The Silver Fox.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 6 November 1914, Page 2

The Silver Fox.

The craze for the rare has had results, as was to he expected. We all of us know how impossible it has been proved to get rid of •the rab'oits which, in an evil moment, were introduced into Australia, while many of us have reason to be aware of the hopelessness of ever exterminating rats and mice. Such creatures not merely increase with amazing rapidity, but are seldom in danger of suffering from lack of food, and that, too, of an easily obtainable kind. So long as there is any vegetation at all rabbits will obtain their share of it and a change of diet does not trouble them in the least. Save that they restrict . themselves to vegetables they arc almost as fatally accommodating as to the sort of food they eat as rats and mice are. With none of the so-called " furbearing" animals i.s existence so easy or increase rapid,, and, as a result, all have in varjdng degrees suffered heavily at the hand of the trapper, or, perhaps, T should say from the demands of fashion. In some instances whole species have been all but wiped out, while mere varieties have in several instances practically disappeared. The result has been an enormous increase in the value of fur generally, and of certain furs in particular, but not, alas, any desire to stay the hand of the destroyer. Take for example the famous silver fox, about which we hear so much nowadays. This is really the black fox of North Siberia and Manchuria, their coats being slightly sprinkled with silver hairs. So scarce has the animal become, and so great is the demand for the fur, that attempts are now being made to breed the fox in question in a state of semi-confinement. Of its value at the present time it is diflicult to speak without, exaggeration. Years ago as much as 350 guineas has been given for a single skin, now one dare hardfy say what such a pelt would be worth. As a whole, the fox family has suffered grievously, and worse is in store for it. Only a few years ago it was said that the white, the blue, and the black were the only fox skins which would sell in England. Now the red is in fashion, and every fur shop has red fox skin garments displayed for sale, so that no longer can one variety of these unfortunate creatures boast of unpopularity. No doubt the real reason of the change is that all furs, in varying degrees, are getting so scarce that fashion can no longer afford to discard any as undesirable. How T wish it would. If only great Goddess Fashion would decree that no fur save, say, silver fox was ever to be worn then, though we all shed tears over the fox in question, we should know that its kindred at any rate were safe. No such luck. When one sort of skin becomes too scarce another is utilised, and when that in its turn has all but reached vanishkig point, a third becomes Ih« vogue, and so on. No doubt, in course of time, we shall get back to the fashion set by Baby Bunting, but not before we have exterminated the animals which to-day boast the ill-omened name of fur-bearers.