364 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. XL 



selves, but of much less diameter. In the woods, the burrows are 

 generally found under logs or the roots of trees near the water, and in 

 rocky regions they burrow under rocks or stone walls; and I have 

 occasionally discovered them living in the hollow of a fallen tree, or in 

 the decayed roots of large trees growing in the water. 



"The mink is not at all gregarious, and does not even live in pairs. 

 During the love-season, which occurs in February or March, according 

 to the climate, the female is accompanied by one or more males; but 

 after this, each lives alone, the males apparently wandering about the 

 remainder of the year. The young are brought forth in April or May, 

 usually to a number of five or six, though sometimes there are as few 

 as three. They separate from the mother as soon as they are able to 

 take care of themselves, and before winter each provides itself a res- 

 idence. The female exhibits considerable affection for her young, and 

 when in danger does not willingly desert them. She carries prey to 

 them for a time before they leave the burrow, as the remains of birds 

 and mammals are often found in the nest. The adults, however, have 

 the habit of conveying their prey to their retreats at all times. 



"The mink is strictly carnivorous, and never, to my knowledge, 

 eats vegetables. Besides birds and mammals, it feeds upon fish and 

 aquatic reptiles, but probably does not subsist upon insects to much 

 extent. Though not so expert as the otter, it frequently succeeds in 

 catching fish in shallow water. In the prairie sloughs it devours at 

 times considerable quantities of cray-fish, tadpoles, and frogs; and 

 when the smaller of these places become nearly dry from evaporation, 

 and are quite alive with tadpoles, and occasionally with mud-fish and 

 stickle-backs, in common with the musk-rat, the raccoon, and reptile- 

 eating birds, it clears these muddy pools entirely of their unfortunate 

 inhabitants, which have no way of escape. The mink, however, does 

 not always confine itself to this kind of prey ; for when once it has gained 

 access to the farmyard, stocked with young turkeys, chickens, and 

 ducks, it far prefers taking up its residence near by, where, without the 

 exertion of long journeys and hard chases, it can make a nocturnal feast 

 of its favorite food — blood and brains. Though destructive, it is not 

 usually so much so in the poultry-yard as the weasel or skunk ; for often, 

 at least, if not generally, it exhibits much moderation, comparatively, 

 contenting itself with a single fowl each night. In pursuing its prey, it 

 follows the track by scent, like a dog, as may frequently be seen in the 

 snow where it is chasing a grey rabbit or a covey of grouse or quails, 

 which, as well as many water-birds, with their eggs and young, it 

 destroys. It also steals upon its prey, and seizes it by a spring, like a 

 cat." (I. c, 1858, pp. 102-103.) 



