December i, 1904J 



NA TURE 



115 



obtained, is given by the latter observer in No. 8, vol. xii., 

 of Popular Astronomy. 



The altitude of the observing station was 4790 feet above 

 sea-level, and the results lead Dr. Wilson to the conclusion 

 that the increase in altitude, from Northfield to Midvale, 

 reduced the necessary exposures, other conditions being the 

 same, by about one-half. The two reproductions accompany- 

 ing the account show excellent photographs of the America 

 nebula and of the region between and 7 Cygni taken 

 ■with a 2j inch Darlot lens with exposures of three hours 

 and of two hours respectively. 



Distribution of Stelur Spectr.a. — In No. i, vol. Ivi., 

 of the Harvard College Observatory Annals the distribution 

 of stellar spectra, mainly in reference to the Milky Way, is 

 discussed. 



The spectra dealt with are those examined by Mrs. 

 Fleming for the Harvard catalogues, and the work is not 

 yet complete, the present publication dealing only with the 

 results already obtained. 



The number and proportion of each class of spectra in 

 definite regions of the heavens, as determined from the dis- 

 cussion of 276 plates containing the spectra of 32,197 stars, 

 are given in a series of tables and shown on a number of 

 curves. 



The results indicate that the universe consists of two 

 portions, (i) the first-type stars, which occur in all regions, 

 but preponderate in the formation of the Milky Way ; (2) 

 the stars having second- or third-type spectra, which show, in 

 general, a uniform distribution over the whole sky. 



The proportion of first-type stars increases as fainter 

 objects are included, but with the Orion stars the opposite 

 seems to be the case. Stars with peculiar spectra seem to 

 congregate in the Milky Way, whilst, contrary to expect- 

 ation, those having spectra of class F appear to be relatively 

 fewer in the galactic regions. 



Absorption by W'.^ter V.\pour in the Infra-red Solar 

 Spectrum. — An interesting series of experiments has been 

 made at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Laboratory, by Mr. 

 F. E. Fowle, jun., in order to test the correctness of 

 Bouguer's formula for calculating the amount of solar 

 •energy received after atmospheric absorption. 



The results, so far as they go, show that the selective 

 absorption of water vapour is well represented by Bouguer's 

 formula and seems to depend only on the amount of the 

 absorbent present, that is to say, the amount of the absorp- 

 tion produced by a given quantity of water vapour is the 

 ■same, whether the radiations pass through a great thick- 

 ness of small density or vice versd. 



The absorption increases as the wave-lengths of the bands 

 increase, and varies from about 10 per cent, near A (o-76;ii) 

 to nearlv 100 per cent, at about i8o/x. 



No indication of a general water vapour absorption has 

 been found in the region o-68jti to 2-oofi. 



Mr. Fowle's complete results, illustrated by some of the 

 bolograms obtained, are published in No. i, vol. ii., of the 

 quarterly issue of the Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 



THE SUPPLY OF VALUABLE FURS. 



"PEW persons, other than those in some way connected 

 -'■ with the fur trade of this country, or who have had 

 occasion to make statistical inquiries on the subject, have 

 any conception of its enormous volume and value. Yet 

 ■every thoughtful observer who strolls along the fashionable 

 ■shopping streets of the metropolis at this season can scarcely 

 fail to be strucl-c with the number of establishments for the 

 sale of furs and the richness and variety of their contents, 

 or with the great extent that furs are worn by ladies. Any 

 real and comprehensive idea of the magnitude of the trade 

 can, however, only be gained either by attending the great 

 London quarterly fur sales, such as those of Messrs. C. M. 

 Lampson and Co., or by a study of the catalogues and price- 

 lists of such sales. By a perusal of these documents the 

 inquirer will gain some conception of the immense number 

 ■of skins of the more valuable kinds of fur-bearing animals 

 imported into this country alone ; and when the great Con- 

 tinental sales, such as the Leipzig and Nijni-Novgorod 

 fairs, are also taken into consideration, he will marvel 

 where the supply comes from, and wonder that a clean 

 sweep has not long ago been made of the chief fur-producing 



NO. I 83 I, VOL. 71] 



species. Nevertheless, the supply of most descriptions of 

 furs seems to be well kept up, and, with the exception of 

 a few species, such as the sea-otter, the beaver in many 

 districts, the West African guereza monkeys, and certain 

 kinds of fur-seal, it does not appear that any of the valuable 

 fur-bearing mammals are in present danger of e.xtermin- 

 ation, or even of becoming unduly scarce. The truth is 

 that we have probably little real conception of the abund- 

 ance of such creatures in the more remote districts of North 

 America and in the fur-producing countries of northern 

 Asia. 



