122 BULLETIN NO. VII. 
The rutting season begins early—generally February—and 
April is for the most part the month of reproduction. Five or 
six young are ordinarily produced ata birth. Litters have been 
found in the hollow of a log, as well as in the customary bur- 
rows. 
The Mink has been frequently tamed, and is said to become, 
with due care, perfectly gentle and tractable, though liable to 
sudden fits of anger, when no one is safe from its teeth. With- 
out showing special affection, it seems fond of being caressed, 
and may ordinarily be handled with perfect impunity. The 
following account of the semi-domestication of Minks on an 
extensive scale will be read with interest, not alone for its 
novelty, but also because it gives some precise information 
respecting the reproduction of the species. 
*‘Minkeries.”’ 
The Mink appears to be the only species of its genus which 
has been systematically reared and trained for ratting in this 
country as the Ferret isin Europe. The relationship of the two 
animals at once suggests the feasibility of an experiment which 
has been tried with complete success, as we learn from an in- 
teresting article lately published in ‘‘Forest and Stream” (Oc- 
tober 22, 1874—apparently taken from ‘‘Fancier’s Journal and 
Poultry Exchange” of October 15, 1874). Ireproduce the pas- 
sage in substance. 
Mr. H. Resseque, of Verona, Oneida County, N. Y., has fre- 
quently exhibited at fairs two tame female Minks, which he 
hands to the by-standers to be caressed and passed from one 
to another. The animals were perfectly gentle, submitting to 
be handled, but it was noticed that they kept their eyes on their 
keeper, to whom they would frequently extend their paws like 
a child wishing to be taken to its parent. Seven years ago, 
Mr. Resseque 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. Resseque’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 
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