24 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



America, to purchase the finest and rarest skins. March and September 

 are now the principal periods of their biennial visitation, and during 

 these months the greatest activity is displayed in the neighbourhood 

 of St. Mary Axe, where from time immemorial the Guild of Skinners have 

 transacted their business. The following statistics will give some idea of 

 the importance of this industry : — In March, 1886, the Hudson's Bay 

 Company submitted to public auction no less than 10,841 Otter-skins ; 

 4,02'2 Fisher-skins; 855' Silver Fox-skins, of a value of from £10 to £80 

 each ; 3,173 Cross Fox-skins, ranging up to £8 in value ; 1,400 Fox-skins, 

 various; 5, '200 Lynx-skins ; 78,856 Marten, or Sable-skins ; 76,374 Beaver- 

 skins ; and vast quantities of inferior quality skins. Also, in the same 

 month, at an important sale (" Lampson's "), 1 ,020 Silver Fox ; 7,449 Sables 

 (Russian); 400 Blue Fox; 3,741 Cross Fox; 4,252 Sea Otter, from £8 to 

 £140 value per skin; 7,000 Bear; 3,000 Fishers; 6,559 Otter; 5,000 

 Fox; 41,387 Marten (H. B. Sable); 250,000 Skunk ; 253,000 Raccoon ; 

 and 150,000 Mink-skins were sold. The furs and skins are always sold at 

 auction m lots. Those who are not acquainted with the system by which 

 they are disposed of would be as interested as astonished if they spent an 

 hour in one of the sale-rooms during the progress of a great sale. Each lot 

 submitted often represents in value hundreds of pounds sterling, notwith- 

 standing which there is seldom a word heard beyond those of the broker 

 giving out the number of the lot and repeating the amount of the bids, the 

 whole business being conducted in such a quiet and orderly manner that a 

 stranger would scarcely imagine such valuable goods were changing hands. 

 The crowd surrounding the auctioneer is a motley one, Russians, Germans, 

 Poles, and French being the largest buyers, and naturally amongst these 

 there is a preponderance of the Hebraic element. Of course the skins and 

 furs have been on view for some days previous to the sale, and as they are 

 gonerally in a raw state, with the pelt outside, there is merely the fringe to 

 guide the purchaser. It therefore requires great judgment to discriminate 

 their values, but the delicacy of touch of the really genuine merchant is 

 such that he seldom makes a mistake. No skins, however, are seen in the 

 auction rooms, but only at the warehouses, where they are on view some 

 days before the sale. 



Habits of the Weasel. — Apropos of the enquiry whether Stoats and 

 Weasels kill Moles (Zool. 1886, p. 456), I would now ask do Weasels kill 

 eaeh other? A short time ago my brothers, when golfing on the Leven 

 and Lundin Links, near Windygates, Fife, noticed a Weasel come out of 

 the rough bents at the side of the golfing course, carrying something large 

 in its mouth. It came along at a smart canter, with its head held high, — 

 like a small retriever carrying a large hare, — its burden balanced across its 

 jaws. My brothers gave chase, and, not without difficulty, forced it to drop 

 its load to save its own life, when to their astonishment they found the 



