The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-09-04
SABLE.

generally. All the conditions OF existence
affect L. and from the commercial point of
view those shades considered 10 be Of most
importance have no further significance to
nsturalists than is found in the biological fact
that changes caused by changed states Of the
organism itself or its environment, involve
differences IN celebration. a sable's coat is,
however, always valuable when in season, on
account Of the long, very soft, and full setting
Of the hairs and their special characters. The
peiage consists OF three elemeuts-a fine wool
Ike growth closely adapted 10 its skin, sue
ceeded by layer Of soft and somewhat kinky
true hair, and, finally, one more sparsely set OF
longer. glossy, bristly hairs. :" IL is almost
impossible" says DIR. Coues "to describe the
cOl0E OF the pine marteu except in general
terms for the reasons above specified: but the
following is IN outline OF his statements con-
cerning this subject. The tint is brown OF a
Gh4oe fr0m orange or tawny 70 quite BLACKLIST"
ABd taking the body as q wholeJ while its tail
ard feet are uniformly darker than other parts,
tbe head is always lighter, being often quite
HhitiEh." usually Of much the same color as the
margins Of the ears An Orange-broWn or
tawny-yellow spot, sometimes continuous but
oiten broken Up, appears Oh the chest, and may
extend from the jaw IS far as the foreiegs
This Is not always 50 large. although In some
Instance u is continued along the lower surface
OF the body, and IA special cases is entirely
absent. Throughout the gray under-f8r tinges
tie general brown Of the pelt below, but above
The over coat is dark and luEtrOus In certain
animals also the tip Of the tail is black, while
IN other instances il exhibits a mixed aggre-
gate 81 black and white hairs in variable pro-
portions. This description
CLOSELY CORRESPONDS
with that given by Ross, Lexington, etc. Ac-
e3sdlne 70 the former writer the sable is in full
coat from October 70 the beginning Of Nav. but
whether this Is strictly true depends uuon the
latitude ~ which observations are made. since
~ We 20 north the Eur becomes prime " earlier.
ane remains - later ia the season. When with
the Increasing warmth Of the weather shedding
tDlsy sets IN, this creature, 50 renowned for It's
beautiful dress, becomes one Of the most extra
ordinarily eputablc-lOoking little beings in
existence. 4 buffalo is bad enough and a
camel y possible, worse: but neither has 40
mitch beauty 70 lose as our pine marten has.
aBl consequently the change in their appcar-
aBce ID not 50 striking. ia early Summer q
aabieE d.lapIdatl0n is extreme the LONGER hairs
alone remaining, together with It's then ~
assorted bushy tail. When, however, the short
aaik, Lnewcalher fur has replaced that
" rusiy tint given by the entire loss OF It's
under fur the pelage much resembles that Of
mink IN Winter.
Beiore entering upon description Of this
Creatures habits, u Will be proper 70 point ont
that our sable is nothing more than the A1neri-
ean pine MaTicu, and that its pggition ayuou o
ether members Of the group 10 which IL Is
affiliated has been the subject Of much disputc.
The question was, land 10 still remains unset
tied ID tie opinion Of many naturalistg,3 what
relationship exists between our form and its
European and Aslatlc cOuReucrs OF, in other
words, ls there such an animal as AN American
EaDlef Its degree Of cOnsanguiuity with both
TIE aforementioned martens has been argued
al length and tue result is that most zo-alogigts
now regard Mustela martes, OF the m3rten Of
Europe as specifically distinct from that in
habltlng this country while with rcspcct Ia
the AslatIC form, the features insisted anon ae
indicative 81 difference Ia species have pradu.
hly been gwen up until al present dental DC.
suIiafilies alone are urged ia support Of their
assumed diversity, and Of these traits the valu
cannot De SAD 10 have been settled. Whether
thea, the sable Of Asia and America Is q sfugIf
eireumpolar form exhibiting some geggraDl,i eal
variations, OF whether The animals Of tbese con,
tinents arc separate species, remains uudeter
mined.
Fortunately there is little doubt concerBins
The way IA which this predetermined and uucb
named creature lives. The first French Ia,
traders IN Canada and the early factors Of tbt
Hudson Bay Company gathered
SKINS FROM INDIANS
before this animal had any scientific degjgna.
tion, and from the latter and their successor,
some OF the best accounts Of its habits are de
rived. Among these ii the term habit NAV be
thus applied, is recorded a marked Deriodjcal
dimiBuIioD stated as taking place in its mum.
beers decennially. similar phenomenon oc
ours II Is said, with the Arctic fox, and the
reports IN either case seem 20 be indnbtabie
although the nature Of this change, and what
becomes OF the sab.es, is wholly unknown