TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Chapter One Page 



Introductory 9 



Chapter Two 



The Early Fur Trade of America 15 



Chapter Three 



The Early Fur Trade of Louisiana 19 



Chapter Four 



Our First Natural History Writers 33 



Chapter Five 



Louisiana Indian Animal Stories 39 



Chapter Six 



The Fur Industry of Today 47 



Chapter Seven 



Furs as a Source of State Revenue 73 



Chapter Eight 



The Opossum 77 



Chapter Nine 



The Raccoon 87 



The Ring-tailed Cat 9S 



Chapter Ten 



The Mink 103 



Chapter Eleven 



The Weasel 113 



Chapter Twelve 



The Otter 119 



Chapter Thirteen 



The Skunk 127 



Chapter Fourteen 



The Little Spotted Skunk ("Civet Cat") 136 



Chapter Fifteen 



The Wildcat 139 



Chapter Sixteen 



The Wolf 145 



Chapter Seventeen 



The Gray Fox 151 



Chapter Eighteen 



The Beaver 155 



Chapter Nineteen 



The Alligator 165 



Life history 166 



Where it gets its name 168 



Alligators and Crocodiles 171 



Food 174 



Mating data 174 



Incubating eggs 178 



Early life and growth 180 



'Gator hunting 184 



Chapter Twenty 



The MusKrat 187 



Molts 194 



Key to North American Muskrats 195 



Louisiana Muskrat 198 



"Where it got its name 200 



Earliest mention in Louisiana 204 



Life history 206 



Longevity 218 



Differences in sexes 220 



