its ears are nearly hidden 
in the fur. The color of the fur of the Beaver varies 
from a light to a dark chestnut brown, in some cases be- 
ing almost white, and in others almost black. The grey- 
ish under fur, which is about two-thirds of an inch deep, 
and protected by stiff water hairs from two to three 
inches long, is shorter and denser on the under part of 
the body than on the top, forming a pelage that is the 
perfection of water-proof covering. 

The Beavers are distinguished from other Rodentia by 
the horizontally flattened tail, which is nearly oval in form 
and covered with scales. Beavers have five toes on each foot, 
those of the hinder ones being connected by a membrane; 
and the next toe to the thumb, on the hind feet, has a double 
and oblique nail. The four grinders, with their flat crowns, 
appear as if formed of a bony ribbon, reflected on itself, 
so as to show only one sloping edge on the upper row at 
the internal border, and three at the external one; in the 
lower row it is exactly the reverse. As their chief food 
is hard bark and other hard vegetable substances, their 
incisors are very powerful, and as they are worn away 
at the points, grow again rapidly from the roots. It is 
with these teeth that they cut down trees of every size 
and description. 

Before the advance of civilization had restricted its hab- 
itat, and reduced its numerical strength, there were mil- 
lions of Beavers on this continent where there are thousands 
today. They not only furnished man with covering for 
his body, and food for his nourishment, but they were the 
principal source of his wealth; but instead of working for 
the conservation of this important contributor to his com- 
fort and prosperity, man has used so little judgment in 
hunting the Beaver that it is almost exterminated. 

The Beaver, at one time, inhabited the greater part of 
North America, and some are still found in New York 
and Maine; but every year they are getting scarcer in 
the country east of the Missouri River, and north of the 
Rio Grande. Their range, which at one time extended 
farther north than that of most other fur bearing animals, 
is being constantly cut down; and even in Alaska, where the 


Tue BEAVER, 281 


animals were once numerous, they have greatly decreased 
in numbers. The Beavers inhabiting Oregon, and the 
Rocky Mountains, are of a very light color, almost white; 
those found in the Southern States, Mexico and Arizona, 
are poor in quality, being heavy in pelt, and pale in color. 
The skins most valued, are those with a dark reddish 
brown hue found in the Hudson Bay country, in the 
Fort York district, and along the Moose River. . 

Beavers are also found in Europe, where they burrow 
along the banks of the Rhone, the Danube, the Weiser 
and other rivers. Scientists are somewhat divided in 
opinion because of the difference in their habits as to 
whether the European beavers belong to a distinct species, 
or are prevented by the closer vicinage of man, from 
building their houses like the American Beaver. 

At one time most of the Beaver skins were sold to the 
manufacturers of silk hats, commonly called ‘‘beavers’’; 
who first washed the skins to remove the grease, then re- 
moved the long top hairs; after which the under fur was 
eut off the pelt by machinery, and blown to remove the 
coarser hairs, before it was worked on the nap of the 
hat and dyed. Today the majority of skins taken go to 
the furriers, who use most of them, with the long top or 
water hairs removed, for making muffs and neck pieces 
for women; cuffs, coat facings and gloves for men; and 
for trimmings. Some skins are dyed black or seal brown, 
either with or without the long water hairs. The dark 
skins are sometimes made to imitate the sea otter fur by 
being pointed with white hairs. 

Skin for skin, there are other furs that will bring more 
dollars than the Beaver; but none that are so well known 


in commerce, or that have such a staple value. In the 
early days of the fur trade on this continent, the beaver 


skin was the basis by which not only the value of other 
skins, but of all other commodities, was determined. A 
beaver skin was worth so many muskrats, and it took so 
many beavers to buy a sable or an otter skin. People paid 
their bills with Beaver skins and estimated the value of 
their possessions, by the number of Beavers they represent- 


ed. To illustrate the way trades were made at this time, we 
reproduce here a schedule showing the value, in beaver 
skins, of some of the various articles traded to the Indians, 


282 RopDENTIA. 


by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1670; other skins being 
taken upon the basis of their relative value to the Beaver. 


Guns.......... Twelve winter beaver skins for the largest 
Guns............ Ten winter beaver skins for the smallest 
POWGCE: 63333 cae en Goes eae eee One Beaver for 1% lb. 
SNOti esc wk hee Ws ees wee TAN One Beaver for 4 lbs. 
Hatchets ......... One Beaver for a great and little one. 
Knives ..One Beaver for 8 great knives and 8 jack knives. 
BOAGS: xe actecuenliepew odie as One Beaver for 1% lb. of beads. 
Laced Coats .secsyeas4 veweeseaee ss Six Beavers for one 
Plain Coats.......... Five Beavers for one plain red coat. 
Coats for women, laced, 2 yards............ Six Beavers. 
Coats for women, plain................... Five Beavers. 
TOBACCO tyson eke geese es One Beaver for one pound. 
Powder-horn ....One Beaver for a large powder horn 
and two small ones. 
Kettles.............0-- One Beaver Skin for a 1 Ib. kettle. 
Looking glass and comb ............. Two Beaver Skins. 


It is said, that in the early days, the fur traders in re- 
mote regions where they had no competition would stand 
a gun on end on the floor, and hold it in that position, 
while the Indians laid one Beaver on top of the other, 
until the pile received in exchange for the weapon was 
as high as the length of the gun, but we can find no one 
to vouch for the truth of this statement. 

The Beaver is not prized alone for its skin value. The 
castorium, a secretion resembling sealing wax, found in 
two glands situated in the hinder part of the body of 
both the male and female of this species, also has a com- 
mercial value; thousands of pounds being sold annually. 
The flesh of the animal is good eating; the tail of the 
Beaver being considered the greatest delicacy on the 
board at the banquets of the old fur-trading companies. 

Mention has been made of the double claw on the 
hind foot of the Beaver. The simply statement unex- 
plained is misleading, as it naturally suggests to the mind 
a split claw, or two similar claws one above the other. 
By referring to the accompanying cuts the reader will 
see, that while the upper claw on the next to the last 
toe on the hind foot is smaller, it is otherwise like the 
claws on the other toes. The claw beneath it and 
which it protects is a thin blade, shaped at the end like 


THE BEAVER. 283 


the point of a pruning knife or scalpel. There have been 
many theories advanced as to the use that the beaver 
makes of this blade-like claw. It is too thin to be employed 
in cutting or digging; and the writer is inclined to agree 
with the trappers and woodsmen, who say that this extra 
claw is given to the Beaver to remove the splinters that 
get between its teeth when cutting down trees. The shape 
of this knife-blade claw and its location would seem to 
prove that it is indeed ‘‘the Beaver’s toothpick.’’ 

It is strange that such an important structural peculiar- 
ity should have been overlooked, or ignored, by nearly 
all the scientists, and others, who have written about this 
wonderfully intelligent and interesting animal. The few 
who have noticed it at all, merely say, ‘‘The Beaver has a 
double claw on the next to the last toe on the hind foot.’ 


\ NAN 
N\ eer 


THE BEAVER’S TOOTHPICK 


284. ' . RopENTIA. 


THE CHINCHILLA. 


The Chinchilla is the most valuable and beautiful of all 
the rodentia. It is found only in a limited area in South 
America, where it lives in burrows among the loose rocks, 
coming out to feed in the early morning, and towards sun- 
set. The Chinchillas often travel considerable distances 
in search of their food, which consists entirely of roots 
and grasses and other vegetable matter, for which their 
strong, sharp incisors are well adapted. When eating they 
sit on their haunches, holding their food in their fore 
paws. They are very prolific, the female producing five 
or six young twice a year. The skin is light and thin, and 
the animal, which somewhat resembles the rabbit in the 
formation of its head and its long, broad ears, will measure 
from six to twelve inches in length, exclusive of the long 
bushy tail. It is covered with a dense, soft, lustrous, silky 
fur, nearly an inch long on the back of the finest skins, 
which come from the mountainous districts near Arica. On 
the sides the fur is somewhat longer and thinner. The 
color is a delicate French grey, darkly mottled on the 
surface, with a bluish slate tint beneath. 

The skins incorrectly named and known to the trade as 
‘‘Bastard Chinchillas’’ (Chinchilla-lanigera), come from 
the La Plata Valley, and owing to the lower altitude and 
warmer climate of their habitat, are smaller than the 
‘“Arica’’ skins, and have a shorter and less beautiful fur, 
that is darker underneath and not so clear one top. 
This species is more abundant than any of the others. 

The Peruvian, Bolivian and Chilian Chinchillas, which 
have shorter ears and tails than the other species; all belong 
to the same genus and species (Chinchilla-brevicaudata), 
but the skins of the Chilian Chinchillas are larger and not 
quite so choice as those of the other two varieties. The 
Chinchillone (Largotis-cuvieri), whose principal habitat 
is in the Argentine Republic, but which ranges as far 
south as Patagonia, is larger than any of the foregoing 
species, and by some is supposed to be a cross between the 
rabbit and the chinchilla. The Largotis is yellower and 
dingier than the other Chinchillas, and the fur, while long 
and fine, is rather ragged. 


THE CHINCHILLA FAMILY. 285 


The fur of the Chinchilla was prized by the ancient 
Peruvians, who made coverings and other articles out of it. 
It has always been in favor, but at present the price is so 
high for fine skins, and even those of inferior grades, that 
Chinchilla furs are not seen as much as they were a quarter 
of a century ago when ‘‘Bastard’’ Chinchillas sold for 
from ten dollars to twenty dollars per dozen; and the finest 
of ‘‘real’’ Chinchillas, as the (Chinchilla-brevicaudata) 
were called, could be bought for thirteen dollars each; and 
three dollars was a high price for a fair ‘‘Chinchillone.”’ 
Now the prices are fifty to eighty dollars and upwards per 
dozen for the ‘‘ Bastards,’’ seven to fifteen dollars each for 
Chinchillones, and from fifty dollars upwards for real Chin- 
chillas, extra fine skins bringing as high as one hundred and 
fifty dollars each. This makes the fur of the Chinchilla, 
when the size of its working surface is considered, as 
expensive as that of the Russian Sable, with which it 
cannot compare in durability. The leather is too light to be 
worked into fitted coats, but for loose wraps, neck pieces, 
muffs and trimming, Chinchilla can be used to advantage, 
and makes up beautifully. 


CHINCHILLA 


The Viseacha (Largostomus-trichodactylus) ‘bears the 
same relation to the Chinchilla that the Marmot does to 
the Squirrel. It is a stout animal about two feet long 
with a ten inch bushy tufted tail. Its burrows dot the 
grounds of the, pampas of Argentina, where these ani- 
mals live in villages of about fifteen burrows, each con- 
taining about twenty members. In color the Viscacha is 
grey on the back, mottled with darker shades, and a 
yellowish white on the under parts. It has strong gnaw- 
ing teeth and lives on roots. 


286 THE RODENTIA. 


THE RODENTIA. 


The Rodentia is the largest order of the Mammalia in 
the number of species and individuals, and also the most 
widely distributed. Most of the rodents are land animals, 
and a large proportion of them live in colonies in subter- 
ranean burrows of their own construction; some, however, 
like the Beaver, Water Vole, Nutria and Muskrat, are more 
or less aquatic, and others like the Squirrels lead arboreal 
lives. In speaking of distinguishing characteristics, 
Lydecker says: 


‘“‘The Rodents are some of the most easily defined 
of all mammals and are best characterized by the number 
and nature of their teeth—especially those in the front of 
the jaws. They are distinguished by the presence in each 
jaw of a pair of large chisel-like front or incisor teeth, 
which grow continuously throughout the life of their 
owners. As a rule, no other incisor teeth, save these two 
pairs, are developed, but in-the hares and rabbits and their 
allies a second smaller pair occur behind those of the up- 
per jaw. There are no tusks or canine teeth in either jaw, 
and in the cheek-series the number of premolars is always 
reduced below the normal four, very generally only one 
of these teeth being present, while in some cases even this 
may be wanting. In consequence of the reduced number 
of incisor teeth, coupled with the absence of canines and 
the reduction in the premolars, the skull of a Rodent is 
always distinguished by the presence of a long gap be- 
tween the front and the cheek-teeth. Indeed, the presence 
in all Rodents of only a single pair of chisel-shaped and 
permanently-growing lower incisors, opposed to a corre- 
sponding pair in the upper jaw, the total absence of 
canines, the long gap between the incisors and the cheek- 
teeth, and the reduction in the number of the premolars, 
are of themselves sufficient to distinguish the Rodent order 
from all other mammals, with the exception of the aye-aye 
among the lemurs. 


“‘Among other distinctive characteristics of the group, 
the following may be mentioned. The feet are usually fur- 
nished with five toes, which generally terminate in sharp 


RovpEnNTIA. 287 


claws, although they sometimes have broad nails. Either 
the whole or the greater part of the sole of the foot is 
applied to the ground in walking, so that these animals 
may be described as entirely or partially plantigrade. 
Their skulls are characterized by the condyle of the lower 
jaw being elongated from front to back instead of from 
‘side to side, and thus permitting of that backwards-and- 
forwards motion of the lower upon the upper jaw, which 
is so noticeable when we watch a rabbit feeding; this char- 
acter serving to distinguish Rodents alike from Ungulates 
and from Carnivores. 

‘‘The Rodents present a peculiarity in the structure 
of the mouth, which is quite unknown in any other mam- 
mals. In examining the mouth of any one of these animals 
—say a rabbit—it will be found that behind the upper 
front teeth the outer hairy skin of the face is continued 
inwards into the sides of the mouth, which by this means 
is divided into two distinct chambers, communicating with 
one another through a comparatively narrow orifice; the 
first chamber containing only the front teeth, while the 
cheek teeth are included in the second chamber. It ap- 
pears that this arrangement is designed to prevent the en- 
trance of extraneous substances into the true cavity of the 
mouth when the creatures are engaged in their character- 
istic operation of gnawing. In addition to this peculiarity, 
the whole of the inside of the cheeks in the hares and rab- 
bits is covered with hair; while the pouched rats and 
hamsters have large pouches inside the cheeks, which are 
also lined with hairy skin. On the other hand, the gophers 
have pouches in the cheeks which open externally instead 
of internally. 

‘Rodents are almost entirely herbivorous in their 
habits; and they all of them obtain their food by gnaw- 
ing. The hares are among the fleetest runners of all mam- 
mals, while the jerboas and chinchillas are distinguished 
by their leaping powers. Rodents are mostly harmless 
and inoffensive creatures, fleeing with the greatest terror 
and precipitancy from the smallest of foes; but a few, like 
the common rat, when driven to bay, will defend them- 
selves desperately, and will then inflict comparatively se- 
vere bites with their powerful front-teeth. 


288 RopENTIA. 


‘Rodents as a whole are characterized by their dull 
and frequently uniform coloration, although there. are 
many exceptions to this. Indeed, many of the squirrels 
from the warmer regions of the globe, as well as one of 
the species of marmot, are among the most brilliantly col- 
ored of all animals. In the brighter-colored forms it does 
not appear that any rule can be laid down as to the plan of 
coloration. Thus while in many of the squirrels the bril- 
liant colors take the form of distinct patches, distributed 
over various parts of the body, in the palm-squirrels and 
ground-squirrels there are light longitudinal stripes on a 
dark ground, and in the pacas there are light-colored 
spots. It appears, however, that no Rodent exhibits trans- 
verse bars of different colors on the body, and in none is 
the tail ornamented with alternate light and dark rings.’’ 

With the exception of the Beaver, Chinchilla and 
Viscacha, which have been considered in the preceding 
chapters, all the Rodents belong either to the Hare or 
Squirrel families; or to the Rat tribe, which comprises all 
the different families into which the mice and rats have 
been divided by the scientists. 


Tue Hare Faminy. 289 


HARES (LEPORIDAB), 


The Hares are <istinguished by their elongated hind 
limbs, short recurved tails, long ears, imperfect collar- 
bones, and large full eyes devoid of eyelids. 

The frontal region of the skull is very narrow in all 
species of the Leporidae, and they have three pairs of 
premolar teeth in the upper, and two in the lower jaw. 
With the exception of one species, all the members of 
this family are very much alike in appearance and color- 
ization, the upper parts usually being a mixture of grey and 
reddish brown, in which the grey or red predominates to 
harmonize with the general appearance of the habitat of 
the species. 

With the exception of Australia, native hares are 
found in every part of the globe, although most of the 
species are confined to the Northern Hemisphere. The 
Brazilian Hare is the only member of the family found 
in South America. With the exception of the Rabbit and 
the Hispid Hare of Northern India, all species of Hares 
dwell in the open country in the grass and herbage or 
among the rocks and bushes, , 

Richard Lydecker says: ‘‘Hares are solitary; and 
each inhabits a particular spot known as its form; such 
form being a flattened resting-place among grass or 
bushes, or merely the sheltered side of some rock or stone. 
A hare will return to its form, as a rule, day by 
day, for a considerable portion of the year; but the situa- 
tion is changed periodically. Hares are mainly nocturnal, 
going forth at evening in quest of food, and not returning 
to their forms till after sunrise. Their speed is great; 
but, owing to the great relative length of their hind- 
limbs, they are better adapted for running uphill than 
down. All the members of the genus are remarkable for 
their extreme timidity, and their long ears are admirably 
adapted to collect the least sound, and thus to give the 
earliest possible notice of danger. It will be observed that 
the ears are shortest and the legs are less elongated in 
the rabbit and the hispid hare than the other species. Both 
of these dwell in burrows, and have not, therefore, such 


290 THE RODENTIA. 


need of protecting themselves by acuteness of hearing and 
extreme speed. All the members of the family breed with 
great rapidity; the young being able to reproduce their 
kind within about six months after birth. Whereas, how- 
ever, the young of the true hares are born fully clothed 
with hair and with their eyes open, those of the rabbit 
and probably also of the hispid hare, come into the world 
blind and naked.’’ 


The Common Hare (Lepus-europaeus) is from two to 
three feet long, and weighs from seven to eight pounds. 
The highly developed teeth are placed in a circular 
socket in the skull and the upper lip is divided. The 
under fur is of a whitish hue, but the general color of 
the full pelage which is white on the belly and yellowish 
on the cheeks, is a warm brownish grey on the top. 
In the winter the sides, ears, cheeks and haunches become 
white like the belly, and in very severe seasons and in 
the more northern climates the grey gradually disap- 
pears entirely. The average life of a Hare is said to be 
from six to seven years. They pair in March and the 
young are generally produced, one to five to a birth, 
in May or June, but in some eases the period of develop- 
ment is less and in others greater than the average. 
The short thick fur of this species is at its best in 
January and February, and is not only used to some 
extent by the furriers, but also by the fur-cutters who 
remove it from the pelt and use it for felting. Millions 
of these animals are killed every year, being valued for 
their flesh as well as their pelts. 


The Polar or White Hare (Lepus-glacialis) is really 
a variety of the Common Hare, although it is longer 
and has the feet well padded to protect it from the 
snow. The Polar Hare inhabits the Scandinavian Penin- 
sula and the extreme northern regions of both Hemi- 
spheres, showing considerable variation in character and 
numbers in different localities. This species is grey in 
summer, becoming pure white in winter, except for the 
black tips on the ears. Most of the millions of skins 
that find their way into the channels of trade annually 
come from Russia and Siberia; and are worked up in 


Tur Hares anp Rapsirs. 291 


their natural color or dyed any hue from a black to the 
most delicate shades of blue and pink or the brightest 
red and yellow. 


The American Hare (Lepus-americanus) which is 
closely allied to the varying hare of Scotland, is a much 
smaller animal, from twelve to eighteen inches long, 
and the skins are used principally for cutting, although 
some of the winter skins are dyed and worked up by 
the furriers. Like the European species its flesh is 
excellent eating. In the summer the pelage of the 
American Hare is brown like that of the English variety 
of the European species, but the under fur is blue instead 
of white. Dr. Richardson says: ‘‘The American Hare 
does not burrow. In the northern districts it resides 
mostly in willow thickets, or in woods where the willows 
or dwarf birch constitute much of the underbrush. The 
bark of the willow forms a great part of its food in winter, 
but in summer it eats grass and other vegetables. It is 
reported to do much damage in cultivated districts 
to fields of cabbage or turnips.”’ 


The Rabbit (Lepus-cuniculus) is the best fur producer 
of the Leporidae family, the pelt of most of the tame 
varieties being heavier, and the fur stronger and less 
liable to shed than that of the parchment skinned Hares. 
The European Rabbit is the most important representative 
of the family, and is the original of all species of wild 
and domestic breeds of rabbits existing in the world 
today. 


Rabbits do not occupy forms, but in the wild state live 
in burrows from three to six feet deep, generally excavated 
in sand or loose dry soil. They avoid wet and marshy 
districts, and even at the seaside seek elevated positions 
on the cliffs or among the rocks. They are not nocturnal 
but inclined to avoid the scorching heat of the sun. They 
are sometimes carnivorous, but feed mostly on vegetable 
food and ravage corn fields and hop gardens. They are 
extremely prolific, producing from four to six young, and 
sometimes more, five or six times a year. The female is said 
to line her nest with fur from her own body. The fur of 
wild Rabbits is used chiefly for felting or hat making, 


292 THE RODENTIA. 


England at one time importing for this purpose from 
Australia, the enormous quantity of from 15,000,000 to 
20,000,000 skins, although wild Rabbits were first intro- 
duced into the Australian colonies, where they soon became 
a pest, about fifty years ago. 

The skins of tame French and Belgian Rabbits or 
Conies, which are raised in warrens or hutches, are in 
great demand, because of the superior quality of their fur 
and leather, and millions of them are used by furriers in 
all parts of the world every year for a great variety of 
purposes. 


Most of the skins are dyed brown or black before being 
marketed, and are clipped or have the long hairs removed 
before they are dyed so that they make an excellent imita- 
tion of seal skin. The blue and white skins are generally 
sold in their natural color, either full haired or sheared, 
the latter often being used to make an imitation of Ermine. 


The Belgian skins are about the same quality as the 
German. The French skins are of a higher grade, espe- 
cially the large silver conies in which the dense blue 
underfur is covered with white and silver grey hairs. 
French dyed skins are darker at the roots than the Eng- 
lish and Belgian. They are assorted according to size as 
X, XX and XXX, and bundled in dozens. An original 
case contains one hundred dozen skins. In smaller quan- 
tities they are sold in ‘‘sets’’ of four dozen, made up of 
one dozen X, two dozen XX and one dozen XXX. The 
Belgian skins are sorted as XX, XXX and XXXX. 


Tue Coyru Rar. 293 


NUTRIA OR COYPU RAT. 


