RUSSIAN SABLE. 117 



this part are large, and their fur full and good ; the 

 colour, however, is lighter, being in most cases brown, 

 light brown, or silvery. Those from Amoor rank next 

 in abundance. About 12,000 to 25,000 are caught 

 annually. Many of the skins are used for Mandarin 

 robes, and the tails are exported to this country. These, 

 as well as the Saghalien Island skins, are of inferior 

 quality, and consequently of little value ; the tips of 

 the fur are often dyed, or smoked by the Chinese ; the 

 prevailing colours are brown and dark brown ; the 

 ground is blue ; and the tail is sometimes tipped with 

 white. 



Henr}' Lansdell says that the finest and blackest 

 Sables are caught in the forests of the Yitim and 

 Olekma in the province of Yakutsk. It is a curious fact 

 that the North-eastern portions of North America and 

 Asia should each produce the finest Marten and Sable 

 respectively, and that immediately below this region the 

 most inferior skins of each sort should be found. 



The finest black skins are usually bought for Paris, 

 London, and New York, and the silvery skins for 

 Russia. 



Part of these furs are imported b}' the Alaska Com- 

 mercial Company, and part by other traders. 9,247 

 Sable skins were sold in London in 1891. 



The tails are valuable (from 2s. to 6s.) ; they are 

 made into boas, etc. 



The usual prices of Piussian Sable skins range 

 between 10s. to 300s., according to colour and qualit}^ 

 the palest being the cheapest. 



