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The National Geographic Magazine 



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Photo by Bailey, Biological Survey 



a mute; witness to the; dfstructivfnfss of Michigan wolves — body of dfer 



lying on thf snow 



animal in confinement not only possible 

 but remunerative. When silver fox 

 skins are worth from $300 to $600 a skin 

 it does not need a Colonel Sellers to see 

 golden possibilities in the business. 



The raising of mink and beaver, and 

 perhaps otter, for their fur is also 

 thought to be entirely feasible. The 

 beaver is being protected in Canada and 

 in some of our own states. It should 

 be protected in all, for apparently pro- 

 tection is all that is required to enable the 

 animal to reestablish itself in many of its 

 old haunts. After being safeguarded for 

 a term of years, judicious trapping might 

 then be allowed, and thus this remarkable 

 and valuable fur-bearer be preserved in- 

 definitely, to be a source of both interest 

 and profit to future generations. Even 

 the despised skunk, which is easily cared 

 for and is wonderfully prolific, can, it is 

 believed, be raised in confinement with 

 profit. 



The idea of raising furs for the market 

 is by no means new. Many attempts 

 have been made to breed foxes for profit, 

 especially in certain islands of Alaska, 



where the conditions would seem to be 

 ideal. Some of the ventures appear to 

 have proved remunerative, but many fail- 

 ures have resulted, chiefly as the result 

 of inexperience and lack of knowledge, 

 especially of the proper feeding and care 

 of the animals. It is thought that the dif- 

 ficulties are by no means insuperable and 

 that they can be overcome by study and 

 carefully conducted experiments. 



Thus the ends sought by the Biological 

 Survey in its investigations of mammals 

 differ considerably from those aimed at 

 in its study of birds. The more carefully 

 birds' habits are studied and their food 

 investigated, the more apparent is it that 

 man cannot do without them. Such is 

 by no means true of many of our indig- 

 enous mammals. Some are valuable be- 

 cause they destroy noxious insects and 

 noxious mammals ; others because they 

 furnish skins for use and comfort ; but 

 many are wholly noxious, or so nearly so 

 that they can be safely classed as such, 

 and their destruction compassed in every 

 possible way, though always with the en- 

 tailment of as little suffering as possible. 