The Coypu Rat (Myopotamus-coypus), generally 
known in commerce as ‘‘Nutria,’’ which is the proper 
Spanish name for Otter, is sometimes called the South 
American Beaver, hecause it is an aquatic animal some- 
what like the Beaver in appearance and habits, swimming 
and diving with ease, and making its burrows in the 
banks of lakes and rivers it frequents, or where the banks 
are low building a nest on a platform in the reeds. It 
belongs, however, to the Rat family, of which it is the 
largest representative, being about two feet long, ex- 
clusive of the tail which measures from nine to ten inches. 

The Coypu Rat is found only in South America. It ranges 
south on both sides of the Andes from Chili and Peru, being 
most abundant in Brazil and the Argentine Republic. Like 
the Beaver, it has a close, dense under-fur, protected by a 
covering of water hairs about three inches long. The 
tail is scaly, but has a thin covering of short hairs. Each 
of the feet have five toes, those on the hind limbs being 
connected by a web. It is characterized by the very large 
size of its incisor teeth, and by the upper molars having 
two folds of enamel on each side, while the lower ones 
have only one external and three internal folds. It is 
very prolific, bringing forth six or eight young at a time. 
The annual collection for years ranged from three hundred 
thousand to five hundred thousand skins. 

The general color of the Coypu Rat is a speckled. yel- 
lowish brown, but many are light brown in color all over, 
and some are nearly white, while others are almost black 
on the back. The best way to flay this animal is by eut- 
ting it up the back so as to preserve in one piece the good 
short under fur on the belly. 

At one time this fur was used only for ‘‘cutting,’’that 
is for making hats; but when dehaired, the under-fur 
can be dyed to make one of the finest appearing substi- 
tutes for seal skin, and in this way it was for many years 
used by furriers in the manufacture of muffs, neck pieces, 
coats, and sleigh robes. It lost its hold on popular 
favor because the fur is inclined to curl or crinkle wi.cn 


294 RopEN TIA. 


it has been worn for a year or two, causing it to lose 
the smooth, silky appearance which makes it attractive. 
The Nutria skins in their natural state are worth from 
two and one-half to eight dollars each; and when plucked 
and seal dyed, from three and a half to ten dollars each, 
according to quality and the quantity purchased. 


THe Mouse anp Rat Trips. 295 


THE MURIDAE. 


The largest family of Rodents is the Muridae, which 
includes many species of different genera in all parts of 
the world. Because of varying external characteristics 
they have been divided by some scientists into ten sub- 
families, but nearly all the representatives of this group 
have two incisors above and three below, rooted in some, 
and rootless in others; and either tuberculate or flat 
crowned, with angular enamel folds. 

The Hamster is a stout little animal of the sub-family 
Cricetinae of the Muridae, that is found in parts 
of Europe and Asia. It is about ten inches long, has a 
short sparsely haired tail, and the cheek pouches which 
distinguish all the Cricetinae. It is very prolific and breeds 
readily in confinement, but the fur, although beautifully 
marked in orange, black and white colorings, is too short 
and coarse to warrant its being used for any other purpose 
than coat and cloak linings, and it is not very desirable 
even for this purpose as the pelt is too light to wear well. 
The Hamster burrows deeply in the ground, stores its 
galleries with grain in the fall and summer, and hibernates 
during the winter, waking up occasionally to feed from its 
stores. 

Hamsters are most numerous in Germany and Austria, 
where they cause great damage to the crops by the amount 
of grain they consume. The'’cheek pouches in which they 
convey their winter supplies to the burrows will hold 
about two ounces each. Like other Rodents, the Hamster 
has the power of raising itself on its hind feet. The 
ears are short and nearly bare, and the incisor teeth, 
especially those of the lower jaw, are long. The belly and 
legs are black, but the feet and the small claws are white, 
and there are white patches on the cheeks and throat and 
also on the fore-legs. 

The European Lemming (Myodes-lemmus) is very much 
like the Hamster in general color, being brownish grey on 
the upper parts and lighter underneath ;it is, however, much 
smaller, only measuring from four to five inches in length. 
Its habitat is in Norway and Sweden, where at certain 


296 THE RODENTIA. 


seasons of the year it is very abundant, moving from place 
to place in hordes of thousands, destroying the vegeta- 
tion in its path until stopped by the sea or some other 
natural obstacle to its further progress. According to a 
writer in the Century Dictionary: ‘‘so numerous are these 
animals at times and so sudden is their appearance that 
they are fabled to rain down from the clouds.’’ Large 
numbers of rapacious quadrupeds and birds hang upon 
their line of march, and materially diminish their numbers. 

There is a kind of false Lemming in British America, 
and parts of the United States from Indiana and Kansas 
to Alaska, but the only true Lemming on the Western 
Hemisphere is the Hare-tailed Mouse (Cuniculus-hudsonius 
or -torquatus), a species which turns snow-white in winter, 
and is found only in Greenland and the Hudson’s Bay 
regions. 

The fur of the Lemming is of little value, being used 
only for cheap linings. 

The Water Vole (Avicula-amphibius), commonly called 
the Water Rat, whose habitat is in England and France, 
is a fur-bearing animal although its skins are not used for 
fur purposes. It is an aquatic mammal, resembling the 
muskrat in form and habits, and living, like the European 
Beaver, in holes in the banks of ponds and rivers. It is 
strictly vegetarian, subsisting on the roots of plants, fallen 
apples and pears, and the bark of trees. Black specimens, 
and also white are sometimes seen, but generally the 
Water Vole has a greyish brown coat with a blue under- 
fur like that of the muskrat, which it resembles in so many 
ways that some authorities think it may prove to be the 
same animal. 

The Beaver Rat (Hydromys-chrysogaster), sometimes 
called the Golden-bellied Rat, is one of the few Australian 
mammals which possess a thick under-fur. On the back 
it is very much like the ordinary rat in color, but the fur 
on the belly is a golden or light grey hue, like that on the 
muskrat. The length of the body is about eight inches, 
and the six inch tail is very dark grey or black in color, 
except the part nearest the top, which is white. 


Tue Mouse Faminy. 297 


THE DORMOUSE. 


The Common Dormouse or Sleep-mouse (Muscadinus- 
avellanarius), whose soft fur may come into favor with 
the demand for mole skin, is confined to Europe, where 
its range extends from Norway and the British Isles to 
Northern Italy and Turkey, Galacia, Hungary and Tran- 
sylvania. It is arboreal and in some of its other habits 
like the Squirrels, but differs from them in being ex- 
clusively nocturnal. It is generally found in hedgerows 
or thickets, and hibernates five or six months during the 
winter in a nest made of twigs, leaves and grass. It 
feeds on nuts, acorns, corn and wild berries, and is said 
to extract the kernels from hazel nuts without removing 
them from their stems. 

The young which are usually produced in the spring, 
four or five to the litter, are born blind and naked, in a 
nest placed a yard or so above the ground. There are 
several species of this little animal. 

The common Dormouse is about the size of an ordinary 
mouse, and has a thick, compact body, with a somewhat 
pointed muzzle on the large head. The tail is long and 
bushy, and the color of the fur is a tawny hue on the 
upper parts, but yellowish beneath, with a patch of white 
on the throat and upper part of the chest. 

The Squirrel Tail Dormouse of Southern Europe 
(M.-glis) is the Siebenschlafer of the Germans, and the 
loir of the French. It is larger than the common dor- 
mouse, and has a thicker, bushier tail; and the heavy 
soft fur is of an ashy grey color shaded with dark brown 
above, and white on the under parts and inside of the 
limbs. The tip of the snout and part of the throat are 
white. 

The Tree Dormouse (M-dryas), found in Siberia as well 
as parts of Southern Europe, is smaller in size than the 
’ foregoing but larger than the Garden Dormouse. Its 
habitat extends into Africa, and it was known by the 
ancient Romans as Nitela, and is called lerot in France, 
and.the Gartenschléfer in Germany. The Painted Dor- 
mouse of Eastern Persia (M.-pictus) is a brightly colored 
form closely allied to the (M.-dryas). 


298 Tue RopENTIA. 


THE MUSKRAT. 


The Muskrat or Musquash (Fiber-zibethicus), which 
owes its name to its musky odor, is a stout, thick-set ani- 
mal with a body from eight to fifteen inches long, and 
an eight to ten inch scaly tail that is ‘‘compressed 
in the horizontal plane so as to present an upper and 
under edge and two broad sides.’’ The compressed form 
of the tail is accentuated by a line of hairs on both the 
upper and lower edge. The unusually wide head is not 
separated from the body by any clearly defined neck, and 


the eyes and ears are small, the latter scarcely project- 
ing above the fur; with the exception of a small line 
directly around the nostrils the muzzle is completely 
covered with fur. The front feet, on which the first of 
the five toes is rudimentary, are small, but the hind feet, 
on which all of the five toes are fully developed, are large 
and stout, with the toes partially webbed, and so attached 
to the leg that they are well fitted for swimming; but 
like the Beaver, the Muskrat depends principally upon 
the skulling movement of its large compressed tail to 
propel it through the water. The pelage consists of an 
under coat of soft dense grey fur, protected on the back 
and sides by long shiny smooth dark brown hairs, making 
the general color grey beneath, and a deep brown above, 
darkest on the middle of the back. In some of the animals 
the hair coat is black, and in this variety the under fur is 
also darker. 

While resembling the Beaver in the character of its fur, 
scaly tail and aquatic habits, the Muskrat, or Ondontra, 
is so closely allied to the insect eating Desman, and In- 
dian Musk-shrew or Mongourou, that those animals are 
respectively known as the European and Indian Musk- 
rats. Its actual relationships are with the Lemmings, 
and the Water Vole, or Water Rat, of England and 
France, whose skins, although it is a fur-bearing animal, 
are not used for fur purposes. The Vole and the Musk- 
rat are similar in general appearance and habits, and in 
the construction of the skull and molar teeth, but the 
tail of the Vole is considerably shorter and round. 


THE MUusKRAT. 299 


The Muskrat is not as strictly nocturnal in its habits 
as the Beaver, and may often be seen swimming in broad 
daylight. When leaping into the water to dive it makes 
a loud noise by striking its flat tail against the surface. 
The burrows of the Muskrat are long, inclining up the 
bank for ten or fifteen feet before they expand into a 
chamber with numerous passages, some leading further 
into the bank, and others opening under the surface of 
the water. In some sections they construct winter quar- 
ters or ‘‘muskrat huts,’’ which Dr. Merriam describes 
as follows: 


““The summit of the structure is commonly high enough 
out of water to admit of an air-chamber within, which 
communicates with the outside world by means of a hole 
through the center of the mass, the entrance or entrances 
being under water. Many of the houses contain no mud 
or sticks, but consist wholly of balls and knots of roots 
and swamp-grasses. It seems clear that the animals make 
no attempt to construct a dwelling of any particular 
shape, but merely heap the materials together without 
plan or order, the resulting mound naturally assuming, 
in a general way, the form of a flattened cone. As the 
Muskrat feeds on fruits, vegetables and roots, it will be 
observed the materials of which the hut are composed 
are such as serve as food for the animals during the long 
winters; hence the Muskrat’s hut is in reality a store- 
house, which he devours piecemeal as the winter ad- 
vances. 


“The nest is usually placed in a burrow in the bank, 
although occasionally in the aforesaid hut. Here from 
five to nine blind and naked young are produced at a 
birth, and it is reported that there may be as many as 
three litters in the course of a season.”’ 


The Muskrat is one of the commonest quadrupeds of 
North America, living on the banks of lakes, rivers and 
pools in every part of the continent. Owing to its nume- 
rical strength and the many purposes for which its fur is 
used the Muskrat is as valuable commercially as the ani- 
mal is common, upwards of five million skins being con- 
sumed every year. There are two collection of skins an- 
nually, one in the late fall and another in the spring of 


300 Tue RopENTIA. 


the year. The best skins are those taken in December, 
January and February when the animal is in full fur; 
next in value are the so-called winter skins, and the poorest 
in quality are what are known as ‘‘Fall Rats.’’ The skins 
of the very young animals called ‘‘Kitts’’ are of little 
value. The question of locality enters largely into the 
grading of the skins. Muskrats are generally taken in 
traps, and most of the skins come to the market cased. 


aes 
yi \ 


v 
y 


1 


MUuSKRAT 


With the exception of the black skins, which are found 
principally in the southern part of its habitat and are 
always used in their natural state, a large part of the Musk- 
rat skins are plucked—that is, have the long top hairs 
removed—and the ground fur is dyed to make the rich 
substitute for seal skin known as ‘‘Hudson Seal.’’ Some- 
times the skins are blended with the top hairs left on to 
resemble the mink, when they are sold as ‘‘River Mink’’ 
Most of them are used in their natural state and color to 
make linings for coats, or in the manufacture of muffs 
or other small furs, which are sold as ‘‘Brook Mink.’’ 


THE SquirreL F aminy. 301 


THE SQUIRREL FAMILY. 


The Sciuridae, or Squirrel family, show a wide range of 
variation, passing from the heavy terrestrial marmots or 
ground hogs, with their short limbs, ears and tails, through 
the Chipmunks, and Spermophiles or Susliks, to the grace- 
ful arboreal Tree Squirrels with slender limbs and long 
tails, and the ariel Flying Squirrels. The family is widely 
distributed, being represented in all parts of the world 
except Australia. True Squirrels abound in the torrid as 
well as the temperate zone, but the ground squirrels are 
found only in the temperate and colder latitudes. The 
center of abundance is in Asia. Africa also has a long 
list of species, and North America comes next, being 
especially rich in the number and variety of its ground 
squirrels. The eastern European and Asiatic Marmots 
are the most numerous and valuable commercially. Only 
a few species of the Sciuridae are represented in Europe 
and South America. 

The range of the Common Squirrel (Sciurus-vulgaris), 
which is the type representative and finest furred species 
of the Tree Squirrels, extends through Europe and into 
Asia. The best skins come from Siberia and Russia, 
those from the eastern side of the Ural Mountains being 
grey and in some cases almost blue; the darkest skins 
having the greatest value, if free from the reddish cast 
that shows in many of the species on the Continent of 
Europe, and which is characteristic of most North Ameri- 
ean tree squirrels. Too much dependence, however, must 
not be placed upon colorization.in deciding the geographi- 
cal location of a species, as one variety of the Western 
Continent is called the Grey Squirrel. 

All Tree Squirrels have large pointed ears, long bushy 
tails, and are able to sit up on their haunches, and use 
their fore-paws like hands, and the Common Squirrel has 
pencil tufted ears like the lynx. The bellies of this species 
are white, and the tail, which is quite as long as the ten 
inch body, is very bushy. Tree Squirrels are active and 
agile, living in the trees, although they often descend to the 
ground and run about there and feed on all kinds of nuts 


302 THE RODENTIA. 


and hard fruits. They usually bring forth three or four 
young twice a year, and hibernate to some extent in the 
colder latitudes. They are easily tamed and make inter- 
esting and inquisitive pets. 

The American species that approximates closest to the 
Sciurus-vulgaris is the Chickaree or Red Squirrel (Sciurus- 
hudsonianus), in fact some naturalists believe that the 
Chickaree, and the American Grey Squirrel (Sciurus- 
carolinensis), and the European Common Squirrel are all 
geographical varieties of the same species, although the 
American species are uniform in color all over the body 
while the old world species have white breasts. 

There are many other species or varieties of tree Squir- 
rels, but those that have been mentioned are the most im- 
portant, and in fact most of the world’s supply of squirrel 
skins for fur uses is derived from the Sciurus-vulgaris of 
Russia and Siberia, where the animals have better pelts and 
thicker, softer fur than those of other regions. 

As early as 1839, 2,730,826 squirrel skins were imported 
into England alone, and at the present time the number 
of skins used in different parts of the world is enormous. 
They are worked up whole, or the backs are cut out to 
make coats, muffs and neck pieces, while the bellies, which 
are lighter furred, are used for linings. Many of the 
skins are dyed and blended sable color, and others are 
changed so as to make a good imitation of chinchilla. 

Squirrel tails were formerly extensively used in the 
manufacture of string boas, and the dressed tails were 
sold by the hundred. The raw tails are sold by weight, 
six to nine pounds being the recognized weight of one 
thousand tails. 

It is a notable fact that the fur of the squirrel, which 
in red in England, becomes grey as we approach the east- 
ern part of Europe, and grows darker and darker as we 
journey further east, until it almost reaches a black color 
in Japan. The province of Kazan in Russia furnishes red 
and reddish grey skins, Viatka and Kargopol skins are 
greyer, and those from Obskoi are a clear grey. Light 
blue skins are found in Yeniseisk, and deep blue ones in 
the valley of the Lena river. In the provinces of Yakutsk, 
Okhotch and Sakiminoi the color of the body is a very dark 
blue and the ears and tails are black. 


THE SquirREL Faminy. 


3803 


WoopcHucKk. 


SPERMOPHILE. 


Common SQuirREL. 
CHEEK PoucHES 


CHIPMUNK. 
RUSSIAN Marmot, 


304 Tue RopENTIA. 


THE CHIPMUNKS. 


Chipmunks are often called Rock Squirrels because they 
make their nests in crannies in the rocks or other places on 
the surface, instead of living in underground burrows. 
They are closely allied to the tree squirrels, but they 
are given a separate genus because they have pouches 
inside the cheeks, a slenderer and narrower skull, 
shorter ears and tail, and the first premolar tooth in the 
upper jaw is either absent or very minute; they are also 
characterized by a peculiar coloration, that shows them to 
be the connecting link between the arboreal tree squirrels, 
and the ground squirrels like the susliks or spermophiles. 

The Common American Chipmunk (Tamias-striatus), 
a small animal six inches long, with a four-inch tail, takes 
its name from an American Indian word meaning the 
hacking or chipping squirrel. Its range extends from 
Canada and Manitoba through the eastern section of the 
United States into Georgia and western Missouri; the 
long-eared Chipmunk of California (Tamias-macrotus), and 
other western varieties, are distinguished from it by 
the greater length of their ears and other characteristics. 
The common Chipmunk is sometimes about the size of the 
European squirrel, and in some localities has the same 
ground color, but is always distinguished by the black 
stripe running down the middle of the back and the white 
stripe with black edges on each of its sides, as well as the 
two white stripes separated by a black one above and be- 
low each eye. There is considerable local variation in the 
ground color, that of the southern Chipmunks being 
much lighter than that of those in the northern portions 
of their habitat. They are the commonest of North Amer- 
ican rodents, and are migratory in their habits, being 
abundant in a certain district one year and entirely ab- 
sent the next. They feed principally on beech mast, but 
also consume corn and roots and the larvae of insects. 
According to Dr. Merriam; when the beech nuts are 
abundant in the Adirondack Mountains the Chipmunks 
put in an appearance in September, and by October the 
woods are alive with them. ‘‘They immediately estab- 
lish themselves for the winter, and begin to hoard up 
large stores of food. They are the least hardy of our 


GROUND SQUIRRELS. 305 


squirrels, commonly going into winter quarters before the 
middle of November, and though early thaws sometimes 
bring them out in February, rarely appearing again in any 
numbers until the warm sun in March or April has caused 
-bare spots to appear between the snow banks. 
In running from tree to tree, even when not pursued, the 
‘length of their bound is from twenty-five to thirty-four 
inches—a long leap for so small an animal.’’ The young 
are born in the spring, and live in their nests until June; 
and as there is seldom a good crop of beech nuts any- 
where two successive years a migration generally begins 
in July. The Chipmunk usually keeps to the ground, 
though it will at times run a few feet up the trunk of a 
tree, and when pursued may even take refuge among the 
branches. It does not burrow like the spermophiles. 
The Siberian ground squirrel (Tamias-asiaticus), 
which is also known as the Siberian Chipmunk, is found in 
northern Asia and extends into Russia. This species dif- 
fers from the Common American Chipmunk in that it has 
four light colored and five black stripes on the body and 
has a longer tail. A number of other varieties of Chip- 
munks are also found in North America, from the barren 
grounds to New Mexico and Arizona. 


THE SUSLIK OR SPERMOPHILE. 


The Suslik or Sisel (Spermophilis-citillus), is confined 
to Europe, Asia Minor and Asia north of the Himalayas; 
but the North American Spermophile, which is never seen 
on the eastern slope of the continent, belongs to the same 
genus. These animals have skulls like the squirrels, but 
are characterized by large cheek pouches, and such dis- 
tinctive coloration and markings that even the striped 
specimens need never be confounded with the Chipmunk, 
which is found in nearly the same regions of the North- 
ern Hemisphere. There is considerable variation in the 
size of the ears and the length of the tail, but the first 
toe on the forefoot is always rudimentary in all the 
species of the Spermophilis, although a nail is sometimes 
present. Everman’s Suslik (Spermophilis-eversmanni) is 
the only Old World species that has a long tail. 

The common Suslik of Central and eastern Europe 
and Siberia, an animal about the size of the European 
Squirrel, is uniform in color, and has a very short tail 


306 THE RODENTIA—SUSLIK AND GOPHER. 


and minute ears. The long-eared species (Spermophilis- 
grammurus), whose range is on the Western Continent 
from the Mississippi valley to California, has a long bushy 
tail and large tufted ears. The thirteen lined or Leopard 
Spermophile (Spermophilis-tridecemlineatus), which is - 
the commonest species in America, and is found from the 
Red River to Texas, has small ears and a tail about two- 
thirds as long as its eight-inch body. In color it is dark 
reddish above with six to eight longitudinal light stripes, 
alternating with from five to seven rows of light spots. 
The under parts are yellowish brown in the middle, bor- 
dered on the sides with yellow and a narrow black band 
runs between the two tints. 

All species of Susliks prefer the open plains for their 
burrows, which descend from six to eight feet, and have 
but a single entrance. When the animals retire for their 
winter sleep they make a second passage from their sleep- 
ing chamber, to within a short distance from the surface. 
Through this they make their exit when they awaken in 
the spring, and block up the original entrance. 

The roots, seeds and berries for the winter’s supply 
of food are accumulated in the summer and autumn, dur- 
ing which time the Susliks will also eat mice and small 
birds and their eggs. The young are born in the spring, 
from four to eight to a litter. 

The striped Spermophiles of North America are more 
carnivorous than their European cousins. In the extreme 
southern part of their habitat they remain active all 
winter, but the northern species hibernate during the cold 
weather. 

Parry’s Suslik (Spermophilis-empetra), a species close- 
ly allied to Evermann’s Suslik, is found in the vicinity of 
Hudson Bay and the Bering Sea. 

It is hard to understand why the graceful, slender, kindly 
dispositioned Spermophiles are ever confounded with the 
thieving Pocket Gophers, who belong to a separate family, 
the members of which are all so ill tempered that they 
hate one another. Possibly it is because both of these 
animals make their burrows deep down in the ground 
below the frost line. 

The habitat of the Flying Squirrel is more restricted 
than that of the other true squirrels, but there are eight 
or more species in different parts of North America, Asia, 
Africa, Japan and the Malayan Islands. 


Grounp SquirREL—Marmor. 307 


THE MARMOT. 


