Feb., 1912. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 363 



The Mink is a common species in many localities throughout 

 Illinois and Wisconsin. It is a semi-aquatic animal, being rarely found 

 far from water, and is an expert swimmer and diver. Its food consists 

 largely of fish which it pursues and catches with almost the facility of 

 the Otter; in fact Linnaeus appHed the name Lutreola (Little Otter) to 

 the Old World form. For piscatorial destructiveness our species is at 

 least the peer of its European cousin, as is shown by the statement of 

 Audubon and Bachman, who claim it has been known to catch a trout 

 a foot long.* Notwithstanding its fondness for water, however, it is 

 equally at home on land and, while a large portion of its food consists 

 of aquatic animals, such as fish, frogs and crayfish, it preys upon many 

 land animals as well, and it destroys quantities of Rabbits, Rats, Musk- 

 rats, Mice, etc., as well as birds when it can catch them. Like the 

 Weasel the Mink appears to have an especial antipathy to Rats. Dr. 

 C. Hart Merriam saysif "When taken sufficiently young he is easily 

 domesticated, and makes one of the best of 'ratters.' He follows these 

 common pests into their holes, and destroys large numbers of them. 

 The remainder are so terrified that they leave the premises in great 

 haste and are not apt soon to return." 



Writing of the habits of the Mink in Illinois, Kennicott says: "Near 

 the prairies of this State, the mink sometimes takes possession of the 

 house of a musk-rat, after devouring or driving off the rightful inhab- 

 itants. It appears to be quite as abundant and as much at home 

 about prairie ponds and streams as in the woods. It digs burrows on 

 the dry ground near the water, frequently in old ant-hills, some of which 

 were penetrated to a depth of two or three feet , and a foot or two below 

 the surface of the ground. At the extremity of the burrow is a chamber 

 a foot in diameter, in which is found a globular nest of soft grass, lined 

 with feathers, constructed with considerable art, and entered by an 

 opening on one side. In the northern part of this State, where the 

 climate is more severe, the burrows are deeper, being sometimes eight 

 or ten feet in extent, with the nest two feet below the surface. On the 

 prairie, minks are also found living in burrows, often six or eight rods 

 in length, on high ground, from which long galleries extend to the edge 

 of a slough or pond. These galleries, however, are not formed by the 

 minks, but by musk-rats which dig them in order to place their nests" 

 beyond the reach of high water, and yet have subterranean communica- 

 tion with the stream. Though they frequently take possession of the 

 burrows of the musk-rat, and sometimes those of the badger and skunk, 

 when sitviated in suitable localities, they also excavate them for them- 



* Quadrupeds of N. Amer., I, 1846, p. 255. 

 tMamm. Adirondack Reg., 1886, p. 67. 



