36 THE FUR TRADE OF AMERICA 



longer exist and birds are multiplying — the skin of the cat is much 

 more durable than rabbit, but it can never be completely deodorized. 

 Skunk can be deodorized and sold as black sable. Cat can't be sold 

 as Hudson seal or near seal. Dampen it a little. Bury your nose 

 in it and you get "cat." Such fine Belgian cats were recently sold 

 at one fur auction that they fooled a Hudson Bay man, who has been 

 dealing in fisher for twenty years ; but he smelt right down in the 

 fur; and there was his good old friend of boyhood days, who made 

 night hideous in the backyard. 



Having settled in her own mind as to durability and fragility 

 and beauty, there are a lot of other things a woman, who is going to 

 outfit herself in furs, wants to know. 



She is going to pay a high price for a silver fox, for a neck piece, 

 which she may wear on the street, or over her shoulders for an even- 

 ing gown. How is she to know it is a genuine silver fox, and not 

 cross fox dyed, or Arctic fox dyed, or a very fine red fox dyed with 

 badger hairs glued in for silver ? 



The best way for her to know is to go to a reputable fur dealer 

 and he will tell her exactly how to know. He will place an imitation 

 and a real side by side ; and she will know at a glance ; but lacking 

 faith in the honesty of even a reputable dealer, here are some infallible 

 guides : 



The dyed fox has a golden skin. The undyed fox has a white 



skin. 



The dyed fox has to have a white tip attached to his tail. Feel 

 where the cord joins on, or examine to see if white hairs are glued on. 



But a more puzzling question is of a cheaper grade silver fox skin, 

 where the young fox has rubbed his rump on trees and thinned the 

 thigh furs. The fur dresser has glued in white and gray badger 

 hairs to replace the young silver fox's thin spots. This does not 

 spoil the general effect of the silky neck piece with its strip of lus- 

 trous black down the^back like the dimple on a fat horse; but it 

 should lessen the price of the silver fox to the buyer. Every buyer 

 of a silver fox skin should examine the thighs for these signs of wear. 



