30 EVERMANN AND CLARK 



25. Taxidea americana (Boddsert). 

 Badger. 



Never more than very rare in Indiana and now probably extinct 

 in this part of the state. In 1893, Mr. S. D. Steininger, then of La 

 Grange County, reported that the Badger has been found in Elk- 

 hart, La Grange, Steuben, De Kalb, Noble and Kosciusko counties; 

 that four had been caught in La Grange County within the last 10 

 years, the last in 1887; that 3 were caught in the northeast part of 

 Elkhart County in 1888, and a black one in Noble County in 1880. 

 Various old residents say that it was formerly found in Marshall 

 County. 



26. Lutreola vison lutreocephalus (Harlan). 

 Mink. 



The Mink is not common in the immediate vicinity of Lake Max- 

 inkuckee, but it is said to be more plentiful a few miles to the west- 

 ward and along Yellow and Tippecanoe rivers. One was killed in 

 February, 1898, near the Winfield cottage; others were obtained 

 about the lake December 18, 1899, January 19, 1900, and Novem- 

 ber 9, 1900. On April 5, 1901, a skull of a female mink was picked 

 up near Lost Lake. A few were trapped in the winter of 1903-4; 

 3 at Norris Inlet in October, and one at the ice-houses December 14. 

 On December 17, 1901, a mink dragged 3 ducks from the ice on the 

 lake to a hole under a stone wall on Long Point. 



In the winter of 1906-7, a mink track was observed on the shore 

 at the Shady Point cottage. The mink had gone south toward 

 Murray's until opposite the gravel pit when it went out on the ice 

 several rods to an open place where it evidently fed for a time, after 

 which it returned on the ice to the shore and then followed on south 

 along the lake shore nearly to Murray's where it was found under 

 the edge of the ice and killed. It was in some respects an abnormal 

 mink, the head and shoulders being unusually heavy, the body 

 short and thick like that of a coon, and the color jet black. The 

 pelt sold for $3.50. 



On September 7, 1907, a very large mink was seen in Outlet 

 Bay between Chadwick's Hotel and the north end of the icehouses. 

 It was watched for some time and was evidently feeding. It would 



