velvety fur of a pretty bluish shade. Although the skins are comparatively cheap, the cost of dressing is high on account of the considerable amount of labor involved. The pelt is very light in weight, but does not resist well the friction of wear.

Monkey, Black.—18 × 10 inches. The species usually found on the west coast of Africa, is the one of interest to the fur trade. The hair is very long, very black and bright, with no under-hair, and the white pelt is very noticeable by contrast.

Muskrat, Brown, Black, Russian.—12 × 8 inches. A very prolific rodent of the amphibious class, obtained in Canada and the United States. It has a fairly thick and even brownish under-hair, and a rather strong, dark top-hair of medium density. It is a durable and not too heavy fur. It is used natural, but recently the plucked, sheared and dyed skins have found a very extensive use as Hudson seal, an imitation of real seal. The so-called black variety of muskrat is found in New Jersey and Delaware, but only in comparatively small numbers. The Russian is also very small and limited in numbers. It is of a pretty silvery-blue shade with even under-hair, with very little silky top-hair, and silvery-white sides, presenting altogether a marked effect.

Nutria.—20 × 12 inches. Is a rodent about half the size of the beaver, and when plucked, has only about half the depth of fur, which is not so close. It is often dyed a seal color, but its woolly nature renders it less effective than the dyed muskrat. The skins are obtained from northern South America.

Opossum, American.—18 × 10 inches. Is a marsupial, the only one of its class found outside of Australia. The under-hair is of a very close frizzy nature, and nearly white, with long bluish-grey top-hair mixed with some black. It is found in central sections of the United States, and is frequently dyed imitation skunk.

Opossum, Australian.—16 × 8 inches. Is of a totally different nature from the American. Although it has fur-hair and top-hair, the latter is sparse and fine, so that the fur coat may be considered one of close even under-hair. The color varies according to the district of origin, from blue-grey to yellow with reddish tones.

Those from near Sidney are a light clear blue, while those from Victoria are a dark iron-grey, and stronger in the fur-hair. The most pleasing shade of grey comes from Adelaide. The reddest are the cheapest. The ring-tailed opossum, 7 × 4 inches, has a very short, close and dark grey under-fur, some almost black, but the skins are not used extensively. The Tasmanian opossum, grey and black, 20 × 10 inches, is of a similar description, but larger, darker, and stronger in the under-hair.

Otter, River.—The size varies considerably, as does also the length of the fur, according to the origin. It is found in greatest numbers in the coldest northern regions, and with the best under-hair, the top-hair being unimportant, as it is plucked out. Most of the best river otters come from Canada and the United States, and average 36 × 18 inches. The skins from Germany and China are smaller and shorter furred. The colors of the under-hair vary from very dark brown to almost yellow. Both the fur and the leather are extremely strong, and many skins are dyed imitation seal after plucking.

Otter, Sea.—50 × 25 inches. Is one of the most beautiful of furs. The under-hair is of a rich, dense, silky nature, with short and soft top-hair, which is not plucked. The colors range from a pale grey-brown to a rich black, and many skins have a sprinkling of white or silver-white hairs. The blacker the under-hair, and the more regular the silver points, the more valuable is the skin.

Pony, Russian.—This is a comparatively cheap, but very serviceable fur, and possesses some very desirable qualities. It has a thin leather, but is also scantily haired. Young pelts have a design on them somewhat similar to broadtail lambs, or moire astrachans, but this design is lost to a considerable degree by dyeing the furs. The hair, which is very glossy, is generally dyed black, although the natural pelts are also worn extensively.

Rabbit.—10 × 16 inches. The fur is thick and fine, but the pelt is very weak. It is a native of central Europe, Asia, North and South America, New Zealand and Australia. The color ranges from white to black. France, Belgium and Australia are the greatest producers of rabbits suitable for dyeing black, the so-called French seal, for which they are mostly used. At the present time the dyeing of rabbits constitutes a considerable percentage of the total fur-dyeing operations in this country. The most varied shades are produced on rabbit, and it probably is the basis of the greatest number of dyed imitations of better furs. In addition to the French seal, or sealine, rabbit is dyed in imitation of beaver, mole, etc.

Raccoon.—20 × 12 inches. Varies considerably in size, quality and color of the fur, according to the part of North America in which it is found. The under-hair is 1–1¹⁄₂ inches deep, pale brown, with long top-hair of a dark and silvery-grey mixture of a grizzly type, the best having a bluish tone, and the cheapest a yellowish or reddish-brown. The best skins come from the northern part of the United States. The skins have a wide use natural, but are also dyed dark blue, or imitation skunk, the latter being a very effective and attractive substitute, and extensively used. Sometimes the skins are plucked, and if the under-hair is good, the effect is similar to a beaver.

Sable, American and Canadian.—17 × 5 inches. The skins are sold in the trade as martens, but since many of the skins are of a very dark color, and almost as silky as Russian sable, they have come to be known as sable. The prevailing color is a medium brown, while many are quite yellow. These pale skins have been dyed so well that they can cheaply substitute Russian sable. The finest skins are from the Eskimo Bay and Hudson Bay districts, the poorest from Alaska.

Sable, Russian.—15 × 5 inches. Belongs to a species of marten similar to the European and American, but much more silky in the texture of the fur. The under-hair is close, fine and very soft, the top-hair is regular, fine and flowing, and silky, ranging from 1¹⁄₂ to 2¹⁄₂ inches in depth. In color they vary from a pale stony or yellowish shade to a rich, almost black, dark brown, with a bluish tone. The leather is exceedingly close and fine in texture, very light in weight, and very durable. The Yakutsk, Okhotsk, and Kamchatka sorts are good, the last being the largest and fullest-furred, but of less color density than the others. The most valuable, are the darkest from Yakutsk in Siberia, particularly those having silvery hairs evenly distributed over the skin, but these furs are very rare.

The Amur skins are paler, but often of a pretty, bluish tone, with many interspersed silvery hairs. The fur is not so close or deep, but is very effective nevertheless. The paler skins from all districts are now tipped, the tips of the hair being stained dark, the fastest dyes being used, and only an expert can detect them as differing from the natural shades.

Seal, Fur.—The sizes range from 24 × 15 inches to 15 × 25 inches, the width being the widest part of the skin after dressing. The most useful skins are the pups 42 inches long, the quality being very good and uniform. The largest skins, known as wigs, and ranging up to 8 feet in length, are uneven and weak in the fur. The supply of the best sort is chiefly from the northern Pacific, Pribilof Islands, Alaska, northwest coast of America, Aleutian Islands, and Japan. Other kinds are taken from the south Pacific regions. The dressing and dyeing of seal takes