324 KEJ'OKT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



or otherwise protected. In skinning-, u cross slit is made down tlie 

 hind log-s and a lonjjfitudinal (;ut made along the under side of the tail 

 througliout its hMigtli. and the pelt drawn flesh side out over the body 

 and head without cutting- along the abdomen. No fur whatever is left 

 on the carcass — tail, legs, and head being carefully stripped of their 

 covering, though the fur on the legs and head is of relatively little value. 

 The pelt, with the fur inside, is then tightly stretched on a stretching 

 board. The fat adhering to the flesh side is carefully removed, the 

 holes made by spears, or otherwise, carefulh' sewed up, and the pelt 

 placed in the open air, protected from the sun, to dr}'. When (juite 

 dry, the fur is combed and the pelt rolled up and stored in a safe place, 

 whence it is occasionally removed and examined for moths, etc. 



The present method of dressing sea-otter pelts is much less com- 

 plicated than the treatment of beaver or mink, but, owing to the great 

 value of the fur, extreme care is taken at all stages. The flesh side is 

 first dampened over night with salt water, and then greased with choice 

 butter, and several skins at a time tramped in a foot tub for four or 

 five hours. Fine hard-wood sawdust is then added, and the tramping 

 continued for two or three hours longer. On removal the}^ are mois- 

 tened with soap water over night and then shaved to thin the pelt, the 

 same as in dressing ])eavers. Next they are worked in a tramping tub 

 with fresh sawdust for two or three hours, and on removal are cleaned 

 of sawdust, either in a 1)oating drum or by striking with rattan sticks. 

 After coml)ing with a fine steel comb, the skins are ready for deliver}'. 

 Owing to the care necessar}' in the process, the cost of dressing sea- 

 otter skins is about $2 each, compared with 50 ceiits each for those of 

 beaver and otter. Unlike other cased pelts, sea-otters are rarely ever 

 cut open at the fur-dresser's. 



MINK FURS. 



The pelage of the mink consists of dense soft fur, of excellent qual- 

 ity and nearly uniform on all parts of the bod}', overtopped l)y stiff, 

 lustrous hairs about three-fourths inch long. The color shows marked 

 variations, ranging from a light dull-yellowish brown to a dark brown- 

 ish black, but is ordinarily of a rich dai'k brown or chestnut l)rown 

 glossed with ))lack. It is usually slightly darker on the upper parts 

 than below, the back and tail being the darkest, and the gloss is also 

 most marked in the fur of the upper parts. The choicest are nearly 

 black, approximating the desirable hues of sal)le, these being generally 

 from New England, the wooded districts of Nova Scotia, and the 

 Province of Ontario. The lighter colored are of less value, and are 

 usually dyed or ])lended to the desired dark shade. Albinos, as well 

 as motthMl and drab-colored pelts, are occasionally secured. Some- 

 times skins with white hairs sprinkled in the brown fur are obtained. 

 Often there is a white spot on the tliroat similar to that of the mai'ten, 

 and a white spot or line of varying length sometimes occurs undei- 



