58 SIZE, COLOR AND QUALITY. 



With the exception of the Badger, Hamster, Panda and 

 Ratel which are darker on the under than the upper parts, 

 all fur bearing animals have darker fur on the back than 

 on the sides and belly. 



Albino specimens of different animals are occasionally 

 seen, but they are undoubtedly freaks rather than distinct 

 species of their genus. 



The finest specimens of any species are found in the high- 

 est latitudes. On all animals the quality of the fur 

 improves with cold, being poorest on those whose habitat 

 is in the torrid zone unless they live at a sufficiently high 

 latitude to secure for them a low temperature. In the 

 temperate zone the quality of the fur depends upon the 

 severity of the winter. In all climates the fur of animals 

 found in the dense forests is deeper, silkier, and glossier 

 than that of mammals whose range is on the open steppes 

 or prairies ; and animals living on the shores of lakes and 

 rivers have a finer, softer coat than those who are exposed 

 to the sea winds on the coast. The fur on all animals is at 

 its best when it is from one to two years old. On older 

 animals the hair is coarse and scraggy, while the pelt of so- 

 called baby skins is very tender and the fur on them is too 

 soft to be servicable. The fur on any animal usually reaches 

 its full growth in mid-winter, and only skins taken be- 

 tween that time and early spring are in fine condition; 

 before that time the hair is short and stagy, and later the 

 animal begins to shed its old coat for a new one and the 

 hairs of skins taken at that time will continue to fall out, 

 even after the skins have been dressed. 



The sexes of cattle and sheep are about equal in num- 

 ber, and the same is true of dogs and seals the only 

 other animals of which we have any reliable statistics. 

 Naturalists generally claim that the number of females 

 in most species exceeds the males, but it is difficult to 

 understand upon what they base their calculations. If 

 it is upon the polygamous nature of most mammals the 

 seals are a positive proof to the contrary. 



