CAT-SKINS IN COMMERCE. 1 69 



electrical, giving off sparks which in a dark room are easily 

 visible. 



In this place a few particulars, taken from the same work, 

 may be given in regard to the commercial value and uses of 

 the skins of some of the species of Cats already noticed. In 

 the case of the Lion, a fine black-maned skin may be worth 

 from £50 to £70 ; whereas yellow-maned, or menagerie, 

 skins will not fetch more than from £5 to ,£30 ; those of 

 Lionesses selling at from 10s. to 30s. The value of a Tiger- 

 skin is much less, a good Bengal specimen being obtainable at 

 from £4 to £6 ; while the claws vary in value from 9d. to 5s. 

 Some idea of the enormous numbers in which these animals 

 exist, may be gathered from the statement that in the year 

 1886 no less than 1,464 Tigers are reported to have been 

 killed in British India alone. The Siberian Tiger is, however, 

 much more valuable, Mr. Poland stating that skins will fetch 

 from ^10 to ^40 ; while as much as £66 has been paid for 

 an unusually fine specimen. Upwards of 135 of these skins 

 were imported into this country in 1891. 



Leopard-skins, of which a few thousands are annually im- 

 ported into England, vary in value from 12 to 52 shillings 

 each. They are extensively used as housings by some of our 

 cavalry regiments, while they are also made into rugs, foot- 

 muffs, wrappers, slippers, &c. Ounce-skins are more valuable ; 

 the price generally ranging from £2 to £6 10s., although £j 

 has been paid for a particularly fine one. Black Leopard-skins 

 are always highly prized. No details are given by Poland 

 regarding Jaguar-skins ; but he states that Puma-skins are only 

 worth about five shillings each, their chief use being for 

 wrappers or rugs. The handsome skins of the Clouded 

 Leopard, on the other hand, sell for between £3 and £4 

 each ; while those of the Ocelot vary from 2s. to 4s. 6d. 

 None of the other smaller Cats are of much commercial im- 