The Marmot is found in America, Europe and Asia; and 
is known in some localities as the bear-mouse, and in 
others as the ground-hog and woodchuck; the Wish-Ton- 
Wish, or prairie dog of North America, is not a true 
marmot, but very similar to it in size and many OLS ~s 
habits. The Marmot is the largest living re,wesentative 
of the squirrel family. It has a stout, thickset form, and 
a short bushy tail. It is characterized by the absence of 
cheek pouches, and by the flat nail with which the rudi- 
mentary first front toe is furnished, as well as by certain 
peculiar features of the skull and cheek teeth. 

The most widely distributed species on the North Ameri- 
can continent is the Arctomys-Monax, called Weemusk 
by the Cree Indians, and known in commerce as the Quebec 
Marmot and Woodchuck. 

The Yellow-Bellied Marmot (Arctomys-flaviventer), found 
only in the Rocky Mountains, and the large Hoary 
Whistling Marmot (Arctomys-pruinosus), are not so num- 
erous; and none of the American species are of much 
value commercially. Europe has two species; the Alpine 
or true Marmot (Arctomys-marmotta), and the Eastern 
or Russian Marmot (Arctomys-bobac). Besides the Arc- 
tomys-bobae there are numerous unimportant varieties in 
Asia, one of which, the Red Marmot, is a much larger 
animal and has a much longer tail than any of the other 
species. 

The skins used in commerce come principally from south- 
ern Russia and Siberia, where these animals exist in vast 
numbers, consuming the growing: grain and other crops, 
and annoying the farmers with the large hillocks they 
throw up in making their burrows. The burrows often 
descend to a depth of from seven to ten feet, and besides 
the main entrance have another opening to be used as ap 
avenue of escape in case of emergency. Hach burrow is 
tenanted by a family of from ten to fifteen members, but 
there are always large colonies where these animals collect, 
either in the mountains or on the plains in the north. 


308 RODENTIA. 


In the winter when the snow comes the Marmots retire 
to their burrows and hibernate. According to some author- 
ities the Russian Marmots lay in a supply of food before 
the winter begins, but others claim that they are not known 
to lay in any store of food before their retirement, and 
that their sleep is probably unbroken from the time they 
begin to hibernate in October until they come out in the 
spring. If either of these statements are accepted as true, 
the Russian Marmot differs in this respect from the Ameri- 
can Woodchuck, whizh causes so much trouble by coming 
out of its hole on Candlemas Day to look for its shadow, 
no matter how much snow there may be on the ground. 


Marmots are all terrestial and fossorial, and some of the 
habits that the Russian Marmot is said to have in common 
with the North American Prairie Dog are sitting on its 
haunches, whistling, etc. The Russian Marmot is about 
the size of a rabbit and has a greyish yellow fur that 
is browner on the head than on the body, and darker at 
the roots than at the tips. It feeds on roots, leaves and 
insects, and is very prolific, often producing nine young in a 
litter. It can be domesticated, and taught to feed on 
carrots, cabbages and other vegetables. 


Russian Marmot 


The skins are used for a great variety of purposes, either 
in their natural state or dyed, but they are principally 
consumed in the manufacture of linings for coats; when 
they are dyed brown and striped they are sometimes 
called ‘‘Florida Mink’’ and ‘‘Mink Marmot’’; and they 
are also marked so as to make a good imitation of the 
leopard. 


309 


THE UNGULATA. ° 


The Ungulata, or hoofed mammals, constitute one of 
the largest and most important orders of the animal king- 
dom. They are all herbivorous ruminants with a few 
notable exceptions that are omnivorous; and none of them 
have the digits of the fore or hind limbs provided with 
either claws or nails, as is the case with other animals. 

In the great majority of cases the toes of Ungulates are 
encased in solid hoofs, although a few species are fur- 
nished with broad flat nails. Many extinct forms have 
four or five well developed digits to the limbs, but in all 
living members of the order except the elephant which 
has five, there are never more than four functional digits; 
and in a large number of instances these functional digits 
are reduced to two, and in some eases to three, while 
in the horse and its living allies only a single digit re- 
mains. 

Richard Lydecker, in his ‘‘Royal Natural History,’’ 
says: ‘‘As it is of primary importance in order to have a 
clear idea of the manner in which this reduction of digits 
takes place, to understand the relationship of existing 
Ungulates one to another, the subject may be dealt with 
in some detail. 

“Tn all the Ungulates the limbs have entirely ceased 
to be used as organs of prehension, and there would seem 
to be no necessity as development advances why there 
should be any adherence to the primitive five-toed type. 
The majority of the members of the order being, however, 
unable to protect themselves against foes, and being also, 
in proportion to their height, heavy-bodied animals, the 
attainment of a high degree of speed was essential to 
their well-being and development, if not for their actual 
existence. For such a kind of life it will be obvious 
that the greater the length and slenderness of limb, the 
greater will be the speed. Now, in order to produce a 
long and slender, and at the same time a strong limb, from 
a stout and short-toed one, greater strength will clearly 
be attained by reducing the number of the toes, and 
lengthening and strengthening those which remain, rather 
than by lengthening the whole of the five toes, the slender 
bones of which would be liable to fracture by the concus- 


310 UNGULATA. 


sion of the solid hoofs against the ground. Accordingly, 
among the Ungulates, the plan has been to gradually 
lengthen and strengthen the bones of one or more of the 
original five toes, and at the same time to dispense more 
or less completely with the others. 


‘“*A complete transition has thus been traced from a 
five-toed Ungulate, walking partly on the soles of its 
feet, to one provided with but a single toe to each foot, 
and walking entirely upon the very tip of that one toe, 
by which means the full extent of the Lhmb comes into 
play as an aid to speed. Throughout this series it is the 
third or middle toe which has undergone development at 
the expense of the others; and since this toe is always 
symmetrical in itself, the term Odd-Toed Ungulates is 
applied to the members of the group thus characterized. 


“The resources of nature are, however, manifold, and 
instead of this being the only line of evolution of the 
Ungulates, nearly similar results have been reached by a 
totally different series of modifications; in some cases 
instead of the third toe remaining symmetrical in itself 
and gradually increasing in size at the expense of the 
others, the third and fourth toes become symmetrical to 
a vertical line drawn between them. When this takes 
place the first toe disappears, and the second and fifth 
become diminished in size; an instance of this stage of 
development being presented by the pig, where the two 
large and medially-symmetrical toes represent the third 
and fourth of the typical series, while the two small lat- 
eral ones are the second and fifth. In the pigs all the 
metacarpal bones remain distinct and relatively short; 
but in the water-chevrotain of Africa the third and fourth 
metacarpals become much elongated and closely applied 
to one another, while the second and fifth are reduced 
to mere splints, and their toes so diminished as to become 
practically functionless. Finally, in the deer, oxen, and 
their allies, the third and fourth metacarpals in the fore- 
limb, and the corresponding metatarsal bones in the hind- 
limb, have become completely fused into a single rod-like 
bone, corresponding in function with the cannon-bone of 
the horse, and generally known by the same name. The 
dual origin of this cannon-bone is, however, proclaimed 


UNGULATA. 311 


by the formation of its lower extremity, which carries two 
pulley-like surfaces, with which the bones of the two 
functional toes (the third and fourth) articulate. 


‘Since all the Ungulates displaying this second modi- 
fication of foot-structure agree in having the third and 
fourth toes arranged symmetrically to a line drawn 
between them, they are collectively termed the Even-Toed 
Ungulates. 


“Tt is accordingly evident that although a few living 
Ungulates, like the elephant and the hyrax, retain a gen- 
eralized type of foot, the greatest number of the living 
representatives of the order are characterized by their 
more or less markedly specialized feet. 


‘‘As regards their teeth, the Ungulates are character- 
ized by those of the cheek-series having broad crowns, 
surmounted either by columns or transverse ridges, and 
adapted for grinding and masticating vegetable sub- 
stances. In the more specialized forms, like cattle and 
horses, these cheek-teeth have their columns or ridges of 
great height and closely approximated to one another, in 
consequence of which the bases of the hollows or valleys 
by which these columns or ridges are separated from one 
another, cannot be seen when the tooth is unworn, while 
the pattern produced on the crown by the wearing down 
of these columns or ridges is complex. On the other hand, 
in the more primitive types, such as pigs and tapirs, the 
crowns of the cheek-teeth have low columns, or ridges, 
so that the bases of the intervening valleys can be dis- 
tinctly seen at all stages of wear. 


“Tt should also be mentioned, that whereas in Carni- 
vores the upper molar teeth are generally of the primi- 
tive triangular type, in all existing Ungulates they have 
assumed the quadrangular form. The food of the Ungu- 
lates consisting in most cases entirely of vegetable sub- 
stances requiring much mastication, is the inducing cause 
for the complex structure of the cheek-teeth in the more: 
specialized kinds; and to the same cause may be at- 
tributed the circumstance that Ungulates always retain 
the full number of molar teeth, and, except in the camels, 
at least three out of the typical four premolars. 


312 UNGULATA. 


“The order is well represented on all the continents 
of the globe, with the exception of Australia, but at the 
present day it has a far larger number of species in the 
Old World than in the New; many of those from the 
former area belonging to groups quite unknown in the 
latter. Although represented in the Arctic regions only by 
the reindeer and the musk-ox, Ungulates are found alike 
in the coldest and the hottest regions of the globe. The 
maximum number of peculiar forms, as well as those of 
greatest corporeal bulk, are, however, inhibitants of the 
tropical and subtropical regions; and it is also in the 
warmer regions that the greatest number of species 
oceur.”’ 

Collar-bones are invariably absent in all the species of 
the Ungulata, and their limbs as a rule are restricted to 
a backward and forward motion; while all of them are 
adapted to a life on land, most of them can swim if neces- 
sary, and none of them are arboreal; as a rule they are 
characterized by their relatively large size, the order in- 
eluding the most bulky of all mammals; and most of 
them have a tendency to develop horns of some kind or 
other on the head. 


HOLLOW HORNED RUMINANTS. 


Under the name Hollow Horned Ruminants are in- 
eluded only the oxen, sheep, antelopes and goats; but the 
deers, swine, camels and some other types also belong to 
the even-toed or cloven-footed Ungulates. 

Some scientists include all the Hollow Horned Rumi- 
nants except the Prongbuck or Blessbok (Bubalis-albifrons), 
in the family Bovidae;but others place only the oxen in the 
Bovidae, and put the Antelopes, Camels, Deers, Goats, Sheep 
and Musk Ox into separate families, known respectively 
as the Antelopinae, Camelidae, Cervidae, Capriniae, Ovinae 
and Ovibromae. These Hollow Horned Ruminants, to- 
gether with the Giraff, form a division distinguished 
from all the other Even-Toed Ungulata by the absence of 
front teeth in the upper jaw, the possession of complete, 
cannon bones, and hoof enclosed feet, and four cham- 
bered stomachs ‘‘divided into four complete cavities, into. 


UNGULATA. 313 


the first of which the food is temporarily received 
until it is regurgitated into the mouth, when it is com- 
pletely masticated, and afterwards conveyed to the true 
digesting stomach. This process is known as the func- 
tion of ‘chewing-the-cud,’ eor ruminating; and the Un- 
gulates in which it occurs are consequently termed Rumi- 
nants. The ruminating function is, however, developed 
in the camels and chevrotains, as well as in the assemblage 
of four families constituting the present group; but as 
the camels and ‘chevrotains differ in several important re- 
spects, it is convenient to designate the group under con- 
sideration as the true Ruminants, or technically, the 
Pecora. 

‘“‘The Hollow Horned Ruminants are distinguished 
from their allies by the presence of true horns; that is to 
say, of hollow and unbranched sheaths of horn growing 
upon bony protuberances, or cores, arising from the 
frontal bones of the skull, neither the horny sheaths nor 
the bony cores being shed at any period of existence. In 
all existing wild species these horns are present at least 
in the male sex; but in many domesticated races of cat- 
tle, sheep and goats, they are absent in both sexes; and the 
same holds good for certain extinct members of the fam- 
ily. Usually the molar teeth of the Hollow Horned Rumi- 
nants are characterized by the great relative height of 
their crowns; and in all cases there is no tusk or canine 
tooth in the upper jaw. In some few instances the small 
lateral toes may be completely absent, but they are gen- 
erally represented merely by the small spurious hooflets 
alone, which may be supported internally by minute and 
irregularly-shaped nodules of bone. 

‘“‘The Hollow Horned Ruminants are chiefly Old World 
forms, although they are represented in North America 
by the Musk-Ox, the American Bison, the Rocky Mountain 
Goat, and the Big Horn Sheep. They are quite unknown in 
the southern half of the New World.’’ 


314 


BISON AND BUFFALO. 


AMERICAN BISON Care Burrato (AFRICA) 


ComMMON BuFFALo (INDIA) 


GAUR 


BuROPEAN BISON 


THE BUFFALO. 315 


THE BUFFALO. 


The American Bison (Bos-americanus), is generally 
known as the Buffalo; but the Buffalo is an entirely dif- 
ferent animal, found in its wild state only in India and 
Africa. There are four distinct species of this animal, 
the fiercest and largest, being the Cape, or Black African, 
Buffalo (Bos-caffer), whose habitat is generally in the 
reedy swamps from the Cape to the equator; but a modi- 
fied variety of this species is found from the equator 
north to Abyssinia. The hair covering of the Cape Buf- 
falos is always thin, and in old age the skin is almost bare. 
They are heavily built, and a full-grown male will stand 
four feet six inches at the shouldér. They have flattened, 
eurved, black horns, that meet at the base forming a great 
bony plate on the front of the head; the horns sometimes 
measure three feet each in length, but they are so curved 
along the line of the head that the span from bend to bend 
is about three feet and six inches; the flapping ears are of 
enormous size, and are thickly fringed with hair on the 
lower border. 

Cape Buffalos are usually seen in herds of from fifty 
to three hundred individuals. They are swift in their 
movements, and according to Mr. Selous: ‘‘When charg- 
ing they invariably hold their noses straight out, laying 
their horns straight back over their shoulders, and low- 
ering their heads only as they are about to strike.’’ They 
live as near the water as possible in summer, and at sun- 
down they refresh themselves with a bath before feeding. 
They breed during the African summer, and calves are 
born in January, February or March. The Cape Buffalo 
sometimes lives to be thirty years old. According to W. 
H. Drummond, there is a variety of Cape Buffalo occasion- 
ally met with in the forest with blacker hair and more 
spreading horns than the type species. 

The Short Horned, or Red Buffalo (Bos-pumilis), 
whose habitat is in West Africa, is smaller than the fore- 
going, and has a heavier, lighter colored coat of hair, in 
some cases light yellow on top and reddish brown below, 


316 UNGULATA. 


with a sharply defined line of demarkation. The Buffalos 
found in the Congo district (Bos-centralis) are larger in 
size and have much flatter horns than the (Bos-pumilis.) 

The Common, or Indian Buffalo, (Bos-bubalus), dif- 
fers from all the African species in appearance. It is 
larger, has a much longer head, and smaller ears; the 
horns are very large and flattened, tapering gradually 
from the root to the tip, and being much longer and thin- 
ner in the cows than in the bulls. Lydecker says; that 
a skull of this species in the British Museum, has horns 
measuring twelve feet and two inches from tip to tip 
along the outer curve; and he also tells of a specimen 
measured by General Kinlock, that stood five feet high, 
had a girth of eight feet and three inches, and was nine 
feet and seven inches long from the end of the nose to 
the root of.the tail, the tail measuring three feet and 
eleven inches more; the horns on this animal, along the 
greater curve, measured eight feet and three inches. 

The hair on the Common Buffalo is short and scanty, 
slightly longer on the head, shoulders and front of neck 
than on the rest of the body, and almost black in color. 
The Asiatic Buffalo are further distinguished from the 
African species, by having the hair on the front part of 
the back directed forward, as well as by a less thickly 
fringed beard, and more elongated and narrower heads. 
The general color of this species is ashy black, although 
the legs are whitish and sometimes the domesticated 
animals are pure white below the knees. The wild 
Indian Buffalo is rarely found in the open plains, and 
its habitat is generally in tall grass jungles, of such height 
and depth, that General Kinlock in referring to them 
writes: ‘‘Frequently, although a herd of Buffalo may be 
aroused within a score of yards, the waving of the grass, 
and perhaps the glint of a polished horn tip, is the only 
ocular evidence of the presence of these animals. The 
nearly noiseless tread may be caused by other animals; 
and where the horns have not been seen, it is only by the 
strong sweet smell—similar to, but much more powerful 
than that of cows—that we can be absolutely certain of 
what is in front of us.’’ This species feed chiefly on grass, 
are not shy, and are always seen in herds. The calves 
are born in summer, sometimes two at a time. In walk- 


TuE BISON AND Ox Famtry. 317 


ing the Indian Buffalo always carries its head low. It 
loves the moist ground, and its broad tee prevent it from 
sinking into the mud. 

The Common Buffalo has been domesticated in India, 
and from there introduced into Greece, Italy and Hun- 
gary. It is much more powerful than the Ox, and although 
in a wild state it is savage and dangerous and retains its 
courage in captivity, it is very docile when domesticated. 
It is much heavier than the Ox, and distinguished from 
it by its spareely haired skin, long tufted tail, broad 
muzzle and angulated horns. In India this animal gives 
more milk than the ordinary cow, and from it the ghee— 
the clarified butter of India—is made. The hides of the 
Buffalos are valued where strength and durability are 
desired. 


THE EUROPEAN BISON, 


The Gaur (Bos-gaurus), is a magnificent animal; but 
just why it should have usurped the name of the European 
Bison (Bos-bonasus), is as hard to understand as the 
reason why the bison should so often be called Aurochs 
(Bos-primigenius), a species of European Wild Ox, now 
extinct, which was the progenitor of some of the existing 
breeds of domestic cattle. 

The European Bison with its fourteen or fifteen pairs 
of ribs, cylindrical horns, and short forehead, resembles 
the Yak (Bos-grunniens) more than it does either the 
Gaur or the Aurochs. It differs from the Yak in certain 
eranical characteristics, as well as in the great excess in 
height of the withers over the hind quarters, which pro- 
duces a distinct hump on the shoulders, that is intensified 
by the mass of dark brown hair, similar to that on the 
American Bison but not so abundant, with which the head, 
neck and shoulders are covered. The long hair is con- 
tinued as a kind of crest along the back nearly to the root 
of the tail, the remainder of the body being covered with 
a short curly hair of a lighter tint; its tail, unlike that of 
the American Bison, is covered with hair the full length 
and is tufted on the end. In many respects the European 
- Bison resembles the American species to which it is very 
closely allied; but it has longer legs and a shorter body, 


318 UNGULATA. 


shorter hair, more tubular eyes, and longer and straighter 
horns. It is a forest dwelling animal, feeding largely on 
leaves, twigs and the bark of trees. The calves of this 
species are born in May or the early part of June, and 
apparently the cows do not produce more frequently than 
once in three years. 

The European Bison formerly ranged in considerable 
numbers over a large part of the continent of Europe and 
England; but in 1892 the herds had decreased to less than 
five hundred individuals. Since that time, owing to gov- 
ernment protection, there has been an increase; and in 
1906, it was estimated that, in addition to the small cap- 
tive herds belonging to the Czar of Russia and the Prince 
of Pless, there were about seven hundred wild Bison on 
the northern slope of the Caucasus, and an equal number 
protected by the game wardens of the Czar in the forests 
of Bielowitza, and Swisslotsch. The wild European 
Bison live in small scattered bands, sometimes at an ele- 
vation of eight thousand feet, where they are exposed to 
extreme cold; but they are much less thickly haired than 
those found in the forests of Lithuania. 


THE GAUR. 


The Gaur (Bos gaurus), the Wild Ox of India, whose 
range extends into Burma and the Malay Peninsula, is 
the handsomest and tallest ox in the world, the cows 
standing five feet and the males sometimes reaching six 
feet, at the shoulder. It is characterized by its short tail, 
white legs, narrow pointed hoofs, large ears, the forward 
curve and great elevation of the ridge between the com- 
pressed, short, conical horns that are very thick at the 
base, and the distinct ridge running from the shoulders 
to the middle of the back, where it ends in an abrupt drop 
of about five inches. 

The top of the head is ashy white, but the color of 
the rest of the body is a dark brown or black in the older 
males, and a paler reddish brown in the cows and young 
bulls. The hair is short, fine and glossy. 

The Gaur prefers the hilly districts to the plains, and 
in India is generally found at an elevation of from two to: 
five thousand feet. It is not known to exist in a domes-. 


THE BISON AND Ox Famity. 319 


ticated state, but the Gayal, a much smaller animal 
differing from it in the formation of its skull and horns, 
is believed by some to be a modified variety of the Gaur. 


THE YAK. 


The Yak (Bos-grunniens), is found only on the ele- 
vated plateau of Tibet. The color, with the exception of 
a little white around the muzzle, is a blackish brown. 
The hair on the head and the upper part of the body is 
short and nearly smooth. On the flanks, breast and 
the under part of the limbs, the thick hair, which protects 
it from the cold and snow, grows to a great length, giv- 
ing the animal an ungainly appearance; on the thick, 
bushy tail the hair is often twenty-five inches long. The 
head of the Yak is long and narrow and the ears and 
muzzle small. The shoulders are high, but the back is 
otherwise straight without any falling away at the hips. 
It has short stout legs and large rounded hoofs. The horns 
are nearly cylindrical and curved upwards and out. The 
Yak is nearly as large an animal as the Gaur. 

The Wild Yak is impatient of heat and delights in 
the cold; it is only found near the limits of perpetual 
snow, often seeking an elevation of from fifteen to twenty 
thousand feet in summer. 

The Yak is an unsociable animal, but breeds in con- 
finement and can be crossed with other cattle. The 
grunt of this animal is so much like that of the pig that 
the Germans call it the Grunzochs. 

The domesticated Yak is much smaller than the wild 
variety, and shows considerable variation in color, some- 
times being entirely white. It is about the size of an ox, 
and can stand a much higher temperature than the wild 
Yak. It is covered all over with long silky hair, hanging 
down like the fleece on a sheep. The head is rather short; 
the eyes large and beautiful; the horns, which are not very 
large spread and taper from the base, and are turned 
back a little at the tips; the space between them on the 
forehead being covered by a mass of curly hair; the neck 
is short and over the shoulders there is a bunch of long 
hair. 


320 UNGULATA. 


The meat of this animal is good for food; and the 
silky hairs are spun and woven into fabrics. The tails, 
especially the white ones, are largely used in the manu- 
facture of wigs. In Tibet the tails are suspended as 
streamers from poles set before the entrances to the 
monasteries; and in China they are dyed red and affixed 
as pennants to the roofs of summer residences. They are 
used throughout the East as fly wisps or ‘‘chouris.”’ 


321 


THE AMERICAN BISON. 


