UTILIZATION OF THE SKINS <)F AQUATIC ANIMALS. 325 



noath. At times the long, bushy, iiiid somewluit tapering- tail is tipped 

 with white. Minks from southern localities generallj^ have fuller and 

 thicker tails than those from farther north. 



The fur is generally dark ))luish-brown and sometimes dark blue in 

 case of very dark pelts. It is dense, glossy, short, and exceedingl}^ 

 durable, making it one of the most economical furs in use. The skin 

 is very thin, the thinnest of all the aquatic fur- bearers, yet it is ver}' 

 tough. The mink pelts from cold localities are the choicest and most 

 brilliant; those from southern regions are coarser, harsher and with 

 less difference between the fur and the overhair. The}^ are marketable 

 onl}^ when taken late in autumn, in winter, or early in sjDring. 



When the fur of the mink was very fashionable and correspondingly 

 high in price thirty years ago, several attempts were made to raise 

 these animals in confinement. But it was found difficult to rear them 

 when large numbers were kept together, the breeding being reduced 

 and the females quarreling and fighting and frequently killing the 

 3^oung. Practicall}^ all these experiments ended in failure. 



MARKETS FOR MINK SKINS. 



Few furs surpass that of the mink in richness of coloring, quality, 

 and durabilit}'; yet, owing to the capriciousness of fashion, it has 

 frequently sold at a comparatively low price. It furnishes a striking 

 example of the vagaries of fashion in the fur trade. Formerly it was 

 used almost solely for imitating marten. About 1860 the fashionable 

 world took a fancy to it for cuffs, collars, trimmings, and even for 

 garments of various sorts, resulting in increasing the market price of 

 the pelts from about 50 cents each to $8, $10, or even $20 for very 

 choice skins. A mink muff' of good quality sold for $75 or $100, and 

 a full-depth mink wrap sold at times as high as $1,500. Indeed, dur- 

 ing the sixties, it was the leading fashionable fur of this country. 

 Then its popularit}" gave wa}" to fashion's demand for change of color 

 and shorter pelage, and the price of prime skins decreased from $15 

 each in 186i to $8.50 in 1866, to $3 in 1878, and to $1.25 in 1883. For 

 man}^ years the mink was out of favor and it almost disappeared from 

 the market, But among those who could be'independent of fashion, 

 -this warm, durable fur maintained its former popularity. -It is now 

 somewhat more in demand, but is moderately cheap compared with 

 prices prevalent thirty-five years ago, rarely selling for more than $3 

 each Avholesale, except for very choice skins. In consequence of its 

 many good qualities, it merits much greater popularity than it enjoys. 



About 400,000 mink skins are sold in London each year. This 

 represents about 55 per cent of the total product of mink, the other 

 skins being disposed of at private sale to furriers in Europe and 

 America. About 80 per cent of the total product is obtained from 

 within the limits of the United States, the remainder coming princi- 

 pally from Canada. 



