Class XVI.]
385
taken for the animal from which the musk of commerceis procured, which is a native of Tibet . About one mil-lion skins are brought to this country annually; thefur resembles that of the beaver, and is used by hatmanufacturers. The skins are also dyed by the furrier,aud manufactured into many cheap and useful articles.
Nutria , or Coypou ( Myapotamus coypus), —This rodentquadruped is an expert swimmer, and frequents the neigh-bourhood of water, where it lives in burrows ; it is smallerthan the beaver, and considerably larger than the mus-quash, but has a resemblance to both these animals in itsnatural habits, and in the qualities of the fur.
Until lately this fur was very much used by hat manu-facturers, and as many as 600,000 skins have been annu-ally imported from Buenos Ayres and Chili, in whichcountries the animal abounds. Owing to the wars thatcontinue to be carried on between the different states ofBuenos Ayres, and the consequent withdrawal of thetrappers from their accustomed occupations, the importa-tions have fallen to 3,000 skins, which are dressed anddyed as a substitute for the costly fur seal.
Hamster (Crketus vulgaris). —About 100,000 of the skinsof the hamster are annually collected in central Germany ,where the animal abounds; it has a poor, short, andcoarse fur, and is almost exclusively used for cloak liningsby the Greeks; the colour of the back is a reddish-brown,the belly black, with a few light spots. The animal isabout 9 inches in length, and lives under ground, formingseveral apartments for storing grain separate from its ownhybernaculum. It is so industrious and provident, thatwhen the peasants go “hamster nesting” in the winter,they possess themselves not only of the skin but of thevaluable store of good grain, which is said frequently toexceed two bushels.
Perwitzky.—The skin of this animal is beautifullymarked like tortoiseshell, and is brought from the south-eastern territories of Asiatic Russia ; the fur is short,giving little warmth, and is chiefly made into cloak-linings, and used by the Russians .
Beaver (Castor Americanus). —Beaver skins are importedby the Hudson’s Bay Company in less quantities thanformerly ; the use of the fur in our hat manufactories hasgreatly diminished since the introduction of silk hats, anda considerable depreciation has taken place in their value.This beautiful fur is sometimes used for articles of dress.In order to prepare the skin for this appropriation thecoarse hairs are removed, and the surface is very evenlycut by an ingenious machine, somewhat similar to thatused in dressing cloth. The fur thus prepared has abeautiful appearance, not unlike the costly South Seaotter, and has the advantage of lightness, with durabilityand cheapness.
The white wool from the under part of the beaver stillobtains a high price, and is largely exported to France ,where it is manufactured into ladies’ bonnets. There isno doubt that the beaver was formerly an inhabitant ofthe British Isles , and Pennant remarks that two or threewaters in the principality of Wales still bear the name ofLlyn yr afangc, or the Beaver’s Lake.
Otter ( Lutra vulgaris , Lutra Canadensis), —The largesupply of otter skins used by the Russiaus and Chinese isderived principally from North America . The quality ofthe fur is in most respects similar to the otter of theBritish Isles , of which there are about 500 skins collectedannually. This animal has frequently been tamed, andfrom its extreme agility in the water, has been renderedserviceable in catching fish for the use of its owner.
The American otter is much larger in size than theEuropean , being about 5 feet from the nose to the tip ofthe tail; a smaller variety abounds in the East Indies, thefur of which is very short.
Sea Otter ( Enhydra marina). —The sea otter has a verythick, soft, woolly fur, and is most highly prized by theRussians and Chinese , to whom most of the skins areexported. In its habits it is allied to the seal, but hasnever been met with in large numbers. It is found in theNorth Pacific, from Kamschatka to the Yellow Sea onthe Asiatic coasts, and from Alaska to California , on theAmerican coast.
The annual production is about 1,000 skins, of which
100 are imported into this country by the Hudson’s Bay Company .
Seal (l J hoca). —There are numerous varieties of theseanimals, some of which are found on the western coastsof Scotland , Ireland , and Wales . They frequent, in im-mense numbers, the coasts of Newfoundland , Greenland ,and Labrador, and the importations into this countryfrequently exceed 500,000 in one season. The youngseals of some species increase in size with great rapidity,aud it is asserted by the seal fishers that they double theirbulk in eight days. The greater portion are tannedand enamelled with black varnish for ladies’ shoes; otherdescriptions are well adapted for fur, especially the sealof the South Seas and the north-west coast of America .Before they can be used as a fur, it is necessary to removethe very coarse hairs which cover a beautifully fine andsilky fur. The roots of these hairs are deeply seated inthe substance of the thick pelt, while the fur is stronglyattached to the upper surface of the skin. By shaving thepelt to half its natural substance the roots of the coarsehairs are cut through, and they easily fall out; but thesame eifect is produced by a natural process of fermenta-tion, which ensues when the skins are properly preparedand allowed to remain together. The soft curly fur ofthe seal is now rarely used in its natural state, but isdyed a deep Vandyke brown, and has the appearance ofthe richest velvet.
Fox. —Of foxes’ skins brought to this country there aremany varieties ; the black and silver foxes ( Vulpes fulvus,var. argentaius) from the arctic regions are the most valu-able. Many of the skins in the Exhibition are worth from10 guineas to 40 guineas. They are purchased for theRussian market, being highly prized in that country.The cross and red foxes ( Vulpes fulvus) are used by theRussians , Turks, and Greeks for cloak-linings and collars.The blue and white foxes are used in this and othercountries for ladies’ dresses. The white foxes (Vulpeslagopus) are represented by arctic voyagers as exceedinglynumerous, and migrating in troops over the frozen seasat the approach of the rigorous season. They are easilycaught, fifteen having been taken from one trap in fourhours.
Wolverine (Gulo Ittscus). —This animal, which is onlymet with in North America , Norway , and Sweden , is nowgenerally considered by zoologists as identical with theglutton of old writers. It is extremely mischievous tothe fur-trader, and will follow the marten-hunter’s pathround a line of traps extending forty or fifty miles, merelyto come at the baits. The fur is generally dark nut-brown, passing, in the depth of winter, almost into black,and is chiefly used in Germany and other northern coun-tries for cloak-linings.
Bear (Ursus).— There are several descriptions of bear-skins used by the furrier. The skin of the black bear ofNorth America (Ursus Americanus) is used in this countryfor military purposes, for rugs, and carriage hammer-cloths. In Russia it is frequently manufactured for sleighcoverings, and the skin of the cub bear is highly valuedfor trimmings and coat-linings. That of the grey bear(Vrsus ferox ) is applied to similar uses. That of thewhite polar bear, of which the supply is very limited, isfrequently made into rugs, bordered with the black andgrey bear skins. The fur of the brown or Isabella bear(Ursus Lsabellinus) has frequently been very fashionablein this country, when its value has been tenfold the pre-sent price. It is still considerably used in America forvarious articles of ladies’ dress.
Hare.—The wool or under fur of the F.uropean greyhare (Lepus timulus) is extensively used for manufacturingfelt hats, both in Europe and America . A few of theseare dressed for the purpose of being worn as a protectionto the chest.
The white hare of Russia and the polar regions (Lepusglacialis) was formerly much worn in its pure white stateas a lining for ladies’ cloaks, and as a substitute for thewhite fox, but the skin being exceedingly tender, its usefor this purpose has been discontinued. The white hareis also frequently dyed; it looks exceedingly rich, but isnot very durable.