Of the American Bison (Bos-americanus), W. T. 
Hornaday says: ‘‘The magnificent dark brown gauntlet 
and beard, the shaggy hair upon the neck, hump and 
shoulders, terminating in a thick mass of luxurient black 
locks, to say nothing of the dense coat of fine fur on the 
body and hind quarters, give to our species, not only an 
apparent height equal to that of the Gaur, but a grandeur 
and nobility of expression which are beyond all compari- 
son among Ruminants.”’ 

The possession of a larger and more luxuriant mass 
of hair on the head and fore quarters, which in some casés 
almost sweeps the ground, makes the American Bison ap- 
pear of larger size than the European species, when, as 
a matter of fact, although the body is on the whole more 
massively built, it is lower, and has a smaller pelvis and 
hind quarters. The American Bison is one of the larg- 
est and the best known of all North American hoofed 
mammals; and with two exceptions, the Gaur and the 
European Bison, it is the largest of all Bovenine animals. 
The males, who have short, thick, curved horns, stand 
from five feet to five feet eight inches at the shoulders, 
though they are considerably lower at the hind quarters. 
In fresh pelage the color of the long hair on the calves 
is of a reddish hue; but on the full grown animals it is 
almost black, although on aged or worn skins it becomes 
brown or grey. The twenty inch tail always has a six 
inch wisp of long black hairs on the end. The head is 
convex, the muzzle is shorter and broader, and the 
skull is much wider than in domestic cattle. 

According to Mr. Hornday: ‘‘The range of the Amer- 
ican Bison originally extended over. one-third of North 
America. Starting almost at tide water on the Atlantic 
coast, it extended westward to a vast tract of dense forest, 
across the Alleghany mountain system to the prairies along 
the Mississippi, and southward to the delta of that great 
system. Although the great plain country of the West was 
the natural home of the species, where it flourished most 
abundantly, it also wandered south across Texas to the 


322 UNGULATA, 


burning plains of northeast Mexico, westward across the 
Rocky Mountains into New Mexico, Utah and Idaho, and 
northward across vast treeless wastes to the bleak and in- 
hospitable shores of the Great Slave Lake itself. 

“Of all the quadrupeds that ever lived upon the 
earth, probably no other species has ever marched in such 
innumerable hosts as those of the American Bison. It 
would have been as easy to count or estimate the number of 
leaves in the forest, as to calculate the number of Bison 
living at any time during the history of this species prior 
to 1870. Even in Central Africa, which has been exceed- 
ingly prolific in great herds of game, it is probable that all 
the herds taken together on an equal area, would never 
have more than equalled the total number of Bison in this 
country fifty. years ago.’? But as Captain Chittenden 
says: ‘Marvelous as were the numbers of the Buffalo, their 
complete disappearance from the earth in less than a gen- 
eration is more marvelous still.’ 

When the Union Pacific Railroad, in 1869, cut the 
range of the Bison in two, the southern, or Texas, herd, in 
the regions of the staked plains, numbered nearly four 
million individuals; and there were over one and a half 
million in the northern, or Yellowstone, herd on the upper 
Missouri, and to the northward. It is estimated that over 
three and one-half million of the southern herd were 
slaughtered between 1872 and 1874, and by the end of 
1875 this great herd had ceased to exist as a body; the sur- 
vivors, numbering about ten thousand, fleeing to the wild- 
est parts of Texas where they were gradually exterminated. 

Of the northern herd those living in British Columbia 
were the first to be exterminated; and before 1880, the 
herds in Dakota and Wyoming had also been greatly re- 
duced by the Sioux Indians, who ate the flesh, ornamented 
their dress with the hair, and used the hides of the Bison 
to make their lodges, boats, shields, beds, clothes, moccasins, 
bow-strings, saddles and halters, and the hoofs, horn and 
bones for manufacturing an endless variety of other arti- 
eles. Trutly, as Captain Chittenden says: ‘‘more than the 
horse to the Arab, the camel to the pilgrim in the desert, 
the reindeer to the Laplander, the seal to the Eskimo or 


the elephant to the Hindoo, was the Buffalo to the trans- 
Mississippi Indian. History affords no other example 


Tue Bison aND Ox Famity, 323 


where a single product of naturé, whether animal or veget- 
able, has filled so large a place in the life of a people. The 
self-sustenance of the tribes of the plains would have been 
impossible without it, and when the Buffalo disappeared 
these tribes fell back upon the government in hopeless de- 
pendence for the very necessities of existence. 

‘“‘This remarkable animal (Bos-americanus) furnished 
nearly everything that the Indians wanted, and in the life 
of the trapper as well it was a principal resource. Almost 
every part of its huge body was utilized, and a volume 
would be required to catalogue its manifold applications. 
The hide was dressed in a variety of ways, each special 
treatment having its particular use. 

‘The flesh of the Buffalo was the most wholesome, pal- 
atable and universally used of that of any wild animal. 
The extent of its use, that is, the degree to which the en- 
tire animal was thus utilized, depended upon its abund- 
ance. When there were multitudes at hand the epicurean 
palate rejected all but the choicest morsels, but in times of 
scarcity every part of the flesh did duty as food. The 
greatest luxury was the tongue and this was often the only 
part taken. The hump ribs and the tenderloin came next 
in favor, but the smaller parts, such as the marrow bones, 
liver and gall, and parts of the intestines, were often de- 
voured with avidity while the process of butchering was still 
going on. The fleece fat upon the animal’s back was gen- 
erally thick and rich, and was an important article in the 
process of cooking. 

‘‘All authorities unite in praising the excellence of 
buffalo meat, and the true plainsman would never admit 
that the domestic beef could approach it. It always agreed 
with the digestion and it seemed impossible to overeat of it. 
Combined with the healthfulness of the open-air life on 
the prairies or in the mountains, it formed a perfect food 
whose virtues became widely known; and many an invalid 
has recovered his health on the plains with no shelter but 
the sky and no food but the meat of the buffalo. 

“The methods of capture were various. With the 
Indians wholesale destruction was commonly resorted to 
by alluring vast herds at full gallop to the brink of a preci- 
pice or into the mouth of an artificial enclosure. The force 
of the mass behind crowded those in advance ahead until 


324 UNGULATA. 


they fell upon each other at the foot of the cliffs or in the 
enclosures, and were thus slaughtered by the hundreds. A 
great. deal of skill and favoring conditions of wind, as 
well as the most adroit management on the part of the 
Indian who clad like a buffalo acted as decoy to the herd, 
were essential to the complete success of the maneuver. 
These hunts were matters of great ceremony among the 
Indians. Days and weeks were devoted to preparation, 
with due observance of the established religious rites of 
the tribes, and the most rigid laws against individual 
hunting or frightening of the herds. 

“The true sportsman-like attack was by direct on- 
slaught on horseback, or, as it was sometimes called from 
the manner of approach ‘‘the surround.’’ It was managed 
with the same ceremonious preliminaries that were observed 
by the Indians in all great buffalo hunts. The attack was 
made by riding under strict discipline in careful order 
directly upon the herd until the latter had fully scented 
the danger, when the hunters, each free to go where he 
chose, broke into a wild gallop and amid the thunder of 
hoofs, the bellowing of the frightened beasts, and the 
clouds of dust raised in the mad rush of so many animals, 
fell pell-mell upon the herd, chasing and slaying. So com- 
pletely panic-stricken would these mighty herds become, 
and so little sensible of where to flee, that most of them fell 
victims to their pursuers, and the ground where the attack 
took place would be strewn with hundreds of dead bodies. 
Now and then, when some infuriated monster turned too 
quickly upon him, a luckless hunter would be unhorsed, 
or even slain in the confusion of the chase. 

‘“‘The practical American hunter, when not bent on 
sport for sport’s sake, but after meat for food, adopted 
a much simpler, more direct, and quite as efficacious means 
of securing his game. This was the method of still hunting, 
which consisted, as the name suggests, in stealing unob- 
served upon the intended victim. Generally a small band 
was preferable. It was not a difficult thing to crawl from 
the leeward to within sure rifle shot without being discov- 
ered. Then, choosing the best concealment the ground 
afforded, the hunter would commence the work of destruc- 
tion by firing at the fairest mark. The animals, hearing 
only the report and seeing nothing, would not flee, but 


THE Bison AND Ox FaMILy. 325 


stood still in apparent wonderment. Presently the 
wounded animal fell, and the companions, smelling its 
blood, gathered round it and tried to make it rise, and 
even lick its wounds; or they went on grazing, apparently 
thinking that their companion had lain down to rest. 
Meanwhile the hunter’s rifle was busy, shot upon shot 
was heard, and victim after victim fell, until either be- 
cause there were no more to kill, or because he was sur- 
feited with slaughter, he rose and surveyed his conquest. 

“The Buffalo was a difficult animal to kill. A ball 
upon its shaggy head or neck fell off as from a panoply of 
steel. Wounds in the nether portion of the body were 
rarely fatal. It was only in the region of the heart that 
the blow was sure, and the Indians and white hunters 
sought out this region in all their attacks. The animal 
was not ordinarily pugnacious or dangerous, and only when 
smarting with its wounds would it turn upon its enemy. 
But its rage at such times made it a formidable adversary, 
and lucky was the hunter who could keep out of its way.”’ 

With the opening of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 
1880, the white man joined with the Indian in the final 
work of destruction; and by February 1883, the great 
northern herd was also practically annihilated. 

Richard Lydecker, in his Royal Natural History, quotes 
Mr. Hornaday as saying: ‘‘The systematic slaughter of~ 
the Bisons for the sake of their flesh and hide began in 
1830, and the ever increasing demand for ‘‘buffalo robes,’’ 
as the dressed skins were termed, soon began to tell on their 
numbers; but it was not until the completion of the Kan- 
sas branch of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1871 that the 
great slaughter commenced, which attained its height in 
1873; when it is believed that every hide which came into 
the market represented four Bisons killed.’’ Some idea of 
the wanton destruction of that time, due to the avarice of 
the hunter and trapper and the reckless cruelty of the 
sportsman, may be formed from the fact, that one of the 
three roads penetrating the southern Bison country car- 
ried, in 1873, nearly a quarter of a million skins, more 
than a million and a half pounds of meat, and fully two 
and a quarter million pounds of bones. 

Referring to the numerical strength of the American 
‘Bison in 1866, Catlin in his ‘‘North American Indians’’ 


326 UNGULATA. 


says: ‘‘The almost countless herds of these animals that 
are sometimes met with on the prairies have only been 
spoken of by other writers, and may yet be seen by any 
traveler who will take the pains to visit those regions. 
The rutting season, which is in August and September, is 
the time when they congregate in such masses in some 
places as literally to blacken the prairie for miles around. 
It is no uncommon thing at this season to see at these 
gatherings several thousands in a mass, eddying and reel- 
ing about under the cloud of dust which is raised by the 
bulls as they are pawing in the dirt, or engaged in des- 
perate combats, lunging and butting at each other in the 
most furious manner, as they constantly are. In these 
scenes, the males are continually following the females, 
and the whole mass are in constant motion; and all bellow- 
ing is in deep and hollow sounds which mingled together 
appear like the sound of distant thunder at a distance of 
a mile or two. 

“During the season, while they are congregated to- 
gether in these dense and confused masses, the remainder 
of the country for many miles around becomes entirely 
vacated, and a traveler will spend many a toilsome day, 
and many a hungry night, without being cheered by the 
sight of one buffalo. If he retraces his steps a few weeks 
after however he will find them dispersed and equally 
stocking the whole country and grazing quietly in little 
families and flocks. ‘A bull in his wallow’ is a frequent 
saying in this country, and it has a very significane mean- 
ing for those who have ever seen a bull performing ablu- 
tions, or endeavoring to cool his heated sides by tumbling 
in a mud puddle. 

“In the heat of summer, these huge animals, who no 
doubt suffer very much from the great profusion of their 
long and shaggy hair, often graze on the low grounds of 
the prairies, where there is a little stagnant water lying 
amongst the grass, and the ground underneath being satur- 
ated is soft. Into this the enormous bull, lowered down 
upon one knee, will plunge his horns and at last his head, 
digging up the earth and make an excavation in the 
ground into which the water filters from among the grass, 
forming for him in a few moments a cool and comfortable 
bath, into which he plunges.”’ 


THE Bison anp Ox FamiIy. 327 


Today the ‘‘Buffalo,’’ as the American Bison is gen- 
erally called, is little more than a memory. Outside of a 
herd of five hundred ‘‘Wood Buffalo’’ lately reported to 
have been discovered in New Mexico, there are only two 
herds of wild Bison in existence on this continent; about 
twenty head remain in Yellowstone Park, and a herd of 
about three hundred inhabits the stretch of barren terri- 
tory southwest of the Great Slave Lake. 

In addition to these there are possibly two thousand 
Bison living in captivity in zoological parks, and large pri- 
vate game preserves, in different sections of North Amer- 
ica; of these, forty-two are at the New York Zoological Park 
in the Bronx; and thirty-seven are in the twelve square 
miles of grazing ground, fenced in by the government in 
the Wichita Forest and Game Preserve, when the New 
York Zoological Society, in 1906, presented to the United 
States government the fifteen Bison which formed the 
nucleus for this herd. 

The Bisons breed in captivity about as regularly as 
domestic cattle, and though inclined to be stubborn, are 
mild in disposition. The calves are born in May, June and 
July, and full maturity is reached at the end of the sev- 
enth year, when the horns of the male—at first a straight 
spike—have attained their whole semi-circular curve. Like 
all thick haired animals in the temperate zone, the Bison 
sheds its coat in the spring, and does not regain full pelage 
until October or November. 

Contrary to the method employed in dressing cattle, 
the skin of the ‘‘Buffalo’’ was parted along the spine; the 
chief articles of commerce obtained from it being the skin, 
horns, tongue and tallow; for only the choicest parts of 
the careass were removed when the animal was plentiful, 
the great bulk of it being left to rot on the plains. 

As far back as 1840, the American Fur Company’s 
agents sent into St. Louis sixty-seven thousand ‘‘ Buffalo 
robes,’’ and in 1848 a hundred thousand ‘‘robes’’ and 
twenty-five thousand ‘‘Buffalo’’ tongues were received at 
St. Louis; the shipments to New York in the seventies an- 
nually exceeded these figures,-and the writer distinctly 
remembers when ‘‘Buffalo robes’’ sold for seven and eight 
dollars each, and when a good ‘‘Buffalo’’ coat could be 
bought for from fifteen to twenty dollars. Those who know 


328 UNGULATA. 


how common they were at that time, and who are familiar 
with the durability of the ‘‘Buffalo’’ hide and fur, wonder 
where they have all gone. No one dreamed forty years 
ago that the time would ever come when a ‘‘Buffalo’”’ skin 
would be a curiosity, and a mounted ‘‘Buffalo’’ head would 
be worth from two hundred and fifty to a thousand dol- 
lars; but that is the condition of things today. 

When we consider that there is really nothing to take 
the place of the ‘‘Buffalo’’ skin for warmth or service, as 
well as the food value of the species, it seems a pity that 
the North-West Breeding Company, organized in 1886, to 
interbreed the Buffalo with selected native cattle, did not 
succeed in their undertaking. They appear to have made 
as complete a failure as the Buffalo Wool Company, 
formed in Winnipeg, in 1832, to weave the hair of the 
Bison into cloth. 


Ss 
ave 
ey Jon 


Rocky MountTAIn Goat. 


329 


HAPLOCERUS-MOUTANUS. 


The Rocky Mountain Goat so closely resembles a small 
American Bison that there is considerable difference of 
opinion among scientists as to whether it should be 
classed with the oxen or the goats, and it has been given 
a separate genus. This animal will weigh as much as the 
average Virginia deer, and measures about five feet in 
length, and three feet in height. It has a very short 
tail, and a dense woolly undercoat, which like the coarse 
long outer hair, is yellowish white in color. Mountain 
goats generally occupy grassy belts high up on the moun- 
tains in Washington, Idaho and Montana; but it is said 
that in British Columbia they sometimes come so near to 
tide water that more than one specimen has been shot 
from a canoe. They are clumsy looking creatures, but as 
Dr. W. T. Hornaday says: ‘‘they are the most daring 
climbers of all of the American hoofed animals, and the 
small, angular, compact hoofs, which are an ingenious 
combination of rubber pad inside and knife edge outside, 
hold them equally well on snow, ice or bare rock, so that 
they can cross walls of rock which neither man, dog, nor 
mountain sheep, would dare attempt to pass; and thus 
in spite of their natural stupidity they generally escape 
from hunters who seek to destroy them, as an evi- 
dence of their prowess rather than for any beauty or 
commercial value they possess.’’ 

Dr. Hornaday believes that some of the species of our 
North American animals were acquired by immigration 
from the Old World. He says: ‘‘It requires no stretch 
of the imagination to behold Bering Strait choked with 
the great Polar ice pack, and hardy, strong-built bears, 
wolves, mountain sheep, and reindeer crossing over the 
sixty miles that now separate Asia from Alaska, and 
spreading in all directions over North America. I fully 
believe that the parent stock of our mountain sheep, 
caribou, moose, wolves and bears came from Asia by that 
route.’’ Possibly the presence of the Rocky Mountain 
Goat on this continent can be accounted for in the same 
way. 


330 Tue Musk Ox 


THE MUSK OX. 


Possessing the teeth of a Sheep, and the horns of a 
bull, and intermediate between the sheep and the ox in size 
and some other characteristics, the Musk Ox (Ovibos-mus- 
chatus), is given a distinct genus midway between the two. 
It is about two-thirds of the size of the American Bison, 
but owing to its heavy coat of long hairs looks much larger 
than it really is. Although it has a musky odor, there is no 
special gland as in the Musk Deer and other musky ani- 
mals. Both sexes have horns, those on the male being very 
broad and meeting in the middle of the forehead, from 
where they curve downward and backward beside the head 
for most of their length, and then upward and forward. 
The hair is amber brown, long and fine, hanging down 
along the sides like that on a merino sheep so as to cover 
the short tail and upper half of the short, massive legs; 
but on the shoulders it is matted and curly, giving the 
appearance of a hump. The hoofs are remarkably sym- 
metrical, the outer half being rounded, while the inner 
is pointed; the sole of the foot is hairy. The head is 
massive and the small ears are concealed by the hair, and 
the space between the nostrils and the upper lip is also 
covered with short, close hair. 


The Musk Ox is fleet, active and hardy, and sometimes 
makes extended migrations, traveling in bands of a dozen 
or more. Its present habitat is in Arctic America, north 
of the sixtieth degree of latitude; but fossilized remains 
show that it was at one time circumpolar, and that its range 
on the American continent extended as far south as Ken- 
tucky and Kansas. This would indicate that at some time 
the whole of North America was much colder than it is at 
present. 


The long fine hair of the Musk Ox has at times been 
woven into fine soft fabrics, but now it is too expensive to 
be used for that purpose, and at present the skins are only 
used for robes. The meat of this animal is coarse grained, 
but juicy and tender, and very palatable if the carcass is 
dressed as soon as killed so it will not take on a musky 
flavor. 


UNGULATA 331 


THE OX. 


“Stupid as an ox’’ is an expression full of meaning 
when applied to domesticated species of cattle that are 
only fattened to be destroyed. As Professor David Low 
says, in his Domesticated Animals of the British Islands, 
‘Nature is sparing of her mental gifts, giving to each 
creature only that which is fit for its condition.’’ What 
benefit would consciousness of danger, docility, or the 
knowledge of what is good for it, be to a creature that 
only lives to be tied to a stall, or driven to the pasture 
to be fattened for the slaughter-house? 

‘“‘The wild Oxen that have never been reduced to 
slavery, or those who on the fertile plains and in the wilder- 
ness have regained their liberty, are altogether different 
creatures from the apathetic beasts of burden that their 
domesticated kin have become. They are wary in danger, 
resolute in defending themselves, and fearless in protect- 
ing the helpless members of their herds. When the 
Hottentots still had a country they could call their own, 
and were rich in the possession of vast numbers of cattle, 
chosen oxen guarded their flocks and herds, and pro- 
tected them from marauders and the Hyaenas and other 
beasts of prey; and so great was the intelligence of 
these creatures that while any inhabitant of the Kraal 
could safely approach their charges, a stranger attempt- 
ing to do so would have been in great danger of his life. 
Not only were they taught to be the guardians and pro- 
tectors of the flocks of their owners, but some of them 
were trained for war until they caught the spirit of their 
masters, and in the clash of contending hosts rushed 
upon the opposing ranks, and trampled the enemy under 
their feet, and gored them with their horns.’’ 

Although Domestic Cattle are all spoken of as belonging 
to one species (Bos-taurus), instead of springing from 
one common source, now extinct, there are really many local 
races, produced by artificial selection from various wild 
species. The seventeen distinct breeds on the British 
Islands, many of which have been introduced into this 
country, are so different from one another that if they 
were wild animals they would be divided into a number 


332 Domestic CATTLE, 


of distinct species; even if the dairy cattle, the beef oxen, 
and the animals valued for their hides alone, were not 
each assigned to a separate genus. 

Spanish writers say, that the origin of the vast herds 
of cattle which cover the plains of Paraguay and other 
parts of South America, can be traced back to several 
cows and a bull that arrived at the City of Assumption 
from Andalusia in 1556. Whether this is literally true 
may be questioned, but it is certain that the European 
cattle, whatever may have been their original number, 
multiplied amazingly in their new habitat, and now 
extend in countless multitudes to the northward from 
the southern boundaries of the La Plata over a ter- 
ritory stretching from the Atlantic to the Cordilleras. 
In the beautiful country between the Andes mountains 
and the Pacific coast the oxen are reared in a state of 
domestication, but west of the mountains they have 
entirely escaped from the dominion of man, and are 
hunted by the Gauchos of the country solely for their 
hides, the carcasses being left upon the fields to rot or 
to be devoured by the vultures and beasts of prey. 

The Galloway oxen are a polled Scottish breed of 
obscure origin, but are believed to have been descended 
from the West Highland Kyloes. They are characterized 
by their short limbs. The typical color of this species is 
black, but brown and reddish specimens are frequent. 
The hair is long and thick, especially in the winter, and 
the skins of the calves make warm and sightly as well 
as serviceable coats for men, the main objection to them 
being their weight, for while they are soft to the touch 
the skins are thick and heavy. Undoubtedly many of 
the coats sold as Galloways are made from the skins of 
other varieties of calves that are probably just as good 
for the purpose as the one that has been favored by the 
furriers. 

The skins of still-born young cattle of various breeds, 
known as ‘‘Yetta’’ skins, are sometimes worked up by 
the furriers into coats and even suits for women, but 
cattle are chiefly prized for their food value, and the 
various bi-products that are obtained from different parts 
of the body. The skins or hides are mainly used for 
making leather. 


333 


THE CAMEL. 


