FALSE FURS AND FAKE TRADE NAMES 45 



Fifteen years ago, beaver was very scarce and very high-priced 

 because a closed season was on in beaver for many Canadian prov- 

 inces. To-day beaver is not so scarce, nor comparatively so high in 

 price. But when beaver was scarce, nutria from South America 

 was not ; and good nutria was often faked in fur trimmings for bea- 

 ver. It could not be faked in a coat. The difference in the fur is 

 too great ; but it could be faked for hat trimmings, neck and sleeve 

 pieces and edgings for velvet gowns. In coats, the difference is 

 easily told. Beaver is gold brown, or gray brown with a silvery 

 cast. Nutria is sepia color. Beaver is a large animal. Nutria 

 is small as a muskrat. Beaver is a deep thick fur. Nutria is a 

 thick fur, but not deep. Just now the faking of beaver by nutria 

 is not in vogue ; for nutria is growing scarce and beaver more plen- 

 tiful. 



Many people will not wear dog fur, who have no objection to wolf, 

 though the dog and the wolf are brothers ; so black dog is sold for 

 wolf. I can tell the difference myself, though it would be very hard 

 for me to tell others how to tell the difference. The nearest parallel 

 I can give it — if you neglect a dog and allow him to run wild in 

 cold weather, keeping him out day and night, his fur will lose its 

 sleekness and take on a coarseness and thickness. It will be less 

 even. The over-hairs will be long and irregular and deep. The 

 pelt will not be tight. But for trade purposes, the trouble is a 

 cutting machine used as an evener and a paint brush to give lustre 

 in the dyes can render these skins almost a counterfeit of each other — 

 almost but not quite — the wolf will still be deeper, fluffier, the 

 dog tighter like a lamb skin pelt ; but why not sell them under their 

 true names ? 



The distinction between dyed opossum and dyed skunk hardly 

 needs to be given. Opossum has a kink to it and is a soft fur. 

 Skunk has hairs straight as a line in Euclid and is a harsh, thick, 

 deep fur. 



Only the back of the lynx is used for high-priced trade purposes. 

 The fur is so soft that the sides and belly rub. They are cut and 



