9'^4 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



1897, p. 270, & Proc. Zool. Soc, December 4, 1900), and given 

 to me personally when I visited his collection, should be of the 

 greatest interest to the fur-farmer. 



In the light of these experiments, together with the results 

 obtained in various Zoloogical Gardens, I should advise separate 

 cages of |-inch mesh galvanized wire, each cage about 6 feet 

 wide, 6 deep and 5 high, with a floor, preferably, of cement. 

 The north side, with a part of the east and west sides and the 

 portions of roof belonging, should be of boards to shut ofi^ the 

 wind; the rest open to the sun. Each cage should have a good- 

 sized doorway (2 feet by 2) leading to the cage on each side; 

 all should have a large door opening on a wired alley, itself 

 a complete cage, to prevent escapes. Each should contain a 

 few large branches or trunks and in a quiet sheltered corner a 

 well-roofed nesting box (12 by 12 by 24 inches long). The 

 hole into this should be about 3 inches across, turned away 

 from the front, and should have a sliding door that may be 

 operated quickly and quietly from the outside when it is de- 

 cided to shut the animal in. The sleeping box should be 

 movable and easily drawn out from the outside, as this 

 facilitates the handling and transfer of the animals. The 

 floor, if of boards, should be treated with boiled linseed 

 oil and afterwards covered with sawdust. Clean food 

 and water pans should be arranged, and every provision 

 made for continuous and perfect cleanliness. The plan 

 shown in the Skunk-farming article will answer for Marten, 

 if we leave out the two large pens and roof each cage with 

 fine meshwire. 



FOOD, They should have one meal a day. This may be partly 



raw meat, fowl, or fish, but variety is healthful, and they will 

 be found to eat table scraps and even fruit at times. Over- 

 feeding is as dangerous as underfeeding, and much more 

 likely to prevent breeding. One animal, one cage, should be 

 the rule. Everything should be done to 'gentle' them, and 

 they should early be accustomed to handling. 



ETC. 



