814 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



throughout that century probabl}^ did not exceed 100,000 skins 

 annuall}', although on three or four occasions the annual receipts at 

 London exceeded 200,000, but in other years they amounted to onl}' 

 25,000 or 30,000. During the second and third decades of the nine- 

 teenth century the output increased considerably, principally on 

 account of the greatly increased market value and the opening up of 

 new trapping territory. In 1829, for the first time, the London 

 receipts exceeded 1,000,000 skins, the total l^eing 1,165,663. The 

 annual receipts thereafter fluctuated greatly, but on the whole con- 

 tinued to increase, exceeding 2,000,000 in 1862, 3,000,000 in 1867, and 

 4,000,000 in 1871. Since the year last named, the price of the skins 

 has greatly decreased, but the receipts at London have been fairly 

 constant, averaging about 3,500,000 annually. 



In addition to those handled at the London sales, about 2,000,000 

 muskrat skins are placed on the markets each year. Of these, 1,500,000 

 pass through Leipsic, and 500,000 are sold to the furriers of the United 

 States and Canada without passing through the two large market cen- 

 ters. This makes an aggregate of over 5,000,000 skins annually, of 

 which nearly one-fourth are obtained from the Dominion of Canada 

 and the remainder are caught in the United States. The total product 

 of muskrat skins in the United States and Canada during the nine- 

 teenth century reaches the enormous amount of 250,000,000 in number, 

 sufficient to make a blanket covering nearly 4,000 acres. 



Formerly the fur of the muskrat was used largely as a substitute 

 for that of beaver in hat-making, forming a cheap aYid fairl}^ satisfac- 

 tory imitation. Owing- to its scarcity it was then of much greater 

 value than at present, selling for 40 or 50 cents per skin, even equaling 

 the value of the mink at times. The general adoption of the silk hat 

 resulted in a great decrease in the demand, and the price fell as low as 

 6 or 7 cents per skin, and trapping then was of little profit. During 

 the last sixty years muskrat has been used principally as dressed fur, 

 prepared in imitation of the more highly prized beaver, otter, and 

 fur-seal. It is aliout the best of all the cheap furs. 



In the market muskrat skins are classed as "firsts,'"' "seconds," 

 "thirds," "fourths," and "kittens." The firsts are .those caught 

 during the spring or very late winter; seconds are caught in mid- 

 winter; thirds, those taken in very early winter or fall; fourths, in 

 early winter or fall, and are poor and small; and kittens are those less 

 than 3 or 4 months old. The value of the skins varies from 5 to 40 

 cents each, according to color and condition. Those from the Chesa- 

 peake average about 14 cents each for brown and 25 cents for black. 

 The black pelts are marketed principally in Russia, where thev are used 

 for coat linings, but many are used in England, France, and America 

 for cloaks, trinnnings, and gloves. The price of the No. 1 black skins 

 at the last London sales averaged l.v. 3<7. ; in 1891 it was about l.s'. T</., 

 while in 1S75 it was over 3.v. The lighter skins fetch al)out Id. <Mich. 



