FAUNA. 209 



cariboo, squirrels, rabbits, &c., &c. For all these animals, 

 and others that I have not named, it seems quite as well 

 adapted as either shore of the St. Lawrence ; indeed, it 

 looks as if it were originally intended for the musquash, 

 which thrives in every other part of British North 

 America. The mink, too, is generally found along with 

 the otter, but not in Anticosti. The list of wild animals 

 comprises bears, foxes, otters, martens, and mice, and no 

 others that I could see or hear of. Bears, though not so 

 numerous as they once were, are still plentiful ; so are 

 otters. I observe everywhere that otters outlive the other 

 fur-bearing animals ; from their wandering habits, their 

 strength, and their 'cuteness they are more difficult to 

 trap than any animal, except perhaps the carcajou and the 

 fox. Foxes were very plentiful some years ago, chiefly 

 cross foxes and silver-grey ; black foxes (the most 

 valuable) and red ones (the least so) being about equally 

 rare. But these valuable animals, together with martens, 

 have of late years been destroyed by bungling trappers, 

 by means of poison laid in little balls or pellets of grease. 

 The grease allures the fox, and preserves the poison from 

 the weather. Sometimes a crow flies off with one of these 

 savoury morsels, and drops dead in the woods. A fox in 

 turn picks up the crow, so that many more .animals are 

 destroyed than are found by the poisoner. The trappers 

 speak of four different sorts of fox skins, which differ 

 greatly in value; thus, while the black, the silver-grey, 

 and the cross or patch foxes are worth respectively $100, 

 $60, and $25, the red fox is barely worth $2. The quality 

 of the fur is equally good in all four varieties, it is merely 

 the colour that makes the difference. South of the St. 



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