392 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



The Kolinski or Tartar Sable fur is of a bright yellow color, and is some- 

 times used on ladies' dresses in the natural state. 



The beaver was formerly in general use for hats. It has a fine wool 

 ubderneath its fur, which is in great demand for ladies' dresses. 



The skin of the bear and the buffalo, or more properly the bison, are in 

 very general use in colder climates as sleigh coverings. 



The fur of the Pea Otter is very thick and soft, and is most highly prized 

 by the Russians and Chinese. The annual production is about 1,000 skins. 

 They are found on the western coast of the American continent, and on the 

 Asiatic coast. 



Underneath the coarse hair of the seal is found a very fine and silky fui'. 

 The roots of the coarse hair are very deeply seated, while the fiar does not 

 penetrate the skin half as far. By shaving down the skin on the inside to half 

 its thickness, the long hairs can be readily removed without injury to the fur. 

 It is generally dj-ed a deep brown, and then resembles a rich velvet. 



The squirrels' fur is much used in Russia, where it is said 15,000,000 are 

 killed annually. The Siberian squirrel is gray;, the under part is white, 

 and is used for coat linings. The tails are made into boas for the foreign 

 markets. They are also used for artists' pencils. 



Furs, for felting purposes, in the manufacture of hats, the principal skins 

 used are those of the hare, rabbit, beaver, and the nutria, Tlie latter is 

 about half way between the muskrat and beaver, and its fur resembles 

 both in some respects. 



The skins are divided into seasoned and unseasoned. The seasoned are 

 taken, off in the winter, when the fur has its full growth, and is the finest. 

 The unseasoned are obtained at other seasons of the year. It is coai'se 

 and short, and not worth more than one-third of the value of fur from the 

 best seasoned skins. 



The mechanical operation of taking the fur from skins is first to comb it, 

 and after careful pressing to cut it from the skin. Two kinds of shears are 

 used for this purpose; one resembling that used in clipping wool from 

 sheep, and the other the tailors' shears, the bows of which are made large 

 enough to admit the whole hand. The same operation if} now done more 

 rapidly by knives moved by mechanical power. 



Mr. Nieman noticed several furs in the following order; 



THE KUSSIAN SABLE. 



The scarceness of this fur enhances its value; and the reason of its being 

 so hard to obtain is, th^it the main source from whence it comes — Siberia — 

 is -controlled by the Emperor of Russia. The' exiles to that region are 

 oblig'ed to furnish for the Czar a certain aggregate number of the best and 

 finest specimens every year; they are to furnish so many and no more. — 

 These are never sent to the fur-market unless obtained surreptitiously, but 

 are distributed by the Court as gifts among the Courts of Europe and the 

 noblesse generally. 



HUDSON BAY SABLE. 



These are prime, in all cases; for the reason that the company follow out 

 the restriction of never taking any s-kins from the natives, but at the proper 

 season of the year, when they are in the best condition, and when the least 



