VI NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.?:. 



While the strictly scientific character of the work will be maintained, the 

 *' life-histories," being of general interest, will be divested as far as possible 

 of technicalities, and treated with a free hand, in popnlar style. The anthor 

 has long been engaged in gathering material for this work, already far ad- 

 vanceil, and hopes to pnblish at no distant day. His resonrcfts and facilities 

 for the preparation of the descriptive and other technical portions of the 

 treatire have been ample ; bnt he has still, in common with other natnralists^ 

 mnch to learn respecting the Geographical Distribntion and Habits of North 

 American Mammals. To these points, therefore, special attention is inviteil^ 

 with the expectation that mnch important and valuable information may 

 1)6 secured with the assistance of Medical and other Officers of the Army^ 

 many of whom enjoy unusual facilities for ac<iuiring a knowledge of thi.s. 

 subject, and whose individual experiences, in many cases, represent a fund 

 of information not yet on scientitic record, bnt which, it is hoped, may now 

 be made fully available. 



The Geographical Distribution of animals can be thoroughly worked out 

 only by means of observations made at very many ditferent places. To this, 

 end it is desirable that lists should be prepared of the various species found 

 in any given locality, noting their relative abundance or scarcity, times of 

 appearance and disappearance, nature of their customary resorts, and other 

 pertinent particulars. A sufficient number of such reports, from various 

 stations, would greatly increase our knowledge, and render it more precise. 

 It is believed that the '• History of the Post," as already prepared by Medi- 

 cal Officers, usually includes information of this kind, which, by the permiii- 

 sion of the Surgeon General, is made available for the present purpose. 



As a rule, the habits of larger "game" animals, such as are ordinarily ob- 

 jects of the chase for pleasure or profit, and of all those which sustain obvious 

 economic relations with man, as furnishing food or furs, or as committing^ 

 depredations upon crops or live stock, are the best known ; yet there is. 

 much to be learned even respecting these. The habits of many of the smaller^ 

 insiguitiuant or obscure species are almost entirely unknown. Full and ac- 

 curate information respecting the habits of the numerous species of Hares^ 

 Squirrels, Shrews, Moles, Mice, Rats, Bats, Weasels, Gophers, ifcc, is par- 

 ticularly desired. The Bats offer a peculiarly inviting and little explored 

 tield of research. Among pomts to which attention may be directed, in any 

 case, are the following : 



Date and duration of the rut. —Period of gestation. — Usual time of repro- 

 duction.— Number of young prwluced.— Duration of lactation.— Care of the- 

 young, by one or both parents. — State of monogamy or polygamy. — Timeft 

 of disappearance and re-appearance of such animals as are migratory, and 

 of such as hybernate. — Completeness or interruption of torpidity. — Times. 

 of changing pelage, of acquiring, shedding and renewing horns.— Habits 

 connected with these proces.ses. — Habits peculiar to the breeding and rut- 

 ting seasons. — Construction of nests, burrows, or other artificial retreats. — 

 Natural resorts at different seasons. — Nature of food at various seasons ; 

 mode of procuring it; laying-up of supplies; (luantity required. — Various, 

 cries, of what indicative. — Natural means of otiense and defense, and how 

 employed. — General disposition, traits, characteristics. — Methods of captur- 

 ing or destroying, of taming or domesticating. — Economic relations witU 