Many portions of the Orient would be uninhabitable 
but for the single-humped Arabian (Camel or Dromedary 
and the Bacterian Camel with two humps, now known only 
in their domesticated state; for they are not only ‘‘the 
ships of the desert,’’ but the source to which the natives 
look for their supply of milk, flesh and hides, and the 
hair which is a valuable article of trade. 

Much could be written about the ability of these 
animals to carry great burdens, and to travel many days 
without drink, because of the reserve supply of water 
they can carry in their peculiarly constructed cellular 
stomachs; but our present interest is with the represen- 
tatives of the Llama genus of the Camelidae family 
sometimes called Cameloids. The Camelus however seems 
to be the one genus that has gone on through the cen- 
turies without changing from its original form, but is 
the same today as it was before it bore the ‘‘Wise Men 
of the East’’ across the desert with their gifts of gold, 
frankincense and myrrh. 

The Alpaca is so closely allied to the Llama as to he 
regarded by some as a smaller variety of that animal, 
rather than a distinct species. It exists both in a dom- 
esticated and wild state, and is found in its native state 
in the Andes Mountains, especially in Chili and Peru. 
It has a longer neck, but otherwise resembles the sheep 
in form as well as size although it belongs to the Camel 
family. The long, soft wool of this animal, which is 
straighter than that of the sheep and very shiny, is woven 
into beautiful silky fabrics, but most of the fabrics sold 
as alpaca today contain little if any alpaca, being made 
of a mixture of cotton and different wools. 

The Llama (Lama-peruana) has an extremely long neck, 
and stands from three to four feet high. The dense hair 
of the adult is long and coarse. but that on the young 
Llamas is soft and silky. Its wool is used to some 
extent, but in Peru, where it is most abundant, the Llams 
is used by the natives as a beast of burden. The usual color 
is white, black or brown; the legs being black on both 
the black and brown varieties. 


384 UNGULATA. 


The Vicuna (Lama-vicugna), sometimes called the Vi- 
cuna Sheep, is another representative of the Camel fam- 
ily found in South America, principally in the southern 
portion. The Vicuna is a light fawn color with a white 
belly, and has a short tufted fawn colored tail. The wool 
is long and thick, with longer hairs projecting through it 
at intervals, and is well adapted for the manufacture of 
woolen cloth; the skins of the Vicuna being soft and 
light would be used for sleigh robes to a greater. extent 
than they are if'they were less expensive. 

When the Vicuna stands with its two and a half foot 
neck extended it measures about six feet from the head 
to the ground. It is generally hunted by horsemen with 
bolos. 

The Guanaco (Llama-huanacus), the most valuable ani- 
mal of the Lama genus, is as stupid as it is interesting. 
It is so incapable of defending itself that the natives of 
Terra del Fuego slaughter Guanacos for food by sur- 
rounding groups of them and simply clubbing them to 
death. In size it is between the Llama and Vicuna, 
standing about four feet at the shoulders. The thick, 
woolly hair is a pale reddish brown or fawn color, but 
there are naked patches of skin on the legs. 

The Guanaco is a quaint animal, and probably really 
belongs in the same species as the Vicuna. It has a pe- 
euliar ery, between the belling of a deer and the neigh- 
ing of a horse. It is very abundant on the Patagonian 
plains, where its two principal enemies are the Patagon- 
ian Indians and the Puma, as it is the principal food of 
both. The skin is also of great value to the Patagonians, 
as their long robes are made from it. In commerce it is 
chiefly used for sleigh robes, but in this day of artistic 
improvement there is no telling under what name or in 
what guise it will appear next. 


Tue ANTELOPES. 335 


THE ANTELOPE. 


The only representatives of the Antelope family, with its 
many beautiful, curious and interesting species, that can 
by any stretch of the imagination be brought within the 
scope of this work are: 

The Indian Antelope (Antilope-cervicapra), whose skins 
are occasionally used by furriers for various purposes; The 
Spring-Bock (Gazella-euchore), which is found in Southern 
Africa, and whose skins make good glove leather; The 
Gnu, or Wildebeest (Connochoetes-taurina), the quaint 
South African animal, with the hoofs of a stag, the head of 
a bison, the horns of a buffalo, and the tail of a horse, 
which was once sought for its hide, but is now only valued 
because it can be broke to the plow; and The Chamois 
(Rupicapra-tragus), which lends its name to the skins 
sometimes used by furriers for intermediate linings, and 
the pockets in fine garments. 

None of these are of sufficient importance commercially 
to call for extended mention here, unless it may possibly 
be the Chamois, which, to quote from the Official Guide to 
the New York Zoological Park, ‘‘has its home in the moun- 
tains of Southern Europe, especially the Pyrenees, the 
Swiss Alps and the Caucasus; and is the animal so often 
pictured as leaping from crag to crag, across chasms 
apparently two hundred feet wide; but it is not exclu- 
sively a crag dweller, for in many localities it inhabits 
the mountain forests. Like most other mountain ungu- 
lates, the Chamois dwell high in summer, and in the win- 
ter they seek lower and more sheltered situations. They 
are exceedingly wary and agile, and sure-footed on dan- 
gerous ground.’’ 

The Chamois are about three feet long, and have small 
almost vertical horns that turn backwards and down at 
the tips. 

In beauty the Sable Antelope (Hippotragus-niger) of 
Africa, surpasses all other species. Some claim, however, 
that the purple and white Blessbok (Bubalis-albifrons), 
that seems to have about disappeared since the Boer 
War, was its superior in this respect, even though it 


336 UNGULATA. 


lacked the impressive presence and the intelligent air 
that together with its shapely horns and glossy black and 
white coat, make the Sable Antelope conspicuous in a 
family noted for the grace and beauty of its representa- 
tives. 


SaBLeE ANTELOPE 


All Antelopes have true horns and with the exception 
of a single species belong to one family. The Prong-Horn 
Antelope (Antilocapra-americana), now rapidly becoming 
extinct, is the only animal possessing a hollow horn with a 
prong, and the only hollow-horned animal that sheds its 
horns each year. It also lacks the ‘‘dew claws’’ possessed 
by all other ruminants, and has long tubular hair on the 
neck and body, that is erectile on the rump. Its horns are 
placed directly over the eyes. 


Tue Deer FAMmILy. , 337 


THE DEER FAMILY. 


There are many species of deer. Strictly speaking 
none of them are fur bearing animals, but some of them 
are noticed here because they are as familiar to most of us 
as the Dogs and Cats that are the household pets in so 
many homes. They are of commercial importance on 
account of the value of their horns, hair and hides, the 
service they can be trained to render to mankind, and 
the food with which they supply him; to say nothing 
of their effect upon subsidiary wild life, or the use the 
natives of their various habitats make of the skins of the 
deer for clothing and other purposes. 

The East India Deer (Cervus-axis), whose antlers are 
used in the manufacture of knife handles and whose skins 
make excellent leather, are sometimes used by the furriers 
in making foot muffs. It is an abundant animal, which 
inhabits India and Ceylon. It is a beautiful and graceful 
creature with numerous white spots upon its light brown 
coat which on the belly change into white lines. 

It is characteristic of the axis, which in India is also 
known as the chital, that the three points on the antlers 
are thrown forward, with the exception of the second 
tine which points backwards. It is generally found 
among bushes or trees in the neighborhood of water, and 
in bamboo jungles, either on the plains or at an elevation 
of three to four thousand feet. The Axis are gregarious 
and good swimmers, taking readily to the water. 

There is great variation as regards the pairing sea- 
son and the shedding of antlers, bucks with fully devel- 
oped antlers, and young fawns, being met with at all sea- 
sons. 

The Fallow Deer (Dama-vulgaris) is the best known 
of all the deer family. It is found in the greater part of 
Europe, and has a light brown body spotted with white. 
The inside of the legs is a beautiful fawn color, and the 
black tail is tipped and edged with white. In some speci- 
mens, that have no white markings on the tail, the legs 
and points are brown and the general color of the body 


338 UNGULATA. 


is almost black. The Fallow Deer is larger and heavier 
than the Axis, and has a short, well formed head with full 
round nose and expressive eyes. The antlers are rather 
palmated at the top and are usually turned backwards. 
The antlers are shed in April, and the bucks get rid of the 
velvet on the new ones in August, by striking them against 
the branches of the trees. The pairing season is in Sep- 
tember, and the does bring forth one or two young in 
May. This is the species usually seen in zoological parks. 


The White Tailed Virginia Deer (Cariacus-virginianus), 
was formerly widely distributed through North America, 
and is still found in Montana and Alaska. It has short 
bristly hair of a light grey color, sometimes marked with 
small spots, especially on the hind quarters. The antlers 
have an abundance of points and are small, branched and 
eurved abruptly forward. 

The skins are used largely in the manufacture of 
leather leggings. 

The Black Tailed or Mule Deer (Cariacus-marcrotis), 
is another North American species and derives its name 
from the length of its ears. It is larger than the Virginia 
Deer, and its color is reddish brown. The principal hab- 
itat of the Mule Deer is from Montana north and west to 
the Pacific coast. Its skins are largely used by German 
leather manufacturers. 


The Red Deer (Cervus-elaphus), inhabits France, Ger- 
many and Norway, and is still occasionally seen in the 
British Islands, where it was at one time very abundant 
and extensively hunted. Next to the Wapiti, the European 
Red Deer is the finest living deer in the world. The stags 
are of a brownish red color, with a dark mark along the 
center of the back, and dark brown legs, and whitish or 
light brown tail and buttocks. 

The head of the stag is beautifully formed and pointed, 
and has a lighter shade of color around the under jaw 
and the large expressive dark brown eyes; the hind is 
lighter in color and weight than the stag, and has a more 
pointed nose. The hinds usually consort with the stag in 
the second year, and, as a rule, produce but one calf at a 
time. The young ones remain with the hinds until they 
are nearly two years old, although they are, of course, able 


THe Deer Famity. 339 


to take care of themselves much earlier. The pairing sea- 
son begins in October and the period of gestation is about 
eight months. The calf at birth is white spotted like a fal- 
low deer, and remains so for the first three or four months; 
after that the spots gradually disappear and the true color 
of the Red Deer assérts itself. 

The male sheds his antlers in March, and the new ones 
begin to grow in April; as is the case with all deers he eats 
freely while they are developing, and by the time new 
antlers are complete and hardened in September he is very 
sleek and fat. He does not long continue so, for during 
the rutting season when many fierce combats occur be- 
tween the males he does not eat and becomes very thin. 

Until the stag is full grown, which is in ten years, the 
points on the autlers increase year by year. 

The skins of Red Deer make excellent leather, and the 
antlers are used in the manufacture of knife handles, 
etc. In ancient times the antlers were used as picks and 
hammers. 


340 THE UNGULATA. 


TRUE HORNS AND ANTLERS. 


Antlers are worn by the female cariboos and nearly 
every male member of the deer family, and usually have 
several branches. They are solid modifications of true 
bone grown from the skull, that are shed every year and 
quickly renewed. They are of all shapes and sizes, from 
the simple spikes of some species to the immense branched 
or palmated antlers of the stag, elk or moose. During 
growth they are covered with a velvety tissue that is 
furry outside, and abounding in blood cells which afford a 
copious supply of blood to the rapidly enlarging osseous 
tissue. When the antlers are fully developed the vascular 
activity of the velvety ‘tissue jceases, and the velvet 
shrivels and peels or is rubbed off by the animal. The old 
antlers are usually shed in March, and the velvet dis- 
appears from the fully developed new antlers just before 
the mating season in August or September. 

In the first year a stag has only frontal protuberances; 
in the second a simple stem or snag, called a spike; 
in the third year a larger stem with one branch, called 
the brow antler, is developed. The bay antler is produced 
the fourth year, and the royal antler is acquired in the 
fifth year. After that the horns of the stag become more 
or less palmate, with diverging points. The main stem 
of a branched antler is called the beam, and the branches, 
exclusive of the mere points on the palmated part, are 
called tines. 

Horns, as before stated, are hollow sheaths growing 
over bony cores, and except in the case of the prong- 
horn are never shed. They are worn by both sexes of 
most species of Bison, Buffaloes, Cattle, Antelopes, Sheep 
and Goats. True Horns arise from the frontal bones of 
the skull. 


341 


THE WAPITI. 


The Wapiti (Cervus-canadensis), the largest Deer on the 
globe, exists only in North America, where it is often 
erroneously called the Elk. Large herds of this animal 
formerly ranged throughout the continent, but it has be- 
come reduced in numbers, and its range has been re- 
stricted. Now it is seldom seen anywhere except in Wash- 
ington, Oregon, California, Montana, Wyoming, and on 
Vancouver’s Island; the largest herd remaining outside 
of the Yellowstone Park, being found in the Olympic 
Mountains in Washington and on the mountains on Van- 
couver’s Island. 

The Wapiti stands from five to six feet high, and al- 
though large males sometimes exceed a thousand pounds 
in weight, the usual weight is about seven hundred pounds, 
and full grown females often weigh less than four hun- 
dred pounds. The color is dark brown on the head and 
neck, a creamy grey on the back, flanks and sides, and 
black on the under parts of the body. The legs are brown, 
and there is a light patch bordered with black on the 
buttocks: 

The full grown stag is really a magnificent creature, 
symmetrical in form, and remarkable for the graceful ease 
with which he carries the immense antlers. These some- 
times attain to a length of sixty inches and over, and in 
the fifth year develop five points each, but after that 
period the number increase irregularly so that in older 
animals there are often more snags on one antler than the 
other. The hinds are smaller and lighter in color than 
the males, and have a more pointed nose, and fine, large, 
plaintive eyes. The young are born in May, a single fawn 
usually being produced at a birth, but occasionally two 
appear. 

The general habits of the Wapiti are very similar to 
those of the Red Deer to which scientists say it belongs. 
The old stag lives apart from the main herd during the 
greater part of the year; and in the pairing season after 
having vanquished his rivals in a fight takes pos- 
session of a party of hinds. At the breeding season 


342 UNGULATA. 


the Wapiti desert the lower hills to take refuge in the 
higher ranges, getting as near as possible to the snow line 
without leaving the upper belt of the forest. The hinds 
leave the herds, and the fawns are born in the most se- 
cluded thickets. The antlers are shed late in December or 
early in January, and the new antlers begin to sprout in 
March or April, and are complete by August. At this time 
the call of the old stag has such a resemblance to the 
bray of a donkey that the old traders in the Rocky Moun- 
tains called it the ‘‘Jackass Deer.”’ 

Unlike most of the Deer the Wapiti do not feed at 
night, but eat during the day, very much after the man- 
ner of the Moose; but they are not particular as to what 
they eat, consuming the coarsest grasses and weeds as 
freely as the leaves and tender shoots of deciduous trees. 
In the winter, when they are pressed for food, they will 
even gnaw the bark off the trees. 

The skins of the Wapiti are used for leather, and the 
antlers for ornamental purposes. The antlers are worth 
from twenty-five to seventy-five dollar a pair. 


THe Moose or Ex. 343 


THE MOOSE OR ELK. 
(Alces-machlis) 


The distinction between the Moose and the Elk is one of 
locality and not of species. The Elk of the Old World and 
the Moose of the New are so similar in formation, nature, 
distinguishing characteristics and habits, that in considering 
one we get a perfect description of the other. Long before 
the Moose was discovered in America, the Elk was hunted 
in every part of the British Islands, the continent of Eur- 
ope and Northern Asia; but it is rapidly diminishing in 
numbers, although it is still found in Norway and Sweden, 
Eastern Prussia, and in parts of Russia and Siberia. 

The Moose is valued by the hunters and trappers prin- 
cipally for its flesh and horns, as its hide is inferior to that 
of other wild animals. It is the largest living representa- 
tive of the Deer family, and is characterized by the length 
of its limbs, its short neck, long flapping ears, and the 
length and narrowness of its head, the ungainly aspect of 
which is greatly increased by the large nostrils, and the 
large hairy overhanging muzzle. The front legs are con- 
siderably longer than the hind ones, and as the Moose stands 
six feet from the ground at the shoulder it cannot, owing 
to its short neck, feed from the ground, but subsists on 
shrubs, and the leaves and tender branches of the trees. 

In his deseription of the Moose, Richard Lydecker says: 
‘‘The antlers, instead of emerging from. the forehead at 
an acute angle with its middle line, and inclining forward, 
as is the case with all living representatives of the genus 
Cervus, project on either side at right angles to the mid- 
dle line of the forehead and on the same plane as its surf- 
ace. Their basal position consists of a short cylindrical 
beam without any tine, and beyond this beam they 
expand into an enormous basin-like palmation containing 
snags on the outer edge. The antlers of a fine specimen 
may weigh as much as sixty pounds, and have a span of 
sixty-five inches, a length along the palmation of forty- 
one inches, and a ridge across the same of forty-eight 
inches.’’ The antlers of the male do not attain their full 
dimensions until the ninth year. The female and the 


344 UNGULATA. 


yearling male show only knobs an inch high. The tail of 
the Moose is a mere rudiment, and the feet have large and 
shapely pointed hoofs. 

The bull Moose is much larger than the female, and has 
a hair-covered appendage on the throat, formed by the di- 
latation of the skin, varying from four to ten inches in 
length. 

The Moose is found throughout Canada, and in Maine 
and Minnesota and the northern part of the Rocky Moun- 
tains. The Alaskan Moose of the Yukon Valley is un- 
doubtedly the largest form of its genus, and has lately been 
classed as a separate species (Alces-gigas).. 

The Moose feed from early dawn till sunrise, when 
they repose till ten or eleven o’clock; then they feed again 
till about two, when they take another resting spell until 
four or five o’clock, after which they feed until dusk, when 
they lay down for the night. In summer they are solitary 
in their habits, wandering alone in the neighborhood of 
swamps, rivers or lakes; but in winter they gather in small 
parties in what are termed moose yards, which are always 
located in some part of the country where there is an abun- 
dant growth of deciduous trees such as white birch, maple, 
poplar and mountain ash, which with the shoots of the 
evergreen, balsam fir and juniper, form the diet of the 
moose. 

The antlers of the Moose are shed during January, and 
the new pair are fully developed by August. The hair of 
the Moose is coarse and with the exception of the yel- 
lowish legs generally of some shade of brown, but during 
some seasons and at certain ages the pelage may be of a 
greyish hue. The favorite pace of the Moose is a long, 
swinging trot. The slaughter of these animals when 
imprisoned in their yard in winter is prohibited by law. 
The three legitimate methods of capturing them are: 
stalking or still hunting, fire hunting and calling. 


THE CARIBOU OR REINDEER. 345 


THE REINDEER OR CARIBOU. 


The word Caribou applied to the American Reindeer, is 
a contraction or corruption of the name ‘‘caire boeuf’’— 
square ox—given this animal by the French Canadians 
when it was first discovered in America. 


The Woodland variety (Rangifer-caribou), which 
stands about four and one-half feet at the shoulders, and 
weighs from three hundred and fifty to four hundred 
pounds, is found in Labrador, northern Canada, Maine, 
Minnesota, northern Idaho and Montana, Oregon in the 
neighborhood of Mt. Hood, British Columbia, and south- 
ern Alaska to the head waters of the Yukon River. It 
is twice the size of the barren ground Caribou (Rangifer- 
groenlandicus), whose habitat in the summer is confined 
to Greenland and the barren arctic wastes north of the 
forest regions of North America, but which in winter 
makes extensive migrations into the territory of the 
Woodland Caribou, but even when living in the same 
district the two species do not intermingle. 

In its wild state the Caribou, like the European Rein- 
deer (Rangifer-tarandus), lives on mosses, leaves, grass 
and aquatic plants, its great resource being lichens. Like 
the European variety, the American Reindeer is an ani- 
mal of great speed and endurance, ‘‘frequenting marshy 
and swampy grounds, and loving ice-covered lakes and 
ponds as much as any boy.’’ Caribous are so shy they are 
difficult animals to stalk, but they can be easily killed by 
the hunter who, taking advantage of the wind, shoots as 
they pass along on their migrations, when they travel in 
herds and are not as shy and wary as when wandering 
singly. 

But little is known about the breeding habits of the 
Reindeer, though it is understood that the ‘‘barren 
grounds’’ Caribou pairs in winter, and the Woodland 
species in September. The antlers of the bucks are shed in 
December, but the small antlers with which the does are 
provided do not fall until the spring. The fawns are 
produced in May, and are either one or two in number. 


346 UNGULATA. 


The Reindeer is invaluable to the inhabitants of the Arc- 
tic regions in Europe, Asia and America. It was formerly 
abundant in Scotland. In Norway there are still thou- 
sands of domesticated reindeer on the farms, the males 
being harnessed and used for sledding and draught pur- 
poses and the females yielding an abundance of milk. The 
domesticated breed, which is smaller than the wild race, 
is also found in Siberia and Lapland. The flesh of the 
Reindeer is excellent eating, the tongue and kidney being 
considered great delicacies, 

The Old World Reindeer (Rangifer-tarandus), stands 
from three to four feet high, and is buff or brown in color, 
lighter on the belly and head than the back; in Labrador 
it is almost white, and pure white specimens are met with 
in Lapland. Mottled animals are sometimes seen in Rus- 
sia. The hair is abundant, bristly and brittle, affording an 
excellent protection from the arctic cold, and its broad 
feet enable it to walk with ease on the snow. The antlers 
are peculiar and vary in formation, no two pair being alike, 
but they always curve forward, and usually consist of two 
branches radiating into many points. The majority of the 
males have a brow antler, which is a triangular piece of 
bone shaped like a spatula and hanging over the nose, and 
it is claimed that they use this antler to scrape the snow 
away from the moss on which they feed. The females have 
antlers as well as the males. 

The hair of the Reindeer is said to have floating qualities 
superior to cork, and life belts and buoys are sometimes 
made of it. The Eskimos make coats and sleeping bags, 
which are both light and impervious to the cold, from the 
skins, but in Europe they are generally used for leather. 

In Russia, the skins of the younger animals are made 
into linings, called Pijiky, which are light, warm and 
durable. 


347 


THE GOAT FAMILY. 


Goats do not generally range as far north as the sheep, 
but they live at higher altitudes and incline to the steep 
cliffs and mountain regions, where their remarkable 
climbing powers enable them to speed where other ani- 
mals could scarcely get a foot hold. They connect the 
antelope with the sheep, which they approach so closely 
in their internal organization that many authorities be- 
lieve that they should be considered as belonging to the 
same family, although they are of widely differing 
natures and appearance. 

The Goat even when enslaved is restless, bold and 
independent, fearlessly facing the enemies who assail it, 
and is always familiar and capricious, wandering at will 
away from its fellows to seek the crags where the shrubs 
it craves are to be found. 

