THE FUR. LEATHER AND HIDE TRADES 71 



Number of skins Value 



Opossum 350,286 $ 350,000 



Skunk 279,647 over 560,000 



Muskrat 239,174 over 240,000 



"Civil" (probably spotted skunk) 107,277 



Weasel 3,392 



Raccoon_ 5,789 



Wolf 1,416 



Coyote 6,169 



Badger 9,7&9 



Mink 5,527 



Total 1,008,466 $1,273.708 



As trappers in that state are not required to report their catches, 

 the actual number taken was probably much greater than the figures in- 

 dicate. The number of pelts reported by Kansas dealers for the bien- 

 nial period 1929-1930 is as follows: 



1929 f 93o 



Muskrat 280,719 276,338 



Skunk 269,940 258,493 



Mink 7,587 5,867 



Raccoon 24,447 22,666 



Opossum 349,469 316,297 



Badger 9,389 8,344 



Civet cat 1 16,344 1 17,309 



Miscellaneous 26,979 25,756 



1,084,874 1,031,070 



The number of trapping licenses issued for the season 1928-1929 

 was 17,616, while the number for 1929-1930 was 28,147. With a great 

 increase in the number of licensed trappers, there was a decrease in the 

 catch as reported by dealers. 48 



There is considerable evidence of a very serious decrease of some 

 of the most valuable fur-bearers, and though some writers are opti- 

 mistic about the future, the great majority do not view the prospect at 

 all cheerfully and all admit that some species are in grave danger of 

 extinction. A few species are becoming so rare that they constitute an 

 almost negligible part of the fur supply, though their present high 

 prices give them a disproportionately large place in the total value of 

 the product of all furs. The sea otter was sold by thousands a century 

 ago, 2369 in one year as late as 1891, but only 202 in 1912 and 25 in 

 1920, some rather poor pelts then bringing $1,700 to $2,000 each in 

 St. Louis and London, 49 though it is said that they sold for $80 in 

 i88o. 50 



^Laut, The fur trade in America, p. 113, 1921 ; World's Work, May, 1907, p. 8875. 

 Preble, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 46, 1923. 



00 California Fish and Game, in, 80, 1917. 



