Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/550

 538 FUR tivities in Poland. The skins of the fisher are worth from $10 to $20 each. The use of fur- seal skins has recently increased to such an ex- tent that it is now one of the leading furs of Eu- rope and America. In England it is a staple article for ladies' jackets. In Russia it is much used for linings, and in the United States it has become fashionable for both ladies' and gentle- men's wear. The total number of fur-seal skins annually obtained is about 1 60,000. They are found in small numbers on the E. coast of Asia, on the "W. coast of South America, and in the South Atlantic and Indian oceans ; but most of the vast resorts of former years in the Southern ocean have disappeared, and the race has been nearly exterminated by in- discriminate killing. The chief source of sup- ply is now the islands of St. Paul and St. George, about 300 m. from the coast of Alaska, where seals resort in great numbers from May to November for the purposes of reproduction, rearing their young, and shedding their coats of hair. During this season the shores for miles are lined with millions of these animals, of which about 100,000 are annually taken. The seal skins, when taken from the animal, are simply salted, and in this condition sold to the manufacturers, who clean, dress, and dye them ; the process taking about four months, and involving a vast amount of labor and skill to bring them into a* proper condi- tion to be made into garments. In the pro- cess of manufacture each 'skin is handled more than 200 times before it is turned out in a state suitable for the furrier's use. The natural color of the fur, which underlies the coarse hair or outside covering, is a dirty cin- namon, and the skins are dyed 12 to 18 times to bring them to .the dark bronze or jet-black usually worn. The great amount of skilled labor required to perfect them adds materially to the cost. Thus the average price of raw skins is about $13 each, and of dressed about $21. The choicest specimens of the latter are valued at about $65. Sacques made of seal skin for ladies command prices varying from $100 to $400. This is the only standard fur which is improved by being dyed ; in all other cases this process is used to palm oif an inferior fur for one of superior grade. But the fur of the seal is not only made more beautiful in color by being dyed, but it is changed from a curly to a straight condition, and acquires a rich velvety quality. The chief establishments for the preparation of seal skins are in Lon- don, and employ a large capital and numerous workmen. The knowledge of the dye used is kept a strict secret. There is but one es- tablishment of this kind in the United States (in Albany, N. Y.), and this is of limited capacity. The skin of the hair seal, found on the E. coast of North America, is used for trunks, military purposes, &c. ; that of the wool seal is used largely in the French army for knapsacks. The skins of the otter (lutra vulgaris, L. Canadensia} make a beautiful and warm fur, which is much valued, especially by the Russians, Greeks, and Chinese. It is for the most part an American product ; but it is also procured to some extent in the British isles from a smaller variety of the species. Another small variety with short fur is also found in the East Indies. The American otter is most abundant in the British possessions. It has a dark glossy brown fur, which is of two kinds, one being short, soft, and thick, the other longer and coarser, and intermixed with the former. It is worn chiefly by gentlemen, and is also used for ladies' trimmings. The price of an average dressed skin is about $13, and of the finest specimens about $18. Among valuable furs that of the sea otter holds a high rank. Its production is limited, and it com- mands a very high price, $400 being some- times paid for a choice skin, while the aver- age price is about $50. These furs are exten- sively worn by the nobles of Russia, and are highly esteemed by the Chinese. The supply is obtained chiefly from the coasts and isl- ands of the North Pacific and about Kam- tchatka and Alaska. About 4,000 are annually taken off the coast of Alaska. The thick glossy fur, which is exceedingly fine and long, has a prevailing rich black color, tinged with brown above, and presenting lighter colors below. The finest kinds are sometimes tipped with silver-gray hairs. It is a curious fact that the skins of this animal are sometimes taken almost around the world before reaching the place where used. Thus many of them, caught N. W. of Alaska, are sent successively to San Fran- cisco, London, Leipsic, Moscow, Nizhni Novgo- rod, and finally to their destination in China. The chinchilla (chinchilla lanigera) is an ani- mal intermediate between the squirrel and the rabbit, and inhabits South American coun- tries. Individuals producing the darkest and best colored skins are found in the cold moun- tain regions of Chili and Peru. The fur, which is silvery gray, is remarkable for its fineness and softness. It is used for ladies' and children's sets, but more especially for lining and trimming cloaks and other articles of cloth- ing. About 100,000 skins are taken annually, which are chiefly consumed in France, Ger- many, and Russia. The best skins of the Arica chinchilla, from Buenos Ayres, are worth about $6, though the average price is only about half that sum. The lynx includes the Canada lynx and the lynx cat (felis Canaden- sis, F. nifct). The fur is soft, warm, and light, naturally grayish, with dark spots, but com- monly dyed a beautiful shining black. It is used for facings and linings of cloaks, for the most part in America, brought back from England. It is also largely used for ladies' mourning attire. The skins of the lynx are valued at from $3 to $5. The fitch is the European polecat (piitorius communis). Its fur is of about the same value as that of the lynx, and is used chiefly for coat linings and ladies' wearing apparel. The demand for it