Goats all have hard eallosities on their knees, short 
tails, hairy muzzles, and a more or less distinct beard 
upon the chin of the males, who are further characterized 
by a strong odor. In the few cases where foot glands 
are present they are found only on the forefeet. Both 
sexes have horns, those of the males rising close together 
on the head above the plane of the forehead, and grow- 
ing upward and backward to a considerable length, but 
seldom showing the spiral twist which is a characteristic 
of the horns of all sheep except the Ovis-tragelaphus. 
Goats show no gland pits in the skull below the eyes, and 
the outline of the face instead of being curved like that 
of the sheep is straight; like the latter they are covered 
with a mixture of wool and hair, but in the sheep the 
wool forms the essential covering for the body, while in 
the goat the hair predominates. 

All wild goats are frequently spoken of as Ibexes, 
but that name rightly belongs only to the few species 
with long, flat, mottled scimetar-like horns, dwelling in 
the Himalayas, and on the higher mountains of South 
Eastern Europe, Syria, Arabia, and Abysinnia. The 
Ibexes all have a uniform coloration, varying with age 
and the season from a grizzly grey to various shades of 


348 UNGULATA. 


brown, the color always being lighter on the throat, belly 
and the inside of their legs than elsewhere. They pair 
in midwinter, and the young, two at a birth, are born in 
the early summer. The type species is the Alpine Ibex 
(Capra-ibex). 

With the exception of the Caucassian Tur, and the 
Spanish Capramontes, all the different races of True Wild 
Goats are confined to some of the mountainous regions 
of North Western Africa, and Central Asia. They are 
strong, agile and sure footed animals, preferring the 
leaves and small branches of shrubs for food to the 
richest pasture. 

At one time the Ibex was believed to be the ancestor 
of all the many breeds of common goats, and later 
scientists claimed that the Pesang (Capra-aegagrus) was 
the wild stock from which the type representatives of 
the domesticated goat were descended; but the probability 
is that the common goats were derived not from one but 
from a number of wild species; for not only do goats 
of different countries differ from one another, but there 
often exist in the same country, and under the same 
climatic and food conditions, races so divergent that it 
is impossible to believe that they have come down from 
the same stock. ‘‘The Black Syrian Goat, with its con- 
vex face and udders hanging to the ground, is as different 
from the other domesticated goats of that country as 
the Jackal is from the Wolf; and the little goats from 
the coast of Guinea have been acclimated in America for 
more than a hundred years, without making the least 
approach to those carried to the same country at different 
times from Europe.’’ 

There are several varieties of the Angora Goat, which 
is noted for the length and quality of the soft silky white 
hair which covers the whole of the body and the greater 
part of its legs, and which is of much more value to the 
manufacturers of fabrics than the short coarse under 
wool which is beneath it. Some of the skins are used by 
furriers to make children’s sets and baby carriage robes; 
and at times there is also a demand for Angora fringe 
or trimming, either dyed or in the natural glossy white 


color. During the cold season Angora Goats are kept in 
stables, ‘but throughout the rest of the year are allowed 


THE Goat Faminy. 349 


to roam at large in immense herds, each buck being 
accompanied by about one hundred ewes. They are shorn 
in April. This species is believed by some to be a direct 
descendant of the Wild Himalayan Markhor (Capra- 
falconis), which is distinguished from all other goats by 
its upwardly directed, spiral twisted, horns, and the great 
extension of the beard on its throat and shoulders. The 
Markhor stands about three feet and a half high, and is 
reddish brown in summer and grey in the winter. Its 
beard always being black in front and grey behind. 

The Cashmere or Tibet Goat, is distinguished by its 
delicate head, long, wide half pendulous ears, and ‘slightly 
spiral erect horns which in some cases incline inward to 
such an extent as to cross. In this animal it is the under 
wool that is of commercial value, being used in the manu- 
facture of shawls and certain kinds of cloth. This wool 
falls off at certain seasons of the year, when it is removed 
from the body of the animal with combs, the long hairs 
being undisturbed. 

Goat raising is an important industry in different parts 
of the Chinese Empire, and hundreds of thousands of 
Chinese Goat skins are worked up by furriers annually 
into rugs, robes, coats and other articles of fur wear. 
The main objection to goat skins is their odor, which how- 
ever is not so noticeable in the skins of the females and 
of younger animals. Only the skins of the very young 
are shipped in their natural shape, the others being sewed 
into crosses and rugs before they are baled for 
export. The Chinese Goats show considerable variation 
in color, but grey predominates. A large percentage of 
the skins are dyed black before being used, and some of 
the still-born kids are hard to distinguish from Moire 
Astrachans when they come from the dyers, but where 
there has been any growth it is generally easy to detect 
the goat, no matter what name may be used to hide its 
identity. 

The skins of many varieties of goats that cannot be used 
by the furriers make fine leather, especially those from 
Morocco; and there is a demand everywhere for kid skins 
for the manufacture of gloves. 


350 UNGULATA. 


THE HORSE. 


Horse is a word often applied to any member of the 
type species of the Equide family without regard to sex 
or age; but strictly speaking the adult male Horse should 
be called a stallion; the matured female a mare; the female 
foal, a filly; and the male foal, a colt. Pony is a general 
term for all small horses, and a gelding is a castrated male 
horse. 

The Horse was probably first domesticated in Asia, long 
before it was historically mentioned in Egypt nineteen 
hundred years before Christ. The original wild representa- 
tive of the species which was at one time found in all parts 
of Asia and Europe, was of a uniform yellowish grey color, 
much smaller but stronger than the breeds that have been 
descended from it. 

It is hard to believe that the single-toed slender 
Arabian steeds, huge draft horses and diminutive Shet- 
land ponies all trace their origin back to a common 
several-toed ancestor scarcely larger than a fox, and 
presenting few of the features that have since made the 
Horse the most remarkable of all quadrupeds. It is 
evident that there must have been a sustained effort all 
through the centuries to increase the size of the species 
by artificial selection, and the different structural charac- 
teristics referred to are probably largely due to difference 
in food and climate. In the moist temperate regions 
where the herbage is rank and plentiful, the speed which 
is the characteristic of the breeds reared in hot dry 
southern countries where food is scarce, gives places to 
strength; and powerful draught horses are just as natural 
a result in Flanders, as racers are on the Arabian deserts. 
The smaller relative size of the Norway, Iceland and 
Shetland ponies is due entirely to the colder temperature 
of their habitat. 

Horses quickly adapt themselves to new conditions and 
circumstances, and can be readily tamed and broke, but 
it is an interesting fact that if turned loose they will 
revert to their wild or natural state as quickly as they 
were domesticated. This probably accounts for the im- 
mense herds of half-wild ponies that range the Kirghiz 
Steppes, and other portions of Asia. 


Tue Horse 351 


The brain of the horse is small, but all the members of 
the family are noted for their sagacity, intelligence and 
tenacious memories; while their timidity, desire to be 
first in a race, their conduct on the battlefield, their 
resentment of injury and appreciation of kindness, all 
show that their emotional nature is also highly developed. 


It is now generally conceded that the Tarpans of 
Asia, like the mustangs of the North American plains, 
the Cumarans of South America and the Brumbies of 
the Australian Bush, are the descendants of reverted 
domestic horses, and that the only living wild horse today 
is the Equus Prejevalsky of the sand deserts of Central 
Asia, and there seems to be a question as to whether that 
is a valid species of the true horse. or an intermediate 
between the horses and asses. In either case it is of 
little value from a commercial or utilitarian standpoint. 


Of all the various species of partly or wholly domes- 
ticated horses in different parts of the world, only one 
variety has any value as a fur-bearing animal, and it 
was less than ten years ago that furriers began to recog- 
nize the beauty of the moire marked skins of the foals 
of the so-called Russian ponies. These hardy animals, 
resulted from the mixing of escaped domestic horses with 
the Tarpans, and in spite of the way the young have been 
slaughtered by the Kamuck and Kirghiz tribes, so that 
the milk of the mares could be secured for the manufac- 
ture of Koumyss, they have multiplied until it is esti- 
mated that there are now over 10,000,000 of these animals 
on the 850 square miles of sterile, stony and streamless 
plains or Steppes between the Volga, Chinese Turkestan, 
the Alutan Mountains and the Caspian Sea, and that the 
marketing of upwards of 200,000 skins annually the last 
few years, while it has been a source of revenue to the 
nomadic tribes who sold them has in no way threatened 
the destruction of the herds. 


At first the skins were used almost entirely in their 
natural state for automobile coats, but when it was 
discovered that they would take the black dye so as to 
look like broadtail, pony coats for all kinds of wear 
became so desirable and popular that for a time the 
skins trebled and quadrupled in value, and for some 


352 ; UNGULATA 


years the natives killed the foals immediately after birth, 
sparing only the number necessary for the proper con- 
servation of the species. The result was an increase in 
the supply, which caused a decline in the price of the 
skins of the ‘‘Kirgisenpferd,’’ as it is called by the 
Germans. The color ranges from a clear white to a rich 
blue-brown; the hair on some of the skins being as flat 
and silky as the finest broadtail, and on others as shaggy 
and harsh as the coarest astrachan. 

In the Equidae family are included besides the 
Horse, the now extinct Quagga, which scientists claim 
was the connecting link between the horse and the Wild 
Asses, the Zebra and the Tapirs. Wild Asses are found 
in Asia, Syria, and Africa; the African species being the 
ancestor of the domestic breeds. Sir Samuel Baker said: 
‘Those who have seen donkeys only in their civilized 
state can have no conception of the beauty and courage 
of the wild and original animal. It is the perfection of 
activity, has a high-bred tone of deportment, and a high 
actioned step, when it trots freely over the sands with 
the speed of a race horse galloping over the boundless 
desert.”’ 

Zebras were once very numerous, but are now reduced 
in numbers, and found only in Africa south of the Sahara 
Desert. They stand about four feet high, have short 
manes and a creamy white ground color marked with 
broad brown or black stripes. 

The Tapir, which is often spoken of as the ancestor of 
the horse, is one of the most ancient of the odd-toed 
ungulates. All of the living species are included in one 
genus—(Tapirus), and with the exception of one variety 
found on the Malayan Peninsula, they are restricted to 
the forest regions of the Andes Mountains in America, 
but at one time they were also spread over the 
Northern Hemisphere. With the exception of the Malayan 
species, which is white on the middle of the body, all 
Tapirs are uniformly black when adult, but the 
young are all spotted and striped with white. They are 
shy, harmless, nocturnal animals, living near the water 
in which they delight to swim. 


353 


THE SHEEP FAMILY. 


No animal is of greater service to mankind than the 
Sheep. Poland rightly says that what the American 
Bison was to the North American Indian, and what the 
Reindeer is to the Laplander, the Sheep is to all the in- 
habitants of every portion of the world. Clothing, and 
lanoline and other by-products, are made from its wool; 
gloves, shoes and innumerable useful and ornamental ar- 
ticles are made from its skin, and nearly every part of its 
body is used for food. 


We are told that the Persian, Astrachan, Ukrainer and 
other sheep producing the tight curled lambs, whose skins 
are becoming more and more valuable every year, are the 
result of crossing the native sheep of the various sections 
indicated by the names applied to the different lambs, 
with the Karakule and Arabi Sheep of the Asiatic desert; 
but the word Arabi is a general rather than a specific 
term, and Karakule is a designation applied to all grade 
fur producing desert sheep, rather than to any particular 
species. The literal meaning of the word is Black Lake, 
the name of the place where the Russian traders first went 
to buy Sheep from the herders of the Bokhara Desert. 


Dr. C. C. Young of Belen, Texas, a breeder of Arabi 
desert Sheep, who recently made a hazardous trip to the 
land of the Persian Lamb, says: ‘‘The Tartars call the 
producer of any valuable fur-bearing sheep Arabi. Arab 
in Tartar means black, and it is supposed the name origin- 
ated from this source. as the word and the Sheep are un- 
known in Arabia. The small Arabi (Ovis-patyura) is 
practically extinct, and the one this country has been get- 
ting most of its skins from for the last fifty years is the 
large Sheep known as the Doozbai. 

‘‘When mature, all of the breeds have black, lustrous 
hair on the legs, tail, abdomen, face and head; so I de- 
cided that the origin of them all must have been a black 
animal with a powerful, persistent strain, which had car- 
ried its black pigment down through generation after gen- 
eration. After a hunt through the traditions and his- 


354. \ UNGULATA. 


tories of the country, a talk with the special Ambassador 
of the Dalai Lama of Thibet, and conferences with a 
representative of the Emir of Bokhara, a trip to the very 
borders of Afghanistan and a careful search through 
desert wastes, I found the origin of the first Persian 
Lamb.”’ 

‘*Many years ago there were neither Karakules, Arabis 
or Doozbais in Bokhara; but they had a small Black Sheep 
with a wonderfully lustrous fur, and which for some time 
after birth was covered with uniform curls. There was 
little demand for the fur, and what was used was purchased 
by the old monarchs of Europe and Asia. 


ARABI RAM 


“As the demand increased these little Black Sheep, 
known as the Danadar, were crossed with the Koordiuk, 
an immense fawn colored desert-roving Sheep, giving us 
the Doozbai with its beautiful and much tighter curls 
than those of the Danadar. The smaller Arabi resulted 
from a cross between the Danadar and a small animal 
known as the Gray Kooldiuk. From these have descended 
the breeds which now produce the Persian Lamb. 


Tue SHEEP FAMILY. 3909 


‘It is said that there are a few specimens of the Black 
Danadar left in Khiva, but my search in that country 
failed to produce any. Chambo Tshorze, Ambassador 
from the Dalai Lama, told me there were some Danadars 
in a valley near Lhassa in Thibet, but that they were very 
few.’’ 

For several years the government has been making tests 
in Washington, D. C., which have substantiated the claim 
advanced by Dr. Young, and other sheep breeders in the 
Southwest, that by crossing some of our domestic long- 
wool breeds like the Lincolns, Cotswolds, Lestershires and 
Dartmores with the strains of the Arabi, or broad tail 
Sheep of the Bokharan desert, a fur is produced that is 
vastly superior to that of the Persian and other Asiatic - 
Lambs for whose skins the American people are spending 
millions of dollars annually. Dr. Young, in writing for 
the Fur Trade Review about his experiments along this 
line, says: 


Y i ne ie 
Hig js 4) $9) 


SS 
AraBt Ewe anp Lame. 


“In texture some skins produced by us at Belen and 
Conutello, Texas, show an unsurpassable quality, notwith- 
standing the poor pasture that we were compelled to graze 
our Sheep on; and I have no hesitancy in predicting that 
the dry West and Southwest will in time revolutionize the 


356 UNGULATA. 


heep fur industry, for it was no trick for us to produce 
skins valued at from eight to twelve dollars in a raw state. 
As good nutrition means luster and tightness of curl, still 
better results can be obtained in the Northern and Eastern 
States, on account of the excellent pasture and the very 
nutritious hay that can be secured there.’’ 


When we consider that owing to the lambs being killed 
so soon after birth the ewes can safely be allowed to lamb 
twice yearly ; that the dead lambs lose none of their meat 
value, and that the skins of prematurely born lambs often 
bring fabulous prices, it is easy to see that the profits to 
be derived from a proper prosecution of this industry will 
be large. 

While the best results were obtained by Dr. Young in 
the first cross of Arabis with domestic long-wools, the 
tight-wool strains, like Merinos, Shropshire, Ramboulets, 
etc., have to be bred to the Arabis two or three times, be- 
fore producing skins equal in quality to those secured 
from the first cross with any of the different varieties of 
our long-wool sheep. 


The great obstacle to the prosecution of this industry, 
is the almost unsurmountable barrier placed in the way 
of bringing live Arabi stock into this country, because of 
the rigid quarantine the Department of Agriculture has 
established against the entire continent of Asia, on ac- 
count of the existence of surra in Southwest India, and the 
Maltese fever in the Maltese Islands. 


Much that has been written about the killing of the 
mother to secure the skin of the unborn Persian Lamb is 
pure fiction, but it is true that in all the grades and crosses 
of the Arabi Sheep it is necessary to kill the Lambs shortly 
after birth, in order to prevent the curls from losing their 
tightness and luster, and even their color. The black 
pigment soon oxidizes and turns brown, and in 
eight or ten months becomes grey, which is the natural 
color of all mature fur-producing Arabi Sheep. The grey 
wool of the mature Arabis, as well as that of all grades 
produced from these animals is very coarse, and admir- 
ably adapted because of its great length for the weaving 
of rugs. Some of the most beautiful Persian and 
Bokharan rugs are made from it.’ 


Tue SHEEP FAMILY. 357 


The name Persian as applied to lambs is misleading. 
As we have seen most of the skins so designated still 
come from Bokhara and the surrounding country. It is 
the Shiraz, and some of the other grades, that come from 
the provinces in Persia from which they derive their 
names, that are strictly speaking Persian skins. The word 
Persian, therefore, seems to indicate quality rather than 
locality, and is applied to certain grades produced 
from different strains of the Patyura, and other Arabi 
sheep, whether they are obtained on the Bokhara desert 
or in Texas. ; 

The Krimmer or Crimean Lamb derives its name from 
its habitat—the Crimean Peninsula. While the Astra- 
chan, Persian, Ukranier and other Russian and Asiatic 
lambs are generally born black, this variety usually 
comes into the world with a grey or slate colored fur that 
shows considerable variation in the character of the curl. 
Krimmer is always more or less in favor for children’s 
furs, and sometimes is used for trimmings, caps and capes. 

Iceland Sheep have a long, beautifully curled wool, and 
the white specimens are sometimes sold for Tibet lamb, 
but they can easily be distinguished by the dense under- 
fur. The predominating colors are white, black, brown 
and mottled; but bluish grey, and black or brown spotted 
animals are sometimes met with. This breed is conspicu- 
ous because of the number of its horns. It is said that 
the sheep are not shorn in Iceland, but that the wool is 
pulled off the animals as it becomes loose late in the 
spring. 

China Sheep are generally coarser than the Iceland 
sheep; some, however, have almost as fine wool, but the 
hair is always shorter and the curl is smaller. 

Slink Lamb is a name given to the skins taken from 
the stillborn of the domesticated varieties of sheep, or 
those who die or are killed soon after birth. These skins 
are used principally for glove and shoe linings. 

Sheep are the stupidest as well as the most harmless 
and timid of all animals.. They are nearly allied to the 
Musk Ox by which they are connected with the Bovidae, 
but in the Barbary Sheep of Africa (Ovis-tragelaphus) 
and the Bharu, or Blue Sheep of Tibet (Ovis-nahura), 
they approximate nearer to the goats; in the character of 


358 UNGULATA. 


their molar teeth they so strongly resemble the gazelles 
that some authorities think that they may be descended 
from some extinct family of antelopes. 


The strongest instinct in both wild and domesticated 
sheep seems to be an inclination to seek the highest 
altitudes; even in a level country the lambs will congre- 
gate and contest for the possession of the highest knolls, 
and the aged sheep seem as anxious to secure the most 
elevated spot in the pasture field where the flock folds 
for the night, as the lambkin that can hardly support itself 
on its unsteady legs. 

In summer sheep feed in flocks and graze very closely; 
in the winter they are penned, and fed on hay, turnips 
and other vegetables. They are extremely liable to a 
very infectious foot and mouth disease, and for this 
reason most countries establish a rigid quarantine against 
the introduction of foreign sheep. The lambs are gener- 
ally born in January and February, and are frisky and 
frolicsome creatures. 


The’ adult males are called rams, the females ewes, and 
the young are known as lambs. Both males and females 
are furnished with horns; those of the former being 
large and massive at the base, triangular in section, and 
curling upwards and backwards, and turning outward 
from the side of the head. The horns of the females 
are small and narrow. The largest sheep are smaller 
than most oxen, and while their necks are comparatively 
short they carry their heads higher above the level of 
the back. A distinctive feature is a small gland between 
the hoofs on each foot. 


Domesticated sheep are all classed as one species (Ovis- 
aries), and are found in vast numbers in every part of 
the world. Sheep washing and shearing has been 
practiced from time immemorial. While only a few 
breeds are fur producers, the raising of sheep for wool 
is an important industry in many lands, particularly in 
England and her colonies. The Lincoln and Leicester 
sheep have the heaviest fleeces, but the wool of the various 
Scotch, Welch and Devonshire breeds is particularly fine, 
and that of the super Southdowns is claimed to be the 
best produced anywhere 


THE SHEEP FaAmMIty. 359 


In Australia and New Zealand flocks are herded that 
number as high as 3,000 individuals, but the larger flocks 
are only penned once or twice a year, being allowed to 
wander about the rest of the time. 


According to some figures published by Poland in 1892, 
the total number of domesticated sheep in the world in 
1889 was over 500,000,000, of which 43,000,000 were cred- 
ited to the United States, 35,000,000 to the United King- 
dom, 80,000,000 to Australia and New Zealand, 30,000,000 
to Canada, 22,000,000 to France and 16,500,000 to Spain. 


The reports of the Census Bureau of the Department 
of Commerce and Labor, show that in 1900 the total 
number of domesticated sheep on the farms in the United 
States was 60,503,713, and in 1910, 52,447,061, a decrease 


of 14.4 per cent. The reports of the Department of 
Agriculture show, that the total number of sheep on the 
farms in this country, in 1913, was 51,482,000, valued at 
$202,779,000. 


