The Fur Animals of Louisiana 399 



that all are hair or damaged fall into the No. 4 cate- 

 gory. 



Usually, foxes trapped in the early fall are blue pelted 

 and, as a consequence, very thinly furred, being conse- 

 quently of little or no value, while late-caught gray foxes, 

 although prime pelted, and usually "springy," or, at least, 

 badly rubbed, and the trapper, therefore, cannot expect 

 anything but a poor price for a poor skin. 



The fox must be cased when prepared for the drying 

 operation or it is not worth while to send it to a dealer. 



"Civet" 



The little striped skunk, or "civet," as those in the fur 

 trade persist in calling this diminutive brother of the com- 

 mon skunk, when considered by the fur grader, falls into 

 one of the three grades: 1, 2, 3. 



In contradistinction to the grading of the common skunk 

 by the amount of white found in the pelage, no attention 

 is paid to the white markings of the little spotted skunk, 

 but to grade as a No. 1 the pelt must be prime and the 

 pelage well furred. A No. 2 is usually well furred, but 

 with a bluish pelted skin, while the No. 3's are those skins 

 which are dark blue of pelt and with thinly furred pelage. 



The little striped skunk must be cased after it is skinned 

 off the body and well cleaned of fat. 



Muskrats 



Muskrats from Louisiana are usually referred to in the 

 trade as "Southern 'Rats" and in grading them no numerals 

 are used, but special designations have become established 

 in the fur trade. While it is true that color plays an im- 

 portant part in determining the price that is paid the 

 trapper, the dark, furred and reddish colored pelts com- 

 mand the best prices. 



The following classification usually determines the 



value * 



"Tops," "Mediums," "Seconds," "Flats," and "Kits" and 

 "Damaged." It is quite true that when these Louisiana 

 muskrats reach the eastern market and offerings are made 

 at such sales as the New York Fur Auction Company and 



