690 COLLEGE ZOOLOGY 



Predaceous mammals feed upon the flesh of other animals; 

 if these animals are beneficial to man, the predaceous mammal 

 may be considered injurious, but if the animals preyed upon are 

 harmful to man, the predaceous mammal is beneficial. The 

 harmful predaceous mammals include the wolves and cougars, 

 which subsist largely upon big game, sheep, cattle, and horses 

 and the house cat, which destroys millions of birds in this country 

 annually. 



The other predaceous mammals are occasionally harmful, 

 but usually beneficial. Coyotes and wildcats, if poultry and 

 sheep are properly protected, devote their attention to rabbits 

 and other small mammals, and insects. The fox destroys great 

 numbers of field-mice, rabbits, ground squirrels, and insects. 

 The mink often commits depredations upon poultry, but more 

 than pays for this by destroying meadow-mice and muskrats. 

 The weasel has a similar bill of fare. The skunk destroys im- 

 mense numbers of mice, grubs, and noxious insects. The badger 

 feeds largely upon ground squirrels and other burrowing mammals 

 and insects. 



There is great danger in introducing mammals into this 

 country. The brown rat reached this country about 1775, and 

 is now, as pointed out above, our worst mammalian pest. Rab- 

 bits which were introduced into Australia about 1864 soon be- 

 came so numerous that legislative action was taken for their 

 destruction. The mungoose of India destroys rats, lizards, 

 and snakes; it was introduced into Jamaica and other tropical 

 islands and at first proved very beneficial, but later it became 

 a great pest, destroying poultry, birds, young domesticated 

 animals, and even fruit. These disastrous results from the 

 introduction of foreign species of mammals led Congress to 

 prohibit the importation of most reptiles, birds, and mammals 

 unless special permission is obtained from the Department of 

 Agriculture. 



