318 



VALUABLE FUK-BEARL\'U SPEL'lES. 



1'lu' irmimiials w liiili (icciu- witli us arc iicriiiaiii'ul 

 hand, iL'side here ouly duiiiiy eeihiiu peilods of the 



'I'he most iiiijiurtaiit and vauhilile tui-l)eai'!iig ani- 

 mals al prescnl found in tliis State are the Black Bear, 

 Minks, Sl^nnjvs, Musknits, Ottci-. Raceown, Opossum, 

 FisluT and ^farten. Of this list tlie two last nien- 

 tioni'd are restiicted to a few sjiaisi-ly settled districts, 

 and even in sneh remote and nninliaViitefl wilds tlie.v 

 are seldom seen. 



Some mammals, for examjile ilie ^Vildoat. Black 

 Bear, Foxes, Minks, Meadow Mice, Muskrat, Wo-od- 

 chuck and a few others, when jirtscnt in a locality iu 

 any consideraVjlo number, do much damage and should 

 lie destroyed. It is not, liowever, .•wise on just to 

 wrongfully condemn certain of the commou animals 

 fo'und about the farmer's cnlti^'ated enclosures, or in 

 the forests, when it is known, at least to naturalists, 

 tliat tlie gcod the^ do far outweighs their depredations 

 to poultry, game or vegetable crops, 



DISTT'RBIXG NATURE'S BALAXCT-:. 



A\'idespread niisconceptiun of the true relaticm 

 whicli mammals, birds and insects have to man's in- 

 terests have done much in rec<^nt years in this and 

 other countries to militate against the welfare and 

 comfort of mankind. 



Tlie truth of this can be sliown by briefly referring 

 to siome mistakes made by the intrcdnction of species 

 with a view to naturalization or otherwise, and the 

 cruel, u.'seless slaughter of others, thus disturbing tlie 