To attempt, within moderate limits, any general account 

 of the mammals which yield the more valuable kinds of 

 furs is impossible, as it would be with the means at our 

 disposal to give a survey of the world's fur trade, and we 

 shall accordingly content ourselves with referring to some 

 of the more striking items in trade circulars for the current 

 year, and with making such notes on certain of the species 

 there mentioned as may seem desirable. Here it may be 

 recalled that there appeared in 1892 a valuable and interest- 

 ing work on " Fur-Bearing Animals " by Mr. Henry Poland. 

 This work, needless to say, is now altogether out of date, 

 and it is much to be hoped that the author could see his 

 way to the issue of a new edition, especially, if we may 

 say so without offence, if he would seek the assistance of a 

 professed naturalist in the revision. 



We commence our brief review of the more interesting 

 items in the 1903-4 sale-lists by referring to some of the 

 most valuable descriptions of furs employed as articles of 

 dress or as carriage rugs, a large proportion of which are 

 yielded by the Carnivora, and especially by members of the 

 family Muscelidas. One of the foremost places in this re- 

 spect is occupied by the sea-otter (Latax lutris), an animal 

 which formerly abounded on the coasts of Kamchatka and 

 the Aleutian Islands, but which now stands in imminent 

 jeopardy of extermination unless prompt measures are taken 

 for its protection. Between the years 1772 and 1774 some 

 10,000 skins of this species were taken in the Aleutians, while 

 at the end of the eighteenth century the annual take was 

 120,000 in certain newly discovered haunts in Alaska. This 

 number, however, soon fell to 15,000, and when Alaska was 

 ceded to the United States it had sunk to 700. A temporary 

 improvement then took place, but in 1901 the number had 

 fallen to 406. In 1903 Messrs. Lampson sold 463 

 skins, but they had none to offer in January, 1904, and 

 there are none down in their October list, the latter de- 

 ficiency being perhaps due to the recent loss of a whole 

 cargo of furs from the Kommandorski Islands and Kam- 

 chatka. Of late years 100/. is no uncommon price for a 

 sea-otter pelt, while from 200/. to 300/., and even, it is 

 said, 500/., have been paid for unusually fine skins. 



These prices are, however, paralleled by those given for 

 American silver or black fox [Canis vulpes nrgentatus). 

 Nowadays the trade distinguishes the pure black from the 

 silver or white-tipped skins. Black skins are said to have 

 been sold in St. Petersburg at from 300/. to Sool. each. 

 In London a pair of silver skins realised 480/. and an in- 

 ferior pair 200;. in 1902, but single skins are reported to 

 have fetched 200I. Messrs. Lampson offered 670 skins of 

 this fox in 1903, and have i;i; in their current October list. 

 The white and blue phases of the Arctic fox {Canis lagopus), 

 which are the winter dress of different animals, although 

 often regarded as the winter and summer coats of the same 

 form, have of late years become very fashionable. Of the 

 former 20,341, and of the latter 3685, were sold by Messrs. 

 Lampson last year, but none of the blue variety appear in 

 this autumn's catalogue, against 57 in October, 1903, and 

 it would accordingly seem that the demand is telling on the 

 supply. W'hite fox skins, which some years ago sold for 

 between 2s. 6d. and 15s. each, have recently risen to from 

 three to five guineas, although they are now declining ; on 

 the other hand, blue fox, which has long fetched from 

 ten to fifteen guineas per skin, appears to be rising in value. 

 Both white and blue fox come from the northern parts of 

 both hemispheres ; the blue should be a pure bluish French 

 grey. 



Of lynx skins 5828 were sold by Messrs. Lampson in 1903, 

 and 6316 were offered this autumn, the catalogue prices 

 ranging between 22s. and 42s. for good samples. Probably 

 most of these skins belong to the circumpolar Felis lynx, 

 although they may include some of the American F. rtifa. 



