Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-25

tndt the most stringent Testrictiohs
are becoming necessary to prevent the
extinction of many species. The most
notable example of this is the Alaska
seal, which Is now protected by
treaty signed last summer between the
nations Of Russia, Japan. England and
the United States.
When the United States took pos
session of Alaska in 1857 the seal
herd at Pribilof Islands was esti
mated to number over 2.0OO,0oe. IL
has become reduced that the esu-
mate Of 1906 placed it at less than
100000. and since then the decrease
has continued. Pelagic. or deep water.
sealing is largely responsible for this
tremendous decrease. so the terms OF
the new treaty will absolutely prohibit
this method Of seal killing in the
north Pacific ocean north Of the thir-
tieth parallel OF latitude and includ-
ing Boring, kamchatka. Okhotsk and
Japan seas Persons violating these
laws will be turned over to the ma
lions to which they belong and the
severest penalty inflicted. No seal
skin taken within this protected area
shall be permitted to be brought into
either Of the four countries included
in the treaty.
The United States, Russia and Japan
will contribute in skins 80 per cent
Of the catch each
To Be Reimbursed year for a gem
Because of Loss. fund will be d.
vided between Canada and Japan to
indemnify them for the loss sustained
by reason Of the prohibition Of pelagic
sealing. The United States agrees to
pay Canada $4,000 to reimburse the
owners of pelagic sealing vessels. but
the equivalent of this sum shall be de-
Quoted from the amount OF the skins
which the United States shall pay into
the general fund.
Under this new treaty the seals may be
killed on land only between December
and April and no females will be allowed
to be taken. The habits of the seal have
been so well observed that this rule can
be enforced easily. The seals will be
driven from their rookeries or nests and
formed into lines. They can thus be in
spected. and only those coming within
range of the law will be killed by blow
on the head. Pelagic sealing means kill
ing the animal in the water, so that it is
impossible to distinguish female. Kill
ing female seal generally means the
loss of three animals to the herd. namely.
her and is unable to prepare it's own food,
and the unborn young which would be
produced in two or three months.
The revenue received from sealing from
1853 until 1908 amounted to 1871 ,054.
while the price of the skins captured
amounted to $36.935 $50. The animals
killed to produced these sums numbered
at least $780, 600. The first lease of the
sealing right from the United States gov
eminent was to the Alaska Commercial
Company, which had a right to xii: 100, 900
seals annually. The lease expired in 1880,
and was succeeded by one made with the
North American Commercial Company,
which expired in 1910.
The demand for sealskins continues
permanently, and IL the number permitted
to be killed by the
Pelagic Sealing United States was
to Meet Demand. supnIemented by the
were killed in the water while on the way
to or from their rookeries. This was far
more detrimental to the herd than I'M
limited land sealing. The new treaty be-
tween the four nations interested in the
seal industry, 1t Is believed. will protect
the animals from extinction. and give
all those engaged in the fur business
fair chance. 1t will doubtless increase the
cost of real seal for a number of years,
since there will be a smaller number of
skins put upon the market. But without
InlS RESTRICTIVE measure IneTc Is lIttlS
doubt that within ten years the seal sup
ply of the world would have been prac-
tically exhausted.
There still will be plenty of so-called
seal upon the market, however, since only
q small percentage of the fur goods bear
ing that name is the genuine article.
There also will be many other furs to
partially take it's place. Each year brings
out some new fur which is especially in
demand for a season or two, and then de-
in, Coo OH fo
always two or three kinds of fur which
are in staple demand Seal, beaver and
sable are always in vogue, though during
the past ten years the demand for various
kinds OF fox furs has been enormous, and
the short-haired furs, such as pony. broad
tail and squirrel, have been In popular
favor.
There is no other branch of trade
in which greater frauds are perpe-
trated than in furs. Not one article
in ten is as represented. So outrage
Gus have these frauds become that one
of the greatest fur dealers In North
America lately has been stricken with
conscientious scruples against defraud-
ing the public. He has issued table
showing the real source of the furs
sold under various names. According
to this list, which is causing no small
amount of excitement in fur trade cir
coon colored brown.
X
Adelaide chinchilla is Australian
opossum and French ermine is made
from the select
Adelaide Chinchilla ed skins of
Is Only Opossum. Baltic twhtte
fox) is the fur of the large hare of
northern Europe. and Iceland white
fox is Thibet lamb combed until the
hair is straight. while Kamchatka fox
is the trade name of the northern ST.
berian wolf Baltic lynx is the fur
of the Belgian hare dyed Jet black.
and Finland lynx is the Australian
wallaby. The natural black marten is
really skunk and Russian marten is
the American opossum.
There will be a great demand for
ermine as a result of the English cor
onation, but there is practically no
real ermine upon the market 1t Is
kept for royalty itself. Many a woman
this year will pay four or FIVE dollars
for a tiny piece of coney or cat skin
with a little black tail. The tail it.
self will be valued at a dollar or two,
although the trapper who caught the
muskrat from which it was taken
received 10 cents or less for the entire
muskrat skin.
There Is great demand for skunk
fur 1t is a thick. handsome fur cap
able of many treatments. and there
fore can be sold under a great variety
of names Skunk farming is becoming
recognized industry in Minnesota,