14 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



It is desirable to breed the species producing the most 



Fur-bearers^ valuable fur rather than those whose fur does not bring 



such a high price. The sea-otter, the silver fox, the 



Russian sable and the chinchilla are the precious fur-bearers of modern 



times. 



Baby lamb and Alaska seal are among the highest priced furs. 

 Of the above named, Russian sables, Alaska seal, chinchilla and sea-otter 

 are under close season restrictions for several years to permit them to 

 recuperate in numbers. The silver fox and baby lamb are being bred 

 successfully under domestic conditions and the others are being stren- 

 uously experimented with. The Alaska seal may almost be said to be 

 under domestic conditions of breeding as the herd is properly husbanded 

 at the breeding season by United States Government agents. 



The sea-otter, which probably brings the highest average price 

 of any fur animal on the market and yields the most durable fur known, 

 can hardly be domesticated. Little is known of its history or even 

 of its domestic habits. Its extreme scarcity and remote habitations will 

 probably prevent extensive experiments in domesticating it. 



The Russian sable is now kept in ranches, but Mr. Vladimir 

 Generosoff, who furnished information and photographs of Russian 

 sable farms and who has done excellent work in Russia for the 

 encouragement of the domestic production of fur, did not state 

 whether they have yet bred in captivity. The best sable skins bring 

 over $500.00 but the majority fetch less than $50.00 each — ^the price 

 usually depending on the colour — ^a bluish black being highest priced. 

 They are foimd in remote parts of Siberia. 



It is evident that only the Russian authorities <;an secure a suflR- 

 cient number of excellent wild specimens to conduct a practical experi- 

 ment. In the meantime, in preparation for the time when the Russian 

 sable will be available for breeding in Canada, experiments should be 

 conducted with the Canadian sable, which is very closely related to 

 the Russian and very similar in habit. 



Because of its ubiquitous character and its fondness for living near 

 human habitations, the silver fox has been subjected to more domesti- 

 cating experiments than any other valuable fur-bearer. When it be- 

 came known that it was simply a pelage colour of the common red fox, 

 experiments were multiplied with the cheaper red foxes to gain experi- 

 ence in breeding the species. The breeding of the fox in captivity is 

 proceeding on an increasingly large scale and no doubt exists now 

 regarding the possibility of domesticating it. 