The United States Government reports show that in 
1910 the 617,268,700 sheep and lambs in the world were 
distributed as follows: 


Australia ......... 89,780,000 Servids cecsseee ess 3,160,166 
Tasmania ......... 1,896,281 Portugal .......... 3,150,000 
Russian Empire ... 82,672,123 POPU saat boas donc 3,000,000 
Argentina ........ 67,211,754 Canada ........... 2,598,470 
United States .... 51,819,068 German East Africa 1,560,000 
Ottoman Empire .. 41,000,000 Bud an, eisicsie asin aed 1,421,721 
Great Britain ..... 31,164,547 Norway .......... 1,378,517 
British South Africa 31,102,467 Sweeden .......... 1,024,500 
Uruguay esie uaa 26,286,296 Denmark ......... 1.003,000 
New Zealand ..... 23,996,126 Egypt sac cscnkeces 920,000 
British India ..... 21,824,000 TUNIS. os ised acca 585,027 
CHiN a aanteaaigoeeae 18,900,000 Columbia ......... 746,000 
France ........... 17,357,640 Falkland Island ... 689,000 
Spain .ncecesew pss 15,471,183 ‘Netherlands ...... 607,000 
Austro-Hungary ... 13,991,500 Montenegro ....... 496,856 
TGA. ecedauenss tvecaeseavens 11,160,000 Teeland > 02: siceerswiares 495,100 
Algeria .......... 9,632,177 Central America .. 442,950 
Bulgaria .......... 8,132,000 Brazil, pics ayiiwiess 380,000 
Germany ......... 7,703,710 CYPIUS: wae pia wens 302,000 
Roumania ........ 5,655,444 Belgium .......... 236,000 
Greece ........... 4,570,000 Switzerland ....... 209,997 
Chile cscs ednea ye 4,244,000 Ceylon ........... 96,300 
Me@RIGO) 5 5 oi oa aeie lee 4,424,000 West Indies ....... 51,400 


Peru geese setae 3,700,000 Phillipines ........ 30,400 


360 UNGULATA. 


Of the sheep credited to Great Britain 16,273,518 
were in England; 7,144,646: in Scotland; 3,979,516 in Ire- 
land; 3,684,781 in Wales; and: 82,126 on the Isle of Man 
and in Jersey and Guernsey. Of the English sheep 1,024,- 
934 were in Kent; 1,097,923 in Lincoln; 1,140,913 in 
Northumberland ; ‘and 923,755 in Devon. The figures show 
that there was one sheep for each 2.5 acres of the 17,690,240 
acres in the Kingdom of Great Britain, and 1 ‘to éach 1. 8 
aces in England and Wales alone. The United States 
had 1.36 sheep for each of its 1,903,461,760 acres. At pres- 
ent: 57% of the sheep in the United States are in eleven 
States west of the Rocky Mountains. In 1840 over 66% 
were in six Eastern and Central States: New York hav- 
ing’ 5,119,000;- Ohio, 2,028,000; Pennsylvania; : 1,768,000; 
Vermont, 1,682,000; Virginia, 1,294,000; Kentucky, 1,008,- 
000.; The total number of sheep (excluding lambs): :on 
farms and ranches in. the United ;States.in,.1860, was 
23,975, 000; in 1870, 28,478,000; in 1880, 42,192 000 ; i in 1890, 
40 876, 000 ; and in 1900, 39, 853, 000. a ; 

‘In the far west and portions of the state of Ohio wool 
raising is a separate industry, but in the middle west and 
east, Sheep raising. is generally only, an incident, of. a mixed 
system of husbandry. In 1910 the : average number of ‘sheep 
and lambs to a ranch on the 609,323 sheep farms in the 
United States was 85, although in some of the far western 
states the average was over 3,000. The census showed that 
of the total of 51 ,809 068 ‘reported. from the ranches and 
farms that year, 31,582,097 were ewes, 7,604,672’ were rams 
and wethers, and 12 622,299 were. ‘lanibs born alter January 
1st, 1910. 

_Of the 91,676,281 in Australia. and Waster the same 
year eighty-five per cent’ were in flocks of 1,000 or over, and 
fifty per cent in flocks of 10,000. ‘and. ‘upward. ‘In Queens- 
land:and New South Wales a large percentage ofthe flocks 
contained from 20, 000 to 50,000 individuals, and some 
numbered over 100,000 sheep each. The holdings were 
from 10,000 to 100,000 acres each. 50% of the Australian 
sheep were in New South Wales; 21. 37% in Queensland, 
7.07% in South Australia, 5. 16%. in “West Australia, ans 
1.89% in Tasmania. : 

‘The following table shows the ae number of eee in 
each state and section of the United States in 1910, as well 


THe Sueep FAmI.y. 361 


as the number of ranches or farms, and average number of 


sheep on each. 
No.of Farms Average No. of Sheep 
and Ranches onEach and Lambs 


North Atlantic Division..... 71,467 32 2,273,458 
Maine ..............cceee 11,066 19 206,434 
New Hampshire .......... 2,226 20 43,772 
Vermont ............00005 5,033 24 118,551 
Massachusetts ............ 1,027 32 32,669 
Rhode Island ............ 243 28 6,789 
Connecticut .............. 740 30 42,398 
New York ............... 24,329 17 39,547 
New Jersey .............. 815 35 30,446 
Pennsylvania.............. 25,426 35 882,852 

South Atlantic Division..... 76,188 33 2,507,417 
Delaware ...........0.005 266 29 3,391 
Maryland ..............5. 6,288 38 110,826 
District of Columbia....... er th Bs 
VAPPiMle, ccseiew anes cases ve 21,496 37 803,552 
West Virginia ............ 26,814 35 906,093 
North Carolina ........... 14,694 15 214,176 
South Carolina ........... 1,721 22 37,433 
Georgia ..............000- 5,126 37 187,589 
ORAS. 4 ad adeiss wat ace signees 663 180 113,631 

North Central Division...... 326,231 45 14,595,059 
OhIO anevec seans 4 Gose aes 71,523 55 3,907,055 
Tdiam a seirgiecs sea ayece ap anata ws 38,191 35 1,336,967 
TMM O18: 4 og aye 4 gee 3.8 arecaes 6 26,240 40 1,059,672 
Michigan ................ 54,865 42 2,306,476 
Wisconsin, os cic.s save aces 30,040 31 929,783 
Minnesota ............... 24,549 26 637,033 
OWE a cpcan ania aaa agshe anes 44,010 53 637,033 
MisSOURL. las eter acad ages. 21,789 41 1,144,583 
North Dakota ............ 3,673 79 289,354 
South Dakota ............ 5,155 118 610,928 
Nebraska ...............- 3,043 96 293,496 
FRA NSASSs ns: nites: ele aa ranes 3,153 86 272,472 

South Central Division...... 107,441 43 4,632,651 
Kentucky ................ 45,663 30 1,361,000 
Tennessee ..............4. 29,953 27 793,983 
Ala bana sce -cswin Gd eee sie 6,614 22 142,925 
Mississippi .............4. 5,687 34 194,280 
Louisiana ...............- 3,629 49 178,217 
MeWAS: 5 ssusiadu dey einen & 6,683 263 1,758,384 
Oklahoma ............... 831 72 59,792 
Indian Territory ......... ie Hg>  e Baguke 
APKANBAS aca as Hass es ons 8,381 17 144,190 

Western Division ........... 27,994 993 27,800,485 
Montana, 2s s¢2esu8 asses 2,267 2,370 5,372,639 
Wyomint 22a02s9008eenas% 1,641 3,287 5,274,959 
Colorado ............5005- 1,693 841 1,424,187 
New Mexico ............. 3,113 1,049 3,264,612 
ATIZONA:  § igieie ts die eee 3 1,025 1,035 1,061,363 
Utah) aaccsan eva sieeca doe es 2,416 756 1,826,471 
NOVAOR:. os. ce duc ogee Seine s 316 3,493 1,103,889 
TdahO  weieciaeeass ieee aie 2,995: 985 2,950,534 
Washington ............... 2,116 223 471,521 
QrePOn, gies si see ogee: wh 6,308 427 2,676,729 


California .............60. 3,801 508 2,234,125 


362 UNGULATA. 


The ‘‘Bighorn’’ (Ovis-montana) is the only wild sheep 
indigenous to the North American Continent, and is very 
closely allied to the Kamschatka Wild Sheep (Ovis- 
nivicola). Both of these species, whose rams attain 
a height of three and one-half feet at the shoulder and 
average about three hundred and fifty pounds in weight, 
can be readily distinguished from the Argali (Ovis- 
ammon) of Mongolia, and the Wild Sheep of Tibet (Ovis- 
hodgsoni), by the character of their skull and horns; 
the skull of the last two species having a deeper pit for 
the gland below the eye, and very strongly marked 
wrinkles on the anterior surface of the enormous horns 
which are wanting on the horns of the others. The range 
of the Bighorn extends from Mexico to Alaska, and from 
the eastern points of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific 
Coast. The Kamschatka species is found in the Stanovoi 
Mountains as well as on the peninsula of Kamschatka, 
where its range is separated by little more than the 
Bering Strait from the Alaskan habitat of the American 
species. The skins of the Tibet lambs, sometimes called 
Mandarin lambs, are white; and the long curly wool is 
fine and silky; they take the dye beautifully in fancy 
colors as well as black, but are principally used in their 
natural state for baby carriage robes and fur sets and 
trimmings, or are dyed black and made into muffs and 
boas. Furs made from the skins of the lambs of the 
domesticated Iceland and China sheep are sometimes sold 
as Tibet. The Pamir, which inhabits and takes its name 
from the elevated district in central Asia known as ‘‘the 
roof of the world,’’ has longer curved horns, but does 
not grow to quite. the size of the Argali. The horns of 
some of the male Pamir sheep measure from fifty to 
sixty inches along the outer curve. 

The Armenian and Cyprian Sheep (Ovis-gnelini and 
Ovis-ophion) are two small species distinguished by dark 
colored tails and the absence of horns in the ewes. The 
Armenian sheep is the larger of the two, standing about , 
two feet nine inches. The horns of the males, which have 
a peculiar backward and inward curve until they nearly 
meet at the back of the neck, rarely exceed twenty inches 
in length. The color of the body of these sheep is white 
with the exception of the upper parts which are a russet 


363 


yellow. The females have a characteristic white saddle 
mark on the back. 

Tha Moufion (Ovis-musimon) is probably the ancestor 
of some of the long wool artificial breeds with short flat 
tails and cresentic horns; the origin of some of the tight 
wool varieties like the Southdowns could possibly be 
traced back to the fat tail, and it seems certain that the 
broad tail sheep of Persia, the Arabis and Doozbais of 
Bokhara, and the other producers of close spiral curled 
lambs, like the Astrachan, Persian and Ukranier, are 
strains of the now extinct Ovis-platyura, the original 
broad tail. 

The Moufion is a species entirely confined to the Islands 
of Corsica and Sardinia. It is of compact build and 
stands about twenty-eight inches high. The general color 
is a fox red shading to a light grey on the head; the 
under part of the body, sides and tail, cheeks and parts 
of the lower legs are white. Mouflons generally frequent 
the highest peaks of the mountain ranges in their habitat, 
where they can command a full view of the surrounding 
country. In the pairing season, which occurs in December 
and January, they divide into small parties consisting 
of one ram and several ewes; the lambs—either one or 
two at a birth—are produced in May, and within a few 
days after they are born are able to follow the ewes 
everywhere. The fact that the wild Mouflon occasionally 
desert their own kin to live among tame sheep, and that 
motherless domestic lambs have been known to seek com- 
panionship among a flock of Mouflon, is the strongest 
evidence that the wild sheep and domesticated breeds 
are very closely related. 

The Asiatic wild sheep( Ovis-vignei) known in Punjab 
as the Urial and in Ladok as the Sha, is distinguished 
from the preceding species by its smaller size, more 
diminutive horns, and the presence of a large ruff of long 
hair on the throat, which is much less developed in the Sha 
than in the Urial. The range of this species extends 
from northern Tibet to Afghanistan and into eastern 
Persia, and is generally at elevations of from twelve to 
fourteen thousand feet. The Urial stands about two feet 
eight inches at the shoulders, and the Sha sometimes 
attains a height of three feet. 


364 INDEX. 


INDEX 


A Bear-American Black ....... 119 
Rand Wel Sous ctaveecanes 172 oo ee ee 
Alaska Commercial Co....... 279 AGNHAIOWL cee od noes 119 
Pei e Rabie cae utesret ieee a Grigdly oes e eee ee LdD 
Alpaca ........ a tee Scie bei Himalayan ............ 120 
Ameritas Puy COmpavY en sx Isabella (Hairy Eared) .117 
American Wild Cat......... 140 SVANBNEEE «gas eda nuneus 120 
ANQOTA oo eee eee eee eee ees 348 Malay (Sun) ......... 120 
Animal Kingdoms .......... 85 -Polar {21 
Annual Quantities .......... 61 -Roachback oe ee Y : ‘ “119 
Annual Supply ............ 60 Silver Tip Pesan ince 119 
Antelope-Indian ............ 335 Speetacled an 119 
-Prong-Horn ....... 336 pa ie eaten ewe GND 117 
BUDE creneuomo dive 335 ee 120 
Antilopnie (Antelope) ..... 93 Beat Cah oo ee 74 
AMtlerss co.¢ esa ee elses wanes aes ee Bear Family .....---.------ 117 
SHE apixs den ea sned never ied Beaver-American ........... 277 
a Sa eee eae ane -European ........... 281 
Azpalt ee Fae OY ORE SS sen DORNER DAM w.snenrwenesere 277 
‘Astor, John Jacob...... pos aay MET ee tenon: ra 
Astoria, Founding of........ 16 Beavers Tooth Piek. ey j ’ : ; “989 
Astoria, Surrender of....... 20 ‘ 2 ieee 
Astrachat : 353 Bimana ............---.. 86-269 
GCOGHEC Hl white be eee 317 Bison-American ............ 321 
Weta in dn gee 337 -European ............ 317 
Fang Sn beeaa eeiotae o7g Discs Buek: mevewiss esaeese 335 
NE AYE Dei keke sree Be Black Marten .............. 75 
Azara’s Dog ..........0006. 74 Bless Boek fee 335 
BODaG. cs cists casing ares WA hes ae 307 
B Bovide (Ox) ......ss0cse- 97 
Baboon Family ............. 271 + Breitschwanz .............. 75 
Baboon-Golden ............. etd. “Broadtail. «y2xse e< ihe ¥ vs eees 357 
-Gelada sssssvecceees 271 Brook Mink ............... 75 
-Hamadryas ......... QEL Brambles: cic ssies ices wees cece 351 
Badger-Common ............ 194 Buffalo-African Black ...... 315 
-European .......... 195 PCR DO) vschiaunsiccasacetttieds 315 
eMerret: sae oy tgudeoy 195 -Common ............ 316 
HONG wget oz ee aie 195 -Indian ............. 316 
POA se runercesnden dckes 195 PROG) sib age eades! cera 315 
Stinking a ics caves 195 -Short Horn ......... 315 
Baltic: Seal sss. sii vines wiesietncs ang 74 Burun Duchy .............. 75 
Bandicoots ........--.2-4-- 264. Bush Cat) ocssossacanveaces s 75 
Ban Kaos! 0 icc thes, oe gee seers 74 
IBASSAPISK:. ses dccusstine amg naw « 205 C 
Bassaris Mink ............. 205 Cacomistle ................. 265 


Bay Lyi x sts cds eet ei dee ees 140° Galabar ws pp sare omen ais 75 


INDEX. 365 


Camelide (Camel) ......... 93 
Camel-Bactarian ........... 333 
-Dromedary .........- 333 
Canide (Dog) ...........6- 88 
Caprinie (Goat) ........... 93 
Caracal hic ies eaten s aaess 137 
CarbOW, uss eres eo sedo sean 348 
CATBIVOLA, bocca ced a in 116 
CASING cances anes atari atten 51 
Castoreum ....06c se evevee es 282 
Castoride (Beaver) ........ 94 
Cat-Asiatic ................ 126 
SALONA 2 inc tig wed Rakes 127 
PATLICAN vise dige icles tes 127 
2ANQOTA sa0c208 oie aeeae< 126 
-Australian Spotted ...... 126 
SBIBCK: asta scacneotyeadane's 126 
-Bokharan ...........-.. 427 
2Bush, sce se¢e-cdscen 43 148 
PCB Or vues y aati teenie SES 127 
SOM AUS! dncas Seid seen sek gutve crave 127 
-Domestic ..........-.0-5 126 
-Egyptian .............. 124 
Ah ac eM ee ee eee 77 
-European Wild ......... 123 
-Geoffroy .........- ered 242) 
eGolden v.64 sieve wena vee 75 
ELOUSO® sg cronh ceed Godan osc 125 
-JUNGIC 45s saws da wis ener 125 
“Leopard ac go ees scee sees 128 
SMAT RE ack diss 4 a lsusce ero dunte 126 
sMargay 2.eaie see nvacas 128 
sMolinas: 4 asechapskcee ies 76 
-Mombas ............4-- 126 
-Pampas .........64- 2+. +130 
-Panther ...........-05- 130 
-Paraguay ............4- 126 
-Persian a. 62 cscs veces 126 
-Ocelot-like ...........45 129 
AMGeE ecariarveae ors weal 128 
Cat Common ............... 75 
Cat: Family. . 66200 se scenes 123 
Cate Ty: 40h sists ne igaa'e eau 75 
Cebide (S. A. Monkey)..... 93 

Cerophithecide (Old World 
Monkey) .........0---+e- 93 
Cetacea” siiwaeddaceen anedss 86 
Champagne Fox ........... 78 
Chinchillie (Chinchilla)..... 93 
Chiromyide (Aye-Aye) ..... 89 
Civet-African .............. 147 
-Asiatic ... 0... cee ee eee 147 
-Chinese .........-.-5- 148 
Civet: Cat. sssies cwiseray yeas 76 
Civet Family ..........---- 146 
CHAMOIS: 440.5505 8ee eer aa ss 335 
GUaS. nti bo 2ald Rendon 137 
Chickeree ...........0005-5 302 
China Trade 055.065 caxeuac 12 
Chinchilla-Arica ............ 284 
-Bastard .........- 284 


-Bolivian .......... 284 


Chinchilla-Chilian ......... 284 
PP ORW sarin se inns os 284 
Chinese Lynx ............-. 76 
Chinese Mouflon ........... 76 
Chinese Stone Marten....... 76 
Chinchilla Squirrel ......... 83 
Chinchillone ............... 284 
Chinese Traders ............ 46 
Chiopter@ 2.00600. ewe ses 86 
Chipmunk 2... s0cccsseesees 304 
-American ........ 304 
-Asiatic ........... 304 
-California ....... 304 
Classes: sess ose ecards aa ey 85 
-Anthropada ............. 85 
-Coelenterata ............ 85 
-Echinadermata .......... 85 
-Ichthyopsida ............ 86 
-Mammalia .............. 86 
--Molluseoida ............. 86 
-Mollusks ............... 85 
“PYOUOZA sawed sg maw oe a des s 85 
-Sauropsida ............-- 86 
= VETTES especies esinc deco a 85 
Chimpanzee .............4- 271 
CHIGADY seat eeceatis ao eeacgets tales 134 
Chittenden Hiram Marten.... 29 
Classes of the Invertebrata.. 85 
Classes of the Vertebrata.... 86 
Qlassification-Kingdoms ..... 85 
-Classes ....... 85 
-Families .....87-98 
-Orders ........ 86 
‘Species ..... 99-110 
Closed Seasons ............- 73 
Clouded Leopard ........... 133 
COST. cosine ctiss cohsle gecnndayels 75 
Colobus: sia ss ccaaeuvacnne ee 271 
COIS? 226.608 beoHes 054 oes 57 
Conies-Belgian ............. 292 
STORCH’ ye een csuns ces 292 
-German ............. 292 
Coney-Leopard ............. 76 
Coney-Mole ................ 76 
Cook-Captain .............- 11 
Couguar .......... cece eee 142 
COvote wes cc cee swans cea ene 167 
Coypur Rat .........-...... 293 
CeMMer cacusd as venageaves 360 
CUMALAMS 22.2 essccudciss bios cee 137 
D 
Dalgelty secs cee esa yas ees 77 
Danada . sccsca nes ox coweses 77 
Dasyure> s.c4 ooh ose mtiele sie 265 
Dasyure Family ..........-- 265 
Dasyuride (Dasyure) ...... 91 
Déer-AxiS 6.0 s.0 6s xdaavne 337 
-Black Tailed ......... 338 
-East India ............ 337 
SPAN OW a suas cagia-nde eat 337 


366 


Deer-Mule 
FROG, jscaccass Save dua doet doses 
SVITGANIE, aosce wicn ee avewece 
-White Tail 

Deer Family 

Desman’ ¢-vsiiciee sc gon eens & 

Didelphyide (Opossum) F 

Distillery at Fort William... 

Dog-Azara’s 
-Chinese 
-Collie 
-Dalmation 
-Dingo 
-Domestic .............. 
AB SKIMG: je che iaceg ids, oa. or 
-Newfoundland 

-Pariah 

-Raccoon 
-Siberian 
WILE 6 criise os gianayaue sev ated 

Dog-faced Monkey 

Dog Pamily 2.03.25. 3 062 cassie 

Dormouse-Garden 

-Painted 


-Tree 


es 
Drill 


pe ade odave ies ene 
CHIH: yess es bk onary ee 
Echidnide (Echidna) 
Edentata 
Equide ce re ee 
Ermine 


HOI: 9 bans oe see od aoetet 

Family- 
-Aard Wolf (Protelide)... 
-Antelope (Antelopinz) 
-Ape (Simiide) 
-Aye Aye (Chiromyide)... 
-Baboon (Ceropithecide).. 
-Bandicoot (Peramelide).. 
-Bear (Ursida) .......... 
-Beaver (Castoride)....... 


-Calf (Bovide)........... : 


-Camel (Camelide) 
-Cat (Felide) ........... 
-Chinchilla (Chinchillida).. 
-Civet (Viverride)........ 
-Dasyure (Dasyuride)..... 
-Deer (Cervide).......... 
-Deseman (Myogalide) .. 

-Dog (Canidae) .......... 
-Dormouse (Myoxide) .... 


-Echidna (Echidnide).....- 


-Goat (Capriniz) 


INDEX 
338 Family- 
338 -Hare (Leporide) ........ 94 
338 -Horse (Equinide) ....... 97 
338 -Hyena (Hyenide)....... 89 
337 -Kangaroo (Macropodide). 92 
249 -Lemur (Lemuride) ...... 93 
92 -Marmoset (Halpalide).... 93 
28 -Mole (Talpide) ......... 91 
154 -Monkey (Ceropithecide).. 93 
152 -Monkey (Cebide) ....... 93 
156 -Monkey-South American . 
152 (Cebide@)  csvecsssusves 93 
152 -Musk Ox (Ovibromine)... 97 
156 -Opossum (Didelphyide)... 92 
152 -Ox (Bovide) ............ 97 
153 -Phalanger (Phalangeride) 91 
153 -Platybus (Ornithorhynchi- 
153 B') sis tenses anes breve sense ces 92 
153 -Raceoon (Procyonide).... 89 
155 -Rat (Muride)........... 95 
77 -Rat (Geomyide)......... 95 
151 -Rat (Octodontide)....... 95 
297 -Sea Bears-Eared Fur Seal 
297 (Tricophocine Otariide) 90 
297 -Sea Lions-Eared Hair Seal 
297 (Ulophocine Otariide).. 91 
47 -Sea Dogs-Hair Seals (Pho- 
275 CLOG) sie bcs 5 Mears sinealenesaa ed 91 
59 -Sheep (Ovinez) .......... 97 
49 -Squirrel (Scuride) ...... 94 
-Tapir (Tapiride)........ 98 
267 -Tasier (Tarsiide) ....... 93 
92 -Weasel (Mustelide) ...... 89 
86 -Wombat (Phascolomyide) 92 
943 Felide .................05, 123 
97 Belid@ (Cat) isis asands aa sce 87 
Fene@ “sg. s33 aniearsc cue ees 77 
184 ¥ 
Herret; .3 gas sexe ecaudae eres 186 
PE Bs 3 sigudaed emai alee dem 78 
D> GWASHOR 5), su5, 6 duane duet davacen shee g Sas 180 
45 Fissipeds .........s0eeeeeee 78 
PAtGhy ws ceigine coe nurs pe OOF 191 
89 Florida Mink .............. 77 
93 Foal Leopard ............. 77 
92. Forsythe, Richardson & Co... 8 
89 Fossa-Fossane ............. 149 
93  Foxes-Afghan .............. 164 
91 “ALTICAN s00 500 soe ee eels 164 
87 PATCHE saag eae e-ea aia 161 
94 SBIGCK: © cc avesvengine so 157 
SIS MG), t5 suns tat cones ayers 161 
*Bragil ita) és ccnaw gies 164 
8 “Cape: saecasscawceeins 78 
93 SCOSSAC gigi Sais see Kies 164 
88 “DGSENb 3.3 g adsne be od 164 
91 “GTEY cmae a erumiarniinieg. 158 
93 STEUG® sae triars ante i Oakeley e 164 
91 -Kamschatka .......... 159 
88 se NOLEY case aga cman d, Menard 157 
94 -Patagonia ............ 164 
92 sPHBATIO is. sista cies arad oe 164 
93 AR) sees ca ches pee o's 158 


INDEX. 

