Nutria (Dryopotamus coypus).-S. America, 3,000,000. Overhair, coarse, rigid, and ruddy ; fur, soft, fine, and of a brownish-ash colour ; pelt, frequently unsound. Shipped from Buenos Ayres. Value, dried skins, 1-2s. a lb. Used chiefly for hat-making.
Opossum.-America, 250,000; Australia, a lesser number. Those found in the S. States of America have long, coarse, and whitish-grey overhair, and woolly fur. The best come from Ohio. Values, ls. 9d.-3s. for Ists, 10-18d. for 2nds, 1-5d. for 3rds. The Australian black opossum gives a handsome fur, and its felting qualities should make it valuable to hatters.
Otter.-All northern countries, 40,000. The European otter (Lutra vulgaris) is much smaller than the American (L, canadensis), which attains to 2 ft. x 5 ft. Overhair, thick and close; colour, brown-black. The best are from Labrador and Canada. Large numbers are brought to Tiflis from the Caucasus. Values, 37-56s. for lets, 29-48s. for 2nds and small, 12-308. for 3rds, small and cub. Uses, general. Largely employed by Russians, Chinese, and Greeks.
Otter, Sea (Enhydra marina).-N. Pacific, 5000. Occurs on the coasts of Alaska, Kamschatka, and Japan, and was formerly abundant as far south as California, till exterminated by hunters. Size, 6 ft. x 2-4 ft. ; overhair, exceedingly fine, and hut little longer than the fur ; fur, very thick, close, fine, and silky ; colour, dark-brown, sometimes with silver points interspersed on the belly and throat ; pelt, pliable and firm. Value, from 11. or so up to 30-100/. Prime specimens are the most highly prized of all furs. The tails are sold separately. The Russians and Chinese are great admirers of this fur. Used for ornamenting habiliments.
Rabbit (Lepus cuniculus).-Europe, 5,000,000 ; Australia and New Zealand are developing a great trade in rabbit fur, the animals having become a most serious nuisance. The best skins are English, the purest are Polish. The Australian fur is of two kiuds : the ordinary wild variety, worth 2s. 4d.-2s. 6d. a doz. here ; and a silver-grey description, of which about 200,000 are annually shipped to London, and bring 4s.-5s. 6d. a doz. The furs are valueless if taken in summer. Size, 10 in. x 16 in.; fur, thick and fine ; pelt, weak ; colour, all shades between black and white. The best are used by furriers, and it is said that the Belgians have devised a method of making them resemble the fur seal. The ordinary are deprived of their hair by a machine, consisting of four revolving cutters, working against a fixed knife. The fur, or "coney wool," is used in making felt hats (see Hats), and valued at 7s. a lb.; the coarse hair, for stuffing purposes ; the pelt, for size
and glue-making; the refuse, for manure. The fur, when removed, is packed in boxes containing 5 lb., and is in great demand in England, France, Germany, and America.
Raccoon (Procyon lotor).-America, 500,000. Size, 1 ft. x 2 ft.; overhair, 3 in. long, coarse, bright-coloured, thick and flowing ; fur, resembles that of beaver, coloured silver-blue to grey brown and coffee brown. Some specimens approach the fisher, others the silver fox, in beauty of shade, each bringing 1-41. The animal is peculiar to the United States, flourishing most in cultivated regions. Best furs from Michigan, next best from Ohio. Values, 7-40s. for selected dark, 2s. 6d.-7s. for lsts, ls. 6d.-4s. for 2nds, 1-2s. for 3rds, 2d.-ls. for 4ths. Used for lining travelling coats, especially in Russia and Germany ; the inferior qualities are employed for felt hat making.
Seal, Fur.-Pacific, 200,000. Several members of the Otariadce afford a valuable fur ; they are chiefly Otaria [Callorrhinus] ursina, 0. Gillespii, and 0. [Eumitopius] Stelleri, in the N. Pacific ; 0. jubata and 0. falklandica, in the S. Pacifio, around Cape Horn, and in the S. Atlantic as far north as the Rio de la Plata ; 0. pusilla [antarctica], at the Cape of Good Hope and on the adjacent islands ; 0. Hookeri and 0. lobata, in Australia and New Zealand ; 0. gazella in Kerguelen's Land. The pursuit of the animals has been carried to such a degree in most places as to cause their extermination, and supplies are now mainly afforded by the Prybilov Islands, especially St. Paul's and St. George's, in Alaska, though incomparably the finest furs come from the South Shetland and South Georgian Islands, in the Antarctic Ocean. The capture of the animals iu Alaska is monopolized by the Alaska Commercial Co., and is limited to 100,000 annually. They will probably soon become extinct everywhere else. Sizes : wigs, 4 ft. x 8 ft.; large, 3 ft. x 6 ft. ; middling, 24 ft. x 5 ft. ; small, 2 ft. x 4 ft. ; pups, 2-4 ft. long. Overhair, coarse and rigid ; fur, fine, thick, silky, and very uniform ; pelt, thin, pliable, and light. Values, salted, of the Antarctic, 2-101. ; N. Pacific, wigs, 85-90s. ; middlings, 85-1208.; small, 70-105s.; large pups, 65-95s. ; middling do., 60-85s.; smell do., 50-70s.; extra small do., 50-60s. ; grey do., 16s. ; black do., M ilk Used principally for ladies' jackets. A cloth imitation is made from mohair (see Hair Manufactures).