align="right">15,314

14,280 20,737 Lynx 8,856 31,892 56,611 Wolf 3,756 4,207 2,771 Wolverine 718 865 734 Skunk 1,478 5,023 11,430 Bear, Black 3,943 3,740 4,042 Bear, Brown 387 353 432 Bear, Grey 108 123 94 Bear, White 89 59 137 Badger 125 169 322 Raccoon 140 243 600

The combined offerings of C. M. Lampson & Co., and A. & W. Nesbitt were as follows at the Spring Sales in 1907, 1908 and 1909:

The noticeable falling off in the Hudson's Bay Company offerings can be accounted for from the fact that more "free traders," as the Great Company calls them, are yearly encroaching upon their territory.

The offerings of Lampson and Nesbitt is short of a year ago with the exceptions of beaver, muskrat and skunk. The advanced price of muskrat, no doubt, caused more trapping of these animals than ever before. Again the fact of the dry fall in many localities bunched the rats, so that they were much easier caught. The rats offered at the recent sales are largely fall and winter. From reports, the collection of spring rats will be very light—in many localities not more than one-fourth of an average collection.

While the offerings now show some 200,000 in excess of March, 1908, and also March, 1907, indications are that before the year 1909 ends there will be a shortage in the total rat catch for the year. Considerable anxiety is felt regarding skunk, as the number offered was 545,280 compared with 416,000 in March, 1908, which is nearly 130,000 more. This is hardly a fair test. The offerings at March Sales 1908 were light from the fact that skunk were not in demand at the beginning of the fall season of 1907, when a good per cent. of skunk are caught for the following March Sales. Go back another year, that is March, 1907, and see what the offerings of skunk were; you perhaps will be surprised to learn that it was 615,900 or 70,000 more than at this spring's sale. The offerings of beaver were larger than a year ago, but with these exceptions, there appears a decided falling off—note the quantity of fox, coon, marten, lynx—all much less.

Furs are fashionable throughout the entire civilized world, and the catch seems inadequate on many articles. This is probably responsible for the high prices. At any rate, some articles have advanced beyond all previous high record. Prices for wolf, fox, lynx, wild cat and muskrat are very high, as well as many other American raw furs. Skunk reached a price that no one expected the past season. Since early in March or shortly after, too late to get goods into the London Sales, prices were lowered on skunk, opossum, raccoon and some grades of mink, especially Southern and Southwestern, but at the same time it should be taken into consideration that the quality is not so desirable as during the midwinter months.

Many believe that by far the most of the furs come from the Far North. This is erroneous. It is true that the most valuable furs, such as silver, black and cross foxes, lynx and marten, come from that section. Some of the best otter, red fox and mink are also secured in the far northern country. Yet fully one-half of the value of the American catch of raw furs is comprised in the three following articles—skunk, mink and muskrat.

In the Far North there will be foxes, otter, mink, and marten for some time to come. But what