Mink 885 



The Weasel is a sanguinary little incarnation of fury and habits 

 valour, with but little cunning; it is low in intelligence and char- 

 incapable of friendship with man or any one else. The Otter, 

 though a Weasel in pedigree, seems to have responded to the 

 elevating and gentling influences attendant on the fisher-life. 

 It is the least destructive, the most docile and intelligent of the 

 Family. The Mink is half-way between in habits and character, 

 as it is in food and haunts. After sojourning in the reeds along 

 the river for a time catching fish and killing Muskrats in Otter- 

 fashion, or running down Rabbits and Mice Weasel-fashion, it 

 may set out across country to find better hunting and happen, 

 in its travels, to discover the real Happy Hunting Ground in the 

 form of some farmer's barnyard. Very naturally, it settles 

 down in this ideal spot — didn't it set out to find this very thing ? 

 — this highly populated wilderness of buildings and sheltered 

 nooks is perfect and here "every prospect pleases — only man is 

 vile." The Mink's attitude toward this game preserve is quite 

 different from that of the lesser Weasels. They are mad to 

 kill — kill — kill; they will, if possible, kill everything there in 

 one night, then leave the ruined place to seek some new field 

 of carnage. Not so the Mink. It has but little of the killer 

 spirit. It kills because it must eat, and, having found the well- 

 stocked henneries, it says to itself, " Here now will I settle down, 

 eat, drink, and make merry, for these are mine own preserves 

 by right of discovery, and I will defend them against all 

 invaders." On the list of invaders it puts the farmer and his 

 family, and his dogs and his cats, and all those that put their 

 trust in him. From safe hiding under the barn or in the log- 

 pile it sallies forth at night to kill and eat; sometimes one fowl 

 each night for many nights in succession; sometimes it yields 

 to the blood-lust (not unknown among mankind), and kills 

 half a dozen of the defenceless prey, feasting only on those 

 choicest parts of all, the blood and brains, just as the Buffalo 

 killer would shoot down half a dozen Buffalo because it was so 

 easily possible, and then take nothing but the tongues. 



Usually the Mink is killed before leaving the barnyard 

 precincts, but it often happens that a number of narrow 



