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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The fur of the pine marten is nearly equal to that of the sable. Its 

 color is a lustrous brown, and it is frequently tinted so as to resemble 

 the real sable ; and efforts are said to have been sometimes made to 

 palm it upon buyers as the genuine Russian. That which is obtained in 

 America, some 200,000 skins annually, which is somewhat better than 

 the European, is usually called, by dealers, Hudson Bay sable. It is 

 an excellent and valuable fur, very full and soft, and, like the Russian 

 sable, is much used for muffs, capes, collars, boas, and other kinds of 

 fancy furs. The fur of the beech or stone marten is much inferior to 

 that of the sable or pine marten. It is of a yellowish brown, and, 

 though often colored to represent pine marten or sable, the practised 

 eye can easily distinguish it from them. The best specimens of the 

 fur are obtained in Europe, where it is much used ; but in this coun- 

 try, at the present time, it is not used at all. The skins of the fisher 

 or pennant's marten, whose fur is quite valuable, are also exported. 

 Less than 10,000 are caught yearly. 



Fig. 5. 



Ermine, or Stoat. 



The mink is constantly found in almost every part of North Amer- 

 ica, some 250,000 being taken annually ; yet, contrary to the general 

 rule, it has been a very fashionable fur here for several years, for muffs, 

 collars, etc. The color of the finest is chestnut-brown, glossed with 

 black. The lighter colored is of less value, but it is often dyed so as 

 to deceive the ignorant or unobserving. Dealers sometimes call it 

 American sable. We occasionally hear of attempts to tame the mink, 

 and raise it on a large scale in a minkery or suitable place of confine- 

 ment. The present high price of the fur presents a strong inducement, 

 but I do not know that there is any prospect of success. 



