206 ECONOMIC MAMMALOGY 



port showed that the number of rats killed and paid for under the rat 

 law from 1908 to 1911 was 56,578, while the number of mongooses 

 killed under the mongoose law during the same period was 33,974. 

 Great precautions are being taken to prevent the introduction of mon- 

 gooses into the United States and some other countries where they 

 have not yet obtained a foothold. 



The food habits of the true civet cats of Asia and Africa are similar 

 to those of the mongooses. In the fur trade, 80,000 civet cat skins were 

 credited to Asia for 1923-1 924. 16 The 600,000 from America for the 

 same period were doubtless mostly skunk skins, with perhaps a few 

 bassarisks. 



FAMILY MUSTELIDAE WEASELS, MARTENS, WOLVERENES, 

 MINKS, OTTERS, SKUNKS, BADGERS 



Though a vast number of excellent furs come from the order Ro- 

 dentia, and from Canidae, Phocidae and other families, the family 

 Mustelidae is considered pre-eminently the family of fur-bearers. 

 Nearly all of the species furnish furs of considerable value in proportion 

 to their size. Though some of them do considerable damage in raids 

 upon poultry roosts and in the destruction of wild birds, yet they more 

 than compensate for it by the destruction of rodents and insect pests 

 and by their furs. The damage to poultry may be prevented by properly 

 constructed poultry-yard fences and poultry houses. The flesh of 

 Mustelidae is not considered valuable as food for human beings. 



In 1902 the sale of furs of three semi-aquatic species was reported 

 as follows: 1 



United States World Value 



Mink 578,ooo 728,000 $1,140,000 



Otter 14,000 33,640 264,1 10 



Sea otter 330 590 239,540 



In 1921 the following estimate was made of the number of mustelid 

 skins produced annually in the world: 2 



Ermine 1,000,000 to 1,100,000 Sable 175,000 to 235,000 



Marten 150,000 to 210,000 Skunk 1,200,000 to 1,500,000 



Stone marten 250,000 to 380,000 Fisher 10,000 



Fitch (polecat) 300,000 to 350,000 Otter 90,000 to 124,000 



Mink 640,000 to 1,000,000 Badger 160,000 to 180,000 



16 Innis, The fur trade of Canada, table opp. p. 76, 1927. 



Stevenson, Utilization of the skins of aquatic animals, Kept. U. S. Fish Coinm. 

 for ^1902, pp. 283-353. 



Laut, The fur trade of America, p. 84, 1921. 



