252 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Perfumers exercise niiich care in the selection of the ambergris 

 whicli they use. The wliolesale dealer grades liis stock of the material 

 according to its odor, appeai-ance, etc. But this is b,y no means suflfi- 

 cient for the trained olfactory sense of the perfume-manufacturer. 

 Before determining the use of a special lot he tests it b}^ his own 

 standards, and these tests may extend over a month, especially for 

 durability of perfume. Some manufacturers pi'ize most highl}^ those 

 lots and grades which another manufacturer would not accept. The 

 selection of just the proper quality to pi'odnce the desired bouquet 

 forms one of the niceties of the perfumer's art. 



The value of ambergris depends largely on its scarcity at the time 

 and its freedom from impurities. During the last thirt}' yeai-s it has 

 varied in price from ♦o to $40 per ounce. At the present time it is 

 quoted at $8 to $30 per ounce. In 1880 crude ambergris lii'ought home 

 by the whalers was sold at 110 an ounce and the di-ied article at $20 

 an ounce. In 1870 the value, dried, was $25 an ounce. In the London 

 Price Current of Colonial Produce in 1807 ambergris is ([noted at 40s. 

 to i5.s. per ounce for "gra^'', fine." Considering the i'esi)ective i^ur- 

 chasing powers of money two centuries ago and at the present time, 

 that price is quite equal to the average value in recent years. 



