48 FUR BEARING MAMMALS. 



In Manchuria there is a black bear that is very common. It 

 closely resembles the Himalayan black bear, but differs in having a 

 white chin. The natives say that there is another kind with a broad 

 band of white or grey over the shoulders. I am told that this is also 

 the case on the Thibetan frontier, but am inclined to think that they 

 are only variations of the black bears. 



From the bears to the badger, the next animal we have to con- 

 sider, is not a far cry. The skin of this animal is too thick, and the 

 hairs too stiff for it to be used except in rugs, and in the manufacture 

 of shaving brushes. A nice badger skin rug is very pretty, but it is 

 of more value to the Chinese than to Europeans, the former appreciat- 

 ing its damp resisting qualities. They use it to spread on their brick 

 hangs or in carts. The Manehurian hunters all wear nicely dressed 

 badger skins hanging from their belts at the back, in which position 

 they are always ready to form a dry seat. There are several species 

 of badger found in China, at least four of which are recorded from 

 the north. 



The commonest, and most widely distributed species is Meles 

 leptorhynchns , originally described from Peking. It has also been 

 recorded from North Shensi, and I have seen specimens from Shansi 

 as well. Two other species of this genus are recorded from further 

 west. These are M. hanensis and M. siningensis, and they differ but 

 slightly from the Peking form. A fourth species, belonging to the 

 badger family is the sand-badger (Arctonyx leucolcemus) , also from 

 Peking. The members of this genus differ from those of the preceeding 

 one in having very much longer tails, and in walking more on their 

 toes than on the flat of the foot. They have longer snouts and there 

 are distinct skull differences. A subspecies has recently been des- 

 cribed from South Shensi under the name oi A. I. arcstes. 



Under our present heading I must briefly mention the names of 

 two ruminants, whose skins are used as rugs. These are the goral 

 and the antelope. The skin of the latter are even used to make clothes 

 by the Chinese along the Mongolian border. As I am dealing with 

 these animals elsewhere I need not describe them here. 



Under our second heading, which includes those animals whose 

 skins are used as articles of apparel, we have to consider a number 

 of species belonging to widely differing genera. 



If these are taken in the order of their respective importance as 

 fur producers, the weasel family must come first. Of the members 

 of' this large family the sable (Maries zihellina) is certainly the most 

 valuable. This pretty creature is closely related to the pine-marten, 

 the only apparent difference being in its having longer and softer fur. 