Foxes-Silver .............4. 157. Hares-Common ...........+- 
“Steppe ss .gacgua wee sas 164 -White + s..5 ese sees cine 
SWINLEES G02 cieansesteits acta ens 162 Hare Family 2.03 is sae esau « 

Box Pamily: iiss snc 4 vie eee 157 Hollow Horned Ruminants... 

Fox-nosed Monkey ......... 78  Hominide (Mau) .......... 

Fox Raccoon .............. TB) HOPNS: ects ort ics grees eu Sees oS 

Fox Raising ............... 30 = llorse Family .............-- 

Fox Ranches ............... 35  Horse-Kirghiz ............. 

Fox-Trade Names .......... 7% Hudson’s Bay Co........... 

French Leopard ........... 78 Hudson Seal ......s08e0 080% 

French Lynx .............. (S Hull: itveaes ae eos seers eas 

French Seal ............... GS. “Hurant aescsaesesdassed sane 

French Wolf .............. 78 MUHyena-Brown .............. 

Fuchskusu (Australian ‘Spotted ..........00. 

Opossum) ............... 8] “Btriped .sivess canes 

Fur Parming: ... 2230052248 29 Hyaenide (Hyaena) ....... 

Bur Markets: ts sc:s33 css 80-30 45 , I 

FUT TIGERS ii. cob dvs Gecauzs esp acavenne dd 4] 

Bn | MBER tennckccas eranaciiidas SOe OSS 
ae ae te ane eae tet san Ieeland Fox ............... 
See er tee ae Ichneuman .............-.- 

Fur Traders ............... 1 Icthyopsida ................ 

Fur Traders Lexicon........ 74 Imports and Exports........ 

G Improving ey Si ae aes 
: : Increasing Quantities ....... 
eee eee 

Gazelll 34 cacetaccud bu ROMER mee 335 AVC TLE OAL S Senge ae eee a 

Genet-Blotched ............. 1490 Irbit Fair ................. 

-Common ....scceeeeeee 349 Istatsi .....-.-.---.-- ee eee 

Genera-Alphabetical List..... “99 J 

Geomyide (Rat) ........... 95 Jackal .........00.000 eee 

Gibbon Sec aes ae oes aide 271 J AGQUAT. 2 gi Sears oe ORS 

GIUtHOR: aeisiese cciine ag eds 0 5 201 Jaguarondi asta Gac bs <eisatsal's ee ge tee a 

GU. os. si ecece oie eaaher aidan ducpaeeuies 335 Jama Jum ......-eeeceueee 

Goat-Angora ............-.. 348 Japanese Fox .........-.-.. 

Cashmere .........-...349 Jungle Cat...) sess sseee 
China) ss seusraxerens a 349 
Miimelaye: ws -occcs occa -SAGHOS Aatstope ye vy. 
SIDER - a vg en. ou aies sara 347 -Bridled a ; : ; : : ‘ : : 
“Etalian «i. .cwa sees wece's 347 JBuSTY cane 
‘Mongolian ............ 349 {Coin MOU. k ween. 
-Rocky Mountain.......349 -Giant or Grey... 
-Russian .........+.... 349 SIMiSIe: wets es 
‘Siberian .............. 349 -Red . 
TTIDGE ci vee ea sae sien oo 349 x Sit Se ne 
Wo Gok eat aens CCS Gente dios Se ee 
pone Hemly webeain teu ant eed Kangaroo Rats elena 

Goat Raising 5a s-nene vaave 49 Kangaroo Squirrels ......... 

Golden Squirrel ............ 79 in gdom-Animal ........... 

Gopher: (cien ees sens rey nd ds 306 Kinedoms 

Gorilla ee eeeee eee 27 et eprata 00 

ERMINE sete heat ree eee oe ee -Vertebrata; agses2 dea vens 

Gray, Captain ............. 12 Kinkajou of 

GrisOne 26.458 wi. eect h ta ate 18+ Hittiase oss leeca 

RALEBASS) eg siereve-a-devueissi vented a 

Guanaco ...-.-.--. eee eee ee cs TGteens eave Meco ahs 

GUIGTRER: 27 ea tsa ax tPEND Se55SE > Fi aan Acre acemies 

H Koala: s. goi ga nauaene peaaktas 

Hair Seals .............006 908 Kolinsky® ::20%2cesce<a yes es 

Halpalide (Marmoset) ..... 93 Keats. Sales: os ceeoee aca as 

Hamster 5 xiccnnaesasinacests 995 Kam, sscsencies oats ieee see 

Hares-American ............ 291 Kusu (Phalanger) ......... 


259 
259 


368 INDEX. 
L Lynx-American ..........+- 
Tig: ODE ont i sian'd oon 80 SBAY (sg setccina ents. 
Lamson & Co, (Report 1813) 66 pCanadian «ss: soi eet 
Lamb-Astrachan ........... 353 Caracal ....-.-.-++++- 
-Bokhara ..........-.. 354 -Chaus 1-00-50 +2 sees 
-Broadtail ............ 356 ‘Common ....+--.+++-5 
Cape .si08 scsae ee ies 356 -European ......--.-+- 
Chima .........-.00-5 357 “Halifax .....-.....--. 
-Crimmer ..........00- 360 -Pardnie Peas GOS85 Ree 
SDanada: sacxanante cess 354 -Persian .....-.-.--+++ 
sLiceland: els cca veusna sts 357 -Plateau ..-...+-+-+++- 
-Persian ..........ee0 357 RO: i oreigs ds os ae ee eeearienses 
Mhiraz wigs ces aces ss ve 357 ‘Swamp ...-.-------+-5 
Blink 2 Safa sacea ce tie 357 Lynx Cat ..--.-- eee eee eee 
ea Lille) -| a ee eer 362 
“Ukrainer 11.0... 353 M 
Lao: FU yes iis hae caames ceed 80 Machining .............---- 
Largotis ......... acecpinGue aca ait 284 Macropodide (Kangaroo).... 
Leipzig Sales .............. 46 McKenzie’s Party .......... 
Lemming-European ......... 295 McKenzie, Sir Alexander.... 
SMAI SC i 5 i6:seisew: ore a sven 296 Mackinaw Company .......- 
Lemuride (Lemur) ......... 93 Malacca Weasel ............ 
Lemurs-Black .............. 264 MAM. sai oasis oy cele aes re 
Dwark’ <<6s cet sce ges 275 “Maminialia sou eae ctie eae tees 
=MOuSC 2 cei cen 205 = Mamdrill ..222.acciesaveecs 
-Red Front .......... 275 Mangabey ..........-..---- 
*Ring Tall. sai gas as « ORO MBO. vicnim ccaiandamie ch elise 
“Ruffled. ives x cesicy> 274 Markhor’.. caccs2araceuee oes 
eWoolly® oc acne es gees 275 Marmoset .............205- 
HeOR ai tsaineeag ewe a csaees 80 Marmot-American .......... 
Leporide (Hare) .......... 94 -Alpine ............. 
Lewis and Clark Expedition... 15 -Himalayan ......... 
TOXUGON: Sxncif FP eph sais aad a oie aS 74 SHOALY seca c ce sws es 
Leopards-African .......... 132 -Pyrenees ........... 
SBIBOK, 5.5 ieee Havaclt 132 -Rocky Mountain .... 
-Ceylon ........... 130 -Russian ............ 
-Chalibelata ....... 133. Marmot Mink ............. 
-Chinese ........... 133. -Marsupialia; 5. s0..2.840 nde 
-Clouded ........... 133. Marsupials ..............-- 
-Common .......... 133 Martens-Baum ............. 
SCOPERD: acai Resa’ 133 -Beech .esiccs 050026 
-Hunting .......... 134 EDIT piactstes dite Se oe 
-East Indian ...... 130 -Labrador .......... 
-Mongolian ........ 132 SPINE! ce wanegadonea we 
-PErsian assssvncss 132 “Stone? eels eecsig ses ce 
PSNOW © sitet ahi -os 131 Mink-American ............ 
-Turkistan ......... 133 -Chinese .............. 
TANS ang csi wise si evens aoe s 80 -Huropean ............ 
LionsAsiatie oi ccs bee oes wine es 135 2J OPA sawarnsiwaarsnes 
sATTiCan ws scveia asa oeeas 136 -Russian ........-..5.- 
“Barbary ti e.dseie vadeaw tes 136 Mink Enclosures ............ 
CADE: ssc ea yaa DA ae RINK Moe 136 Mink Raising .............. 
-Gugerat .............. 136 Missouri Fur Co. .......... 
SMassad si: ciated s.ccheiee ae 136 Mole-European ............. 
sPOFSION 42% e-toc ew sens 136 Common: 3+ .340eesba%s 
‘Senegal .............. 136 SGATAEN. ssccescis deine’ 
SOOUGATY ss .wedia sane atkag 136 SR GEUE io. oraiie o.ceauaaaeneuaattiona ae 
-““Man Eaters’’ ....... 36 (Moline. jes siiwie dares fdas eed 
Liquor Question ........... 27  Monkeys-Abyssinian ........ 
Lisa, Manuel .............. 26 “Black ssi8 geveus nes 
LIGA cng canals anne bea 333 ABC oF Saha metas 
London Sales .............. 46 Capauchin ......... 


INDEX. 


Monkeys-Common .......... 273 
“Diana, syexeasac ess 272 
Howling Sie Morera ae 274 
-Owlfaced ......... 274 

SAT sai alan paces abe'e wee 
“Spider giwidysc au es 273 
SQUITTEl sare eines 274 
SEMA: Sue 8 gacss weiss 274 
SURAPL 2 nates nee zi4 
-Vervet 7 


-Woolly 
inks Family, 
Monkey Tribe’ 
Monotremata 
Moose 
Mouflou 
Mountain Bear :.... 
Mountain Cat * o0. 
Mountain Entellus '‘ 


Mountain Lion"! \”. . 81 
Mungoose ee: 150 
Maride ....... -295 
Muride (Rat) . 95 
Musk Ox .330 
Musk Rat 298 
Musk Shrew : .249 
Mustelide (Weasel) \J1..'.,..'89 
Myogalide (Desman)! a 91 


Myoxidee (Dormouse) ces wa 


uf N° iausths: 
Native Bear 
Native Cat 
Near Seal 


Neko 
North American Commereial 

PCO nso Bands aetan ade 
Blozth West Company ; 
Nutria ‘ 


Ocelot: » 
Oétodontide (Nutria) . 
Opossum- -Adelaide 


-Australian |. . 260 
-Melbourne .260 
; -Ring-tail!' ... 261 
“Virginia”. toons ee S261 
Orang- -Utang - - 
Otariidae ....0.6.6....5 
ObtGH Babes daldorcccaceeees 
-African 
-American . 
-Arctic 
-Brazilian . 
i -European 
oe -Japanese 
Orders of the Mammalia... 86 
‘“  Oarnivora ........... 86 
-Cetacea ..........005 86 


369 
Orders-Chioptera ........... 86 
-Edentata ............ 86 
-Insectivora .......... 86 
-Marsupialia ......... 86 
-Monotramata ....... 86 
SPTIMALES  oxcioicaddras 86 
-Rodentia ............ 86 
Ungulata ...6s.. wie 86 
Orinthorhynchide (Platybus) 266 
Otariide (Eared Seals)..... 90 
Otter Sea) ca see tcc ns de wes 198 
Ouistitis: x < seeds scans ae cates 273 
QuUAC) iis nd cect: Gs ap earn cael 131 
Overland Expedition ....... 17 
Overland Route ............ 12 
Ovibromae (Musk Ox)...... 97 
Ox-Domestie ............... 331 
, Galloway ............... 332 
‘Wild Ecanavacalone Gino a has esths 332 
‘ P 
Pacific Fur Company........ 14 
Paddy Melon i seg Saeed Sea ketones 82 
Pah, 95 45 Wadd ketene seas 
BSB ONT > js ioe nantes ahah ves Moss 
Palm Cat 
Pampas Fox 
Pande cccecaucse 
Pantha .......: 
Panther ....... 
Paquina ......... 
Paradoxure ... 
Pedemelon 
Peramelide (Bandicoot) | fool 97 
Perameles .......0.40... fees "265 
Persian Lamb ............. 
Perwitsky ...... 
Pesang: as-is duacee. ca Oe 


Phalangeride (Phalanger) ae 
alangers 
Phalanger- -Cooks 
-Great ee 
-Ringtail ... 
-Vulpine 
Phascolomyide (Wombat) . . . 92 
Phocidae 
Phocide ” (True. Seal) 
Pinnipeds 
Piatybus 
Pointed Fox ....... 
Pole Cats .......... 
-Cape 
‘Siberian .... 


Pony-Kirghez _ 
Potto 
Pouched Mammals 
Prairie Dog 
PriC@S" wisn cena gt. 


Primates . 


370 INDEX, 
Prong-Horn .............+- 336 Seal-French ............... 5 
Protelide (Aard Wolf)..... 89 SENS og 8s hada deta ease 227 
PUMias sox see dok chaos Heee baw 143 -Harems 62 sis weno ees 235 
-Hauling Grounds .......237 
SOROS: sees ecene a ore aie 228-232 
Quadrumana .......--..5-6: 269 SEV AIT? cis, ayer Sets aware dud alate 210 
QUE TRA case ace woe ene ee 352 -Hudson ............... 83 
Quality «1.0253 deg dey eee ees 58 ~LeaseS wo... seeeeee +00 6229 
Quantities ........-2..0400- 61 -Migration ............. 231 
Quantities-Increasing ....... 64 FNGST tid hdie cn cuti bare sas 81 
-Protection Treaty.......232 
R -Restrictions ........... 230 
Rabbit: a. vaiseves sw ears 291 -Rookeries .............. 234 
Raccoon ..........e eee eees 203 -Shipments 1912 ........ 243 
-Crab Eating........ 204 “Sorting .ossacaesensaes 238 
Raccoon Dog ..........-4.. 153 MTOALY araus a3 Grau Stes sans 232 
Raccoon Family ...........- 203 Seals (Fur) .............0% 227 
IRASBE df s.4. 2 scigr's's2 pare eee eee 150 Alaska: aeecas eae ngece 228 
Rat-Coypu .....-.-s.-s eee 293 -Cape siuepssoccessseae< 229 
RAO ed sheen deepal Hee ene ees 203 -Cape Horn ............ 228 
Reindeer ..........--..-045 345 -Copper Island ......... 228 
Restrictions ...............- 68 -Japanese ............. 241 
Ring’ Tail. soe6 ii nines sie 'ss 82 -Lobos Island .......... 240 
River Mink ...............- 82 -North West Coast...... 240 
Rocky Mountain Goat....... 329 -Robben Island ........ 241 
A 70)s (20), Ce 206 Shetland .............. 227 
Rodents ..........-.0.0000- 287 ‘South Seal ........... 228 
Ruminants i903 6 cing goa panes 312 Seals (Hair) .............. 209 
Russian Fur Co............- 12 “Baikal © 4 swx-savan eed ame 212 
Russian Leopard ........... 82 -Baltic .216 
Russian Lynx ............. 82 -Bearded .............. 216 
Russian Wolf .............. 82 -Bedlamite ............ 214 
-Caspian .............. 212 
iS) -Common .............. 213 
Sable-Hudson’s Bay ........ 176 “Crested: - saivins Senex s gee 215 
-Russian ............. 175 -Greenland ............ 214 
Tartar cc. dhGebae ae 182 PGROY” ses cationg. aceeetiacute 211 
Sablé POX 2 cnc. weeeee care 78 SETAE) scovsisns Sco treme a sae s 214 
Sable Squirrel ..... 0 ...... 83 -Hooded .............. 215 
Sales: eicccs icc. ase. 2 Se sieeve sodas 45 eMOnk ca eaerechexeg oleic 216 
San Yan? ciaisecscieews wed 83 eNOPwWay’ ee sc suiesss saad 211 
Sapajous: -<ss0 vss. sos soda aes 273 “Ringed ascxisavies aves 213 
Sauropsida ................ 86 ‘Saddle Back .......... 214 
Sciuride (Squirrel) ........ 94 “SPOtS ~shisesninsuundes ...214 
Sea Bears (Fur Seals)...... 227 SUBUCS essen cccusus sey yen Fe 289 
Sea Dogs (True Seals)......209 -Weddell’s ..... POC -216 
Sear FOX os chines vasisem ae cia 78 -West Indian .......... 21le 
Sea Lions (Eared Hail Seals) 223 -White Coat ........... 214 
-Australian ........... ...223 Seals (Elephant)........... 211 
-Californian ............. 224 Seals (Leopard) ........... 211 
-Hooker’s ........e. scene 225 Seals (Wool) .............. 217 
-Northern .............-. 223 Sea Otter ................. 198 
-Patagonia .............. 223 Seedracke ................. 83 
Seal-Baltic ................ 8. Servall os sic ycncerasvicw ture secs 128 
Seal.Catch in 1886.......... 208) Shay sonisg cceivwsexea de iaesise os 363 
Catch in 1912.......... 233 Sheep-American ............ 362 
-Census in 1913........ 243 SATADIC waste oo dae oe aine 253 
-Conservation ........... 231 -Barbary ............ 357 
sCUbS ta esa Ruse o ares as 217 -Big Horn ............ 362 
-Dying ....... err ee 239 SINE? ens cos inidus' a rapanis Gass 357 
-Extermination .........: 227 -Bokhara ............. 354 
-Fisheries-Hair Seal 217 SCDINA - sainiiie seca amas ea 357 


INDEX. 


-Sheep-Crimmer ............ 357 
-Cyprian ............. 362 
eDanada@ cess sees seas 354 
-Domestic ............ 358 
-Doozbai ............. 354 
-Iceland ............4- 357 
-Karakule ............ 353 
-Koodiac ............. 354 
-Long Wool .......... 356 
-Mouflon ............. 363 
-Tight Wool .......... 356 
Wild. avssnapsx nee eae i 362 

Sheep Family .............- 353 
Sheep Raising ............. 358 

Sheep Statistics ............ 359 

Siberian Raccoon .......... 83 

Simmiide (Ape) ........... 92 

BiPENTGy: sce: ate sheuen tf Sreuees arse sents 86 

SIZ) aa coarens a aude ate gana shanty’ 57 

Skinners Co. ...... 206-2 eeee 1 
SHIDMIDG wes soe ys ater oa denis 50 
BkUnE sscesewaeeoeae nes sors 187 

-Little Stripe ......... 188 

-Nicaraugua .......... 190 

-South American ......189 
Skunk Farming ............ 36 
Skunk Opossum ............ 83 
Skunk Raccoon ............ 83 
Skunk Raising ............. 36 
Slink Lamb .............. 357 


Species (Alphabetical List). 99 


Spermophile ............... 305 
Spotted Cat ..........0006, 265 
Springbok ...........+0.-0- 335 
Squirrel Family ...........- 301 

-American Grey ..... 302 

-American Red ...... 301 

-European .......... 302 

-Flying ............ 306 

-Ground ...........- 305 

“ROCK cuss4 ages s eee 304 

-TYE@ oo ee eee nee eees 301 
Snow Leopard .........---- 131 
BLOal sii vagina cae oes 181 
Strathcona-Lord ...........- 24 
St. Louis Salest............ 45 
South American Beaver..... 83 
South West Company........ 11 
Supply-Annual ............. 60 
Sushil vaccsace es aco eaigeiees 305 
Sze Hue .......-. eee eee 84 

T 

Talpide (Mole) .........-- 91 
Tamarins .........-e2+-e cere 278 
TAP wo. cesar dd toe eee ees 352 
Tapiride (Tapir) .........- 93 
Tarifl: .o¢ skaae ees eens 6 69 
Tarpans ......-..eee ee eeee 351 
Tarsier .. 0.0... cc eee eee es 276 


Tarsiide (Tarsiar) 
Tartar Sable 
Tasmanian Devil 
Tasmanian Wolf 
Taupe Fox 
Taxidermy 


Tibet 
Tiger-Bengal 


-White 
Tha 


-Loss of ....... 


Tracker 


Tricophocinae 
Ture Fox 


Ulophocine 
Ungulata 
Urial 


Vervet 


Vuli 


Wallabies-Bennets 


-Bush-Tailed 


-Rock ......... 


-Swamp 


Walrus 


Wapiti 


Weasel Family ........ ‘ 
Weasel) scs.523 aoe 24 saha e< 


-South African 


Weasel Groups ......... 


Weight 


Who Long 
Wildebeest 


Tayra or Tara......... 
Teh Mao wcasisvesance as 


-Chinese .......... 


Treaty of Paris......... 


WiCUNA opis sews seamed bas 
Viseacha ...........065 
"WONG: -siseee: 5d Wield panne aner 


-Black ........ 


Wild Cat-American...... 
-European .... 
Walleroo ..... sie ae aes & 


Wandero0 ..1ces2<encas 


West Tnilia, Oiseeen acne 


nea IBD 


372 INDEX. 


Wolf-Black ............0-05 166 Woodchuck ...............- 308 
-Common ...........05 165 Wolverine .............-005 201 
ACHING). sae dala e se aceniiae V6% = Wool. Seal ssi cece eve cee os 84 
sHarth sossas.se ee spawns 166 Wuychuchol ............ 84, 249 
SGTOY. scape ena Mee teas 166 
PA PONANG dg Gow 8% Deedee 172 Y 
De errata ao. i War Goecianes eels 319 
SE POE: ao e'y Waa og eee 167 Ya M 84 
Russian ...........005 6G: 339 
‘Gouth Aqierieait -..c. 167 Cll. avers ee ess weg see pened 
‘Siberian ............. 166 
-Tibetan ........0..005 167 Z 
ATIM DER” taiacsicteaewtii eas 166 Zebra .........2.00e De sueuaiae S 852 
“Wombat acssia deus oa 265:  ZOrTUWMS. awison acu weirs sens 198 

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