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racoon, for instance, or a porcupine, and yet the former are not uncom- 

 mon, and the latter not excessively rare. The weasel family are seldom 

 visible, and the ground-hog is too wary to expose itself to every passer 

 by. 



To Mr. 11. J. Devlin, of this city, who, from practical experience, 

 is perhaps the best authority on the subject, your leaders are indebted 

 for the subjoined list of fur-bearing animals of this district. Ho re- 

 ports the beaver, (found in the Blanche and Lievre tributaries), the 

 black-bear, otter, mink, muskrat, racoon, red fox, silver-grey fox, (rare) 

 cross-fox (a cross between the grey and red), marten, skunk, weasel, 

 fisher, lynx, and in rare instances the wolf. The latter is becoming 

 very rare in this district. There is great doubt if the wild-cat is found 

 here at all. Settlers have a habit of confounding the lynx, wild-cat 

 and wolverine, although the latter does not exist here. One specimen 

 some years ago was obtained and brought here from the Djsert River, 

 but apparently it was a rarity. 



We noticed an unusually large numbar of racoons offered on our 

 market last autumn, and the carcases of some we examined were re- 

 markably fat. Enquiry showed that they were all taken near here, 

 and Ml-. Devlin's experience convinces him that this animal does not 

 disappear before civilization, but rather becomes more numerous, 

 especially where corn is grown in any quantity in the neighbourhood 

 of woods or swampy thickets where hollow trees and stumps abound. 



Reference was made in the last report to the probability of the 

 jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius ) being found here, as it was re- 

 corded existing at Prescott. This probability has become a fact, as 

 Professor Macoun reports these little creatures being seen in Major's 

 Hill Park last sea.son. 



Field mice ( Arolcola) aie reported to have committed unusual de- 

 vastation last winter. Mr. W. L. Scott states that in some places he 

 noticed the underbrush totally destroyed for a distance of 25 or 30 

 yards, and that trees six inches in diameter were in some instances 

 girdled and killed by them, and in the early spring the grass was 

 literally a network of their runways. Mr. Harrington also states that 

 near Hemlock Lako mice committed great ravages, and numbers of 

 maples from two to eight inches in diameter were barked to the height 



