182 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.E. 



keeper, to whom they would frequently extend tbeir paws like 

 a child wishing to be taken to its i>arent. Seven years ago, 

 Mr. Eesseque came in possession of a live wild Mink, and through 

 her progeny his stock has on some occasions amounted to ninety 

 individuals, besides the numerous specimens disposed of. At 

 the late Albany County fair, his " minkery " was one of the novel 

 features. 



Mr. Kesseque's minkery consists of twelve stalls, each twelve 

 feet square, of stale soil, and surrounded with a fence and some 

 special precautions to prevent the escape of the animals. In 

 each stall is placed a dry-goods' box for the home of the female; 

 it has two openings for ingress and egress, opposite each other, 

 besides a door on top to allow of inspection and cleaning. The 

 animals are fed on sound, fresh meat, as they do not relish 

 tainted flesh. In summer it is given to them daily, but in cold 

 weather a large quantity is thrown in at once and allowed to 

 freeze, the Minks helping themselves at pleasure. In February, 

 their allowance is shortened, to get them into condition for 

 breeding. Mr. Eesseque claims that this slight degree of fast- 

 ing makes them more lively and playful, and it is a part of his 

 plan to imitate nature as closely as possible — their supply of 

 food, in the wild state, being restricted at this season. 



In the minkery, the sexes are not allowed to run together ex- 

 cept during the month of March, which is considered the run- 

 ning season in a state of nature. If allowed together for a 

 longer period, the male teases and annoys the female. At this 

 time, the males fight desperately, and if not soon separated one 

 always gets the mastery. The females come in heat with great 

 regularity, all being ready for the male within ten days; and the 

 period of excitement lasts about four days. One male serves 

 six females. The females reproduce when one year old. The 

 duration of gestation scarcely varies twelve hours from six 

 weeks. There is but one litter annually. The litters run from 

 three to ten in number; the young are born blind, and remain 

 so for five weeks. When newly born, they are light-colored, 

 hairless, and about the size and shape of a little finger. By 

 the time the eyes are open, they are covered with a beautiful 

 coat of glossy hair. The young females develop sooner than 

 the males, attaining their stature in ten months, while the males 

 are not full-grown until they are a year and a half old. It is 

 noted that in every litter one or the other sex predominates in 

 numbers, there being rarely half of them males and the other 



