NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 359 



" Contents " is misleading, inasmuch as the same species appears 

 under several different names, according to the country from 

 which it comes. Thus we find the Tiger, the Bengal Tiger, the 

 Mongolian or Chinese Tiger, and the Turkestan Tiger treated as 

 so many distinct forms of Fells tigris. Similarly there are 

 Chinese, East Indian, Persian, and African Leopards, exclusive 

 of the Cheetah and of the Snow Leopard, or Ounce, which, ac- 

 cording to Mr. Poland, is " not so rare an animal as many 

 suppose ; a certain number (average not stated) are imported into 

 Russia, through Siberia, annually. The price of n good skin is 

 from 40s. to 130s.; and 140s. is the highest price paid." Wolves 

 also, Foxes, Bears, and Otters appear from the " Contents " to be 

 more numerous in point of species than they really are, in con- 

 sequence of being classified topographically. In this way the 

 Fur-seals with a dozen different names are reducible to four 

 species. 



The immense number of fur-skins imported, says Mr. Poland, 

 will perhaps astonish many readers, the more so as the importa- 

 tion of some of them is increasing instead of decreasing. "^Certain 

 species, especially those of large size, are steadily decreasing, 

 but others — as the Racoon, American and Australian Opossums — 

 increase with the settlement of the country, feeding on the culti- 

 vated fields, and thus procuring food more readily than when the 

 land was unreclaimed. Another cause for the increase in the 

 quantity of skins imported is the improved facilities for transport 

 by rail and steamer. It is instructive to compare the returns of 

 some of the American furs imported in 1891 with those of 1881. 



rs imported from the United States and Canada 









1881. 



1891. 



Beaver ... 







... 



58,241 



11,693 



Bear 







... 



8,364 



12,795 



Otter 







... 



9,019 



7,334 



Fisher 







... 



4,738 



2,955 



Marten ... 







... 



36,172 



38,412 



Wolf 







... 



2,248 



10,000 



Wolverine 







... 



597 



738 



Lynx 







... 



7,374 



6,496 



Fox 







... 



99,363 



106,755 



Mink 







... 



170,620 



173,389 



Racoon ... 



... 



... 



632,270 



549,180 



