m3^ 



Zie early trap-.-)ers* Dr, _ S'.-jil linger tells mB, went after the 

 larf^er fur bearers, and didn't try to catch nufeVrats bO rmch. 

 Of course, as the years have gQftfe b--; they have heen sought after 

 more and no re, 



Huslorats haven't "bGcn de-oleted quite so extensively as have sonc 

 other fur animals, siJich as heavers, and fishers, and martens. Mt 

 Dr. S?iillingct sa?/s that even riuskrats '^avc suffered hca.vy reductions 

 in Gouo sections. 



One trouble is tha.t the traTroin/r season in m.'any States horins 

 too early.' Many unprimc pelts arc ta^ion when their value is very lo'7« 

 Llany youn^ muslcrats, or Icits, horn late in su-nncr arc caught during 

 the f-l] trapping when their polts are o.lmost worthless for fur. 



If 3'-ou have ever sJ-n a ■.mislcrat in the wild you may have v/ond.crcd 

 about the appearance of the fur of even tho mature animals. But, as 

 wo said a v/hile ago, that pelt will und^^rgo considerable change before 

 it becomes pprt of a lady's coat. In the case of Hudson Seal, those 

 long g^ard hairs will be- plucked out, and only the soft under- fur will 

 be left. A great many slcins, however, are made up in their natural 

 st r,t e • 



!i\sla'ats, like all oth-:r fur bearers, have two kinds of fur, a 

 soft downy under-fur, and th^ long coarse guard, hairs. In the case 

 of rauskrats, the fur orroerts treat the fur so as to get the full 

 effect of flat soft, silkj under fur. In the c^r-.e of a fox, howev:;r, 

 those long guard, hairs are the p.ost "^ri^ed .art of the fvr. A oiccc 

 of for: fvx l/.cking thoo" outer hairs looks "ratt"" and hrinf3 a lo"/ 

 nrico in the firr '^t, 



"Tell, I could go on for a nuch lon;::.-^r tir:e t J.linf: you aoo-it 

 .nuskrats, rnd what Dr. Shilling.T s'-^-s about them. It is a fascinating 

 subj-ct. Zierc is their rate of multi'olicat ion, for instance. It 

 se::ms thrt r.Tuskrats le-arn the multiplication table early. In fact, 

 their ra-:id rate of reproduction has been the basis for many a scheme 

 for selling animals for stocking fur farms, Many persons learn too 

 late that fast multiplying fur bearers don't always multirtly under semi- 

 domestic conditions as they do in the wild. Bjit that is another one 

 of those problems that the Bioligical Survey's Division of Fur Resources 

 is trying to work out. 



AI^riTOTJCiCTt Our Wilds Han will be back in two weeks. Anyone interest 

 in nTus':rats, can get a bulletin on that subject b" writing either to t'li 

 Station or direct to the United States Der)artm-nt of Agricult^ore, at 

 Washington, D. C. Ask for Farmers' Bulletin ITo. 859 on "Tlie I.iuskrat as 

 a Fur Bcojrer," 



