CHAPTER XVII. 



ANTICOSTA AND ITS FURS. 



The island of Anticosta, lying in the mouth 

 of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, runs parallel with 

 the main land on its north shore and about 

 twenty-five miles distant from it. Notwith- 

 standing the close proximity to the continent 

 and the straits, some winters blocked with ice 

 fields, the martens on this island are peculiar 

 and distinct in this manner, that almost with- 

 out exception the forepaws and the end of the 

 tail are tipped with white hair. 



I traded one year several hundred pelts of 

 Anticosta marten and with one or two excep- 

 tions they all showed this distinction from those 

 we got on the north shore or mainland. I 

 found this white ending of extremities even 

 amongst the bears and foxes, and in some in- 

 stances with the otter. Otherwise the marten 

 are as well furred and as rich and deep in color 

 as the far-famed Labrador ones. 



Of bears there are on the island both black 

 and brown; the latter are of immense size and 

 very savage. One skin I got measured seven 



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