388 655
Fox, White 3,310 14,000 4,785
Fox, Blue 3,630 2,600 3,600
Otter 5,211 9,000 2,916
Fisher 2,914 3,440 1,705
Beaver 14,282 6,800 11,900
Bear 7,240 6,980 5,770
Badger 4,070 4,475 5,905
Cat, Wild 6,925 5,800 7,072
Cat, House 20,344 15,800 17,000
Wolf 21,365 24,150 12,100
Wolverine 350 450 323
Ermine 77,600 77,000 100,580
Civet 19,200 33,000 53,800

The noticeable falling off in the Hudson's Bay Company offerings can be
accounted for from the fact that more "free traders," as the Great
Company calls them, are yearly encroaching upon their territory.

The offerings of Lampson and Nesbitt is short of a year ago with the
exceptions of beaver, muskrat and skunk. The advanced price of muskrat,
no doubt, caused more trapping of these animals than ever before. Again
the fact of the dry fall in many localities bunched the rats, so that
they were much easier caught. The rats offered at the recent sales are
largely fall and winter. From reports, the collection of spring rats
will be very light--in many localities not more than one-fourth of an
average collection.

While the offerings now show some 200,000 in excess of March, 1908, and
also March, 1907, indications are that before the year 1909 ends there
will be a shortage in the total rat catch for the year. Considerable
anxiety is felt regarding skunk, as the number offered was 545,280
compared with 416,000 in March, 1908, which is nearly 130,000 more. This
is hardly a fair test. The offerings at March Sales 1908 were light from
the fact that skunk were not in demand at the beginning of the fall
season of 1907, when a good per cent. of skunk are caught for the
following March Sales. Go back another year, that is March, 1907, and
see what the offerings of skunk were; you perhaps will be surprised to
learn that it was 615,900 or 70,000 more than at this spring's sale. The
offerings of beaver were larger than a year ago, but with these
exceptions, there appears a decided falling off--note the quantity of
fox, coon, marten, lynx--all much less.

Furs are fashionable throughout