Mi^ 



Minks combine the habits of the land and water hunters 

 more successfully, perhaps, than any other animal. In warm 

 weather they are fond of exploring wet swamps and low lands, 

 where they find an abundance of frogs and lizards, and dig ali 

 sorts of grubs, beetles and earthworms from the black peaty 

 soil and leaf-mould around old weather-beaten stumps and rotten 

 logs. 



They are most inveterate nest robbers and mousers, chasing 

 the little blunt-headed furry meadow mice along their runways 

 in the thick grass being their favourite sport. 



In April the female fixes herself a cozy nest in some hole 

 among the rocks, or inside a hollow log or stump generally 

 hidden away among flags and bullrushes beside a stream. 



The young minks stay with their mother until cold weather, 

 learning to fish and hunt; the frogs, mice and young birds fur- 

 nish plenty of sport for them while the warm weather lasts, and 

 they seldom wander far, until the sons of the family are as big 

 or bigger than their mother. But the frosty autumn weather 

 makes them restless, and they soon get into the way of going 

 off separately on longer hunting excursions, to be gone several 

 days or a week, perhaps, at a time, no longer returning when 

 tired to sleep together in the same nest where they were born, 

 but camping each alone wherever the fortunes of chase happen 

 to lead them, for a mink is always able to find good sleeping 

 quarters anywhere at a moment's notice. 



The mink is not properly either nocturnal or diurnal; when 

 well fed and tired, after a hard chase, he turns in and sleeps 

 until rested, and then yawns and stretches himself and starts out 

 again for another jolly hunt, perfectly indifferent to the time of the 

 day. It may be black rainy midnight or a brilliant October morn- 

 ing: when he wakes, off he goes, hungry and eager for fresh 

 adventures, exploring unknown territory and chasing birds such as 

 he has never seen before, as the Northern cold drives them down 

 in flight before it. His first snowstorm is likely to find him 

 dozens of miles from home. Now and again he runs across other 

 members of his species and the two hunt and fish together for a 

 few days, but they soon part company again in most instances; 

 one, it may be, preferring to follow down along the tidewater 

 creeks after eels, while the other anticipates better fun chasing 

 partridges and squirrels in the upland woods. 



a34 



