MARTEN AND OTHER SMALL MAMMALS 79 



as they have very similar habits, and inhabit the 

 same kind of country. 



Mink are often captured with the same kind 

 of dead falls, but these must be set in the vicinity 

 of water as much as possible. The inlet and outlet 

 of small lakes are favorite places, and also where 

 small streams meet larger ones, in fact, any place 

 where small fish are to be found. Spawning 

 beds of trout and salmon are very much fre- 

 quented and great destruction caused on them. 

 Although small animals, mink will chase and kill 

 fish of twice their weight. They are very inquis- 

 itive, and not at all shy, and will frequently 

 come within a few feet of a person, if one keeps 

 quiet. They are very often shot by trappers, 

 but this is very wasteful, as the skin and fur is 

 always more or less injured. Steel traps are pre- 

 ferable to any others for trapping mink, as they 

 can be set in, or very near to water, and when the 

 animal is caught it drops into the water and is 

 drowned immediately. In this way the fur is 

 not damaged at all. 



