Fox, Blue.—24 × 8 inches. The under-hair is thick and long, while the top-hair is fine and not so plentiful as in other foxes. It is found in Alaska, Hudson Bay Territory, Greenland and Archangel. Although called blue, the color is really of a slaty or drab shade. The skins from Archangel are more silky and of a smoky bluish color, and being scarce are most valuable. The white foxes which are dyed a smoky blue are brilliant and quite unlike the browner shades of the blue-fox.
Fox, Cross.—20 × 7 inches. The skins generally have a pale yellow or orange tone, with some silver points, and a darkish cross marking on the shoulders, on account of which the animal got its name. Some are very similar to the pale red foxes of Northwest America. The darkest and best skins are from Labrador and Hudson Bay, those from lower latitudes being inferior.
Fox, Grey.—27 × 10 inches. Has a close dark drab under-hair, with coarse regular, yellowish, grizzly-grey top-hair. The majority of the skins come from Virginia and southwestern U. S. A. Those from the west are larger and brighter-toned.
Fox, Kit.—20 × 6 inches. The under-hair is short and soft, as is also the top-hair, which is a very pale grey mixed with some yellowish-white hairs. It is the smallest of the foxes, and is found in Canada and northern United States.
Fox, Red.—24 × 8 inches, although some kinds are larger. The under-hair is long and soft, and the top-hair is plentiful and strong. The colors range from pale yellow to a dark red, some being very brilliant. It is widely found in northern America, China, Japan, and Australia. The Kamchatka foxes are exceptionally fine and rich in quality. Farther north, near the open sea, the fur is coarse. The skins have an extensive use, both natural and dyed. They are dyed black in imitation of the black fox, or these when pointed with badger or other white hair to imitate the silver fox.
Fox, Silver.—30 × 10 inches. The under-hair is close and fine, and the top-hair, which is black to silvery, is 3 inches long. The fur on the neck usually runs almost black, and in some cases the black extends over half the length of the skin. When all black, it is a natural black fox, and is exceedingly rare and high-priced. The silver fox is very valuable, the finest wild skins coming from Labrador. The tail is always tipped white. The majority of the silver fox pelts that reach the market today are bred on ranches in Canada and the United States.
Fox, White.—20 × 7 inches. It is usually small and inhabits the extreme northern sections of Hudson Bay, Labrador, Greenland, and Siberia. The Canadian are silky-haired and inclined to a creamy color, while the Siberian are whiter and more woolly. The under-hair is generally of a bluish-grey tone, but the top-hair in winter is usually full enough to hide such a variation. Those skins which have under-hair that is quite white are rare and much more expensive than the others. In summer specimens of these species have slightly discolored coats, the shades resembling those of the blue fox. The skins which are not perfectly white are bleached, or if they cannot be bleached sufficiently white they are dyed various shades of smoke color, blue-greys and also imitation blue fox.
Goat.—The size varies greatly. The European, Arabian and East Indian varieties are used mainly for leather and wool. Many from Russia are dyed black for rugs. The hair is brittle, with poor under-hair, and is not durable. The Chinese export many skins in grey, black and white, made into rugs of two skins each. Frequently the skins are dyed black or brown in imitation of bear.
Hamster.—8 × 31⁄2 inches. A destructive rodent found largely in Russia and Germany. The fur is very flat and poor, of a yellowish-brown color, with a little marking of black. On account of its lightness it is used for linings; occasionally it is dyed.
Hare.—24 × 9 inches. The common hare of Europe is used mostly for the hatters’ trade. The white hares of Russia, Siberia, and other northern regions are the ones mainly used for furs. It is whitest in mid-winter, and the fur on the flanks is longer than that on the back. The hair is brittle and not durable, and the leather is quite as bad. Yet the skins are used to dye imitations of more than a dozen different furs. The North American hares are also dyed black and brown.