FURS: What's in a Name?

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To many a euphemizing U.S. furrier, a skunk is not a skunk at all. It is a "genuine civet cat," "Alaska sable" or "black marten." For four years, the Federal Trade Commission has been trying to get Congress to outlaw fancy names for common furs, last week finally won out when President Truman signed such a bill. Under it, the FTC will issue a "Fur Products Name Guide," which furriers will have to obey, e.g., black Manchurian dogs will be known as black Manchurian dogs, and not as "Belgium lynx" or "black poiret fox."

The chief casualty of the new labels is that old standby, the rabbit, which for years has traveled under a host of now illegal pseudonyms. Among them: Arctic seal, Baltic leopard, Belgium beaver, bluerette, castorette, chinchillette, erminette, French sable, Galland squirrel, marmotine, minkony, moline, nutriette and twin beaver. Maximum penalty for mislabeling: $5,000 fine and a year in jail.