FOR WOMAN THE DESTROVER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10301, 4 November 1911, Page 4

FOR WOMAN THE DESTROVER.

Facts ATxut Furs. No. ir. The otter of North America is a well-known prey of the fur trader. They are happy, light-hearted animals, and' may be seen enjoying themselves on the ice like schoolboys. They are fond of sliding down a slippery bank, whether of mud or snow, a fact made use of by their human enemies. Tho otters assemble in merry parties, and, Bcra-mbling tu the top of a. ridgo, give themselves a start by kicking out with their hind legs, and, turning their long bodies into a sort of toboggan, slide head foremost down to the bottom. But tho harmless sport has been spied by the trappsr, and the, end of it is cruel anguisJi and terror. Just where the slide ends lie uas placed a cunning steel trap; there is a .snap, and the otter is caught. In a moment the torturing teeth of steel are slowly grinding into the living ilesih of tho once gay creature.-. Perhaps he hears the bone crack; ho cannot get away. Tho poor mangled croaturo must perish in untold agony—waiting. How longP Till death or the trapper comes to release him. Of all the abominations disgracing man's ingenuity, tho steel trap is perhaps the worst. None can tell what tho speechless agonising creatures have to bear for hours, days, even weeks, from this fiendish invention, in use throughout the world. These who buy furs arc responsible for this.

Other victims of the steel trap are. the weasel family, including the stoat, sable mink and skunk. Wensels are noted for the' good comradeship they show to each ether, attested by many pathetic tales. Another much persecuted member of the- weasel family is the Russian aable, of which from twelve to twenty-iivo thousand are caught annually. These elegant little animals are either trapped or pitilessly hunted over tho snowy wastes by men, with dogs trained for the purpose. The sablo is tracked by 1 his tiny footprints, and i.s either worried by dogs or chased into a tree, whence it is beaten down with long poles into nets spread underneath. Or the dogs may smell it out while it is taking a nap in some hole. In this cane a net is spread over the opening, and tho little sleeper is forced out by the introduction of pungent smoke. He runs out because ho is choking, and is soon despatched. The mink is an aquatic animal resembling the otter. It if. caught in traps usually sat under tho surface of the water. From three to four hundred thousand minks are yearly killed. Its first cousin, tho skunk, yields a glossy black fur. Pretty as the creature is, its detestable odour makes it an extremely awkward neighbour. But many thousand skunks are killed yearly by the dexterous and merciless trapper. Even tho gay, frisky, affectionate- little ccjuirrel has to lay down his life for tho sake of his small «kin. Ho is so merry, so fond of human society, so ready to make friend l ; with us that it seems dreadful to rob him of life to steal hi.s clothes. Squirrel ukin is used for lining m ant leu, etc., while tho tails fetch a high price for boas, trimmings, etc. It is to be wondered whether the women, who cover tii-sm-eelvos like an Indian squaw, with dangling rag-tags and bob-tail.s, ever count hew many gentle, happy lives have bc-en laid down for that sil'lv purpose. Squirrels arc trapped or" shot. In the former case they ;>,re tortured like other victims of the steel trap. In the latter, many escape, to die of their wounds.

The beautiful «|itirrol-like chinchilla i.s a little animal inhabitimc Peru and the regions around it. It lives in burrows, but is most fastidiously clean in

its habits, and is scrupulously careful to keep ite silvery coat quite spotless. From live to eighty thousand of these exquisite blue-grey skins arc yearly imported. As the creature's body measures about nine inches only, the waste of life i.s enormous, many skins being needed for even a small article of he-man dress. The suffering is multiplied in proportion. It is mercilessly trapped, however. Many other beautiful littlo animals resembling it are slain and palmed off as " real chinchilla."