UTILIZATION OF THE SKINS OF AQUATIC ANIMALS. 



By Charles H. Stevenson. 



PREFATORY NOTE. 



The utilization of the skins of animals is coexistent with the devel- 

 opment of human activities. To the primeval man they were invalu- 

 able. They clothed and protected his bod}^ from the weather; they 

 supplied him with tents, with boats, with thongs for the chase, and 

 with innumerable articles requiring the use of firm membranous struc- 

 ture. The development of the textile industries, however, greatly 

 reduced their relative importance, and spinning and weaving now to 

 a very large extent supply the articles formerly made from the skins 

 of animals. While by no means so important to man as formerly, 

 numerous uses yet exist for these products and create a demand for 

 them approximately equal to the present resources. 



The skins of most mammals are covered to a greater or less extent 

 with hair, which serves to protect the bod}^ against external influences, 

 especially that of low temperature. In addition to the hair, and coex- 

 istent with it, many animals, particularly those of cold latitudes, have 

 fine, soft underhair, termed fur. When the fur is sufficiently thick and 

 soft, its value, left on the skin, exceeds that of an}^ leather which can be 

 made from the membranous tissue alone. This gives two classes of 

 skins, (1) those deriving their value froui the covering of fine under- 

 hair, which are used as furs, and (2) those dressed as leather without the 

 hair. The present paper is, therefore, naturally divisible into two parts, 

 the first relating to aquatic furs and the second to aquatic leathers. 



While the writer desires to acknowledge his indebtedness to all per- 

 sons who have rendered assistance in the collection of material for this 

 paper, yet the number is so large that to cite each one individual!}^ 

 would be to list the principal manufacturers and merchants handling 

 furs and fanc}^ leathers in America and many in Great Britain, each 

 of whom has been uniformly obliging in furnishing all information 

 asked for. However, it is desired especially to refer to the courtesy 

 of Mr. Alfred Frazer, Mr. Max Bowsky, Mr. Adolph Bowsky, Mr. 

 Samuel Williams, Mr. Joseph Ullman, Mr. Belden, and Mr. Robert 

 Badcock, of New York City. To Messrs. John Russitz & Co. and to 

 Messrs. Revillon Freres, of New York City, we are indebted for the 

 loan of furs for photographing purposes, and to Messrs. Tifi'any & Co., 



of New York, for photographs of several aquatic skins, 



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