74 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



The nests are made about 20 inches by 30 inches and 6 

 Female inches high, and are pushed into a large box (similarly to 



a drawer in a chest of drawers), which is placed in a bank of 

 earth and covered up. Thus, if it is necessary to examine the nest, 

 it may be drawn out. A piece of meshed wire over the inner box 

 will permit a view of the whole interior. The entrances should be 

 a foot or more long and from three to four inches in diameter. Mr. 

 Desormeau, the manager at Lac Chaud, reported that, once a female 

 took possession of a nest, no other mink was allowed to enter, always 

 being met at the entrance to the passageway and beaten back. The 

 food is always carried to the entrance and is taken from the hand as 

 quickly as offered. As many nests as there are females in the ranch, 

 and probably a few more, are required to prevent fighting for pos- 

 session or the making of nests in burrov/s. 



The males are provided with large caves roofed over with 

 Hotne of 

 the Male planks or concrete. Food is thrown in through a hatch in 



the roof. In summer the mink obtains a considerable quan- 

 tity of food in the water, as small fish can get through the meshed 

 fence. Because of the free range, only flesh food is fed. 



It could not be ascertained how the mother and young are cared 

 for during tlie several months wdien the latter are dependent on their 

 mother for food and protection. It is the intention of Mr. Desormeau to 

 separate the young from the old each year and place them in one end of 

 his fenced area, having a fence crossing the island to divide them. It 

 is likely that when they are about two months old, or about July 1, 

 the separation of the young from the mother could be easily effected 

 by simply carrying them away in their box. They would be old 

 enough at that time to live on solid food and would be tamer and gentler 

 than if left with their mother. 



The food is almost wholly fish, supplied from the lake. Pennis- 

 sion has been received from the Quebec authorities to capture the fish 

 by any method. It is proposed to restock the lake with fry. 



It is estimated that six men can manage the ranch and that about 

 two thousand females and one quarter as many males can be accom- 

 modated as breeding stock. 



— « . N'o ranches of this type were examined, but proof that such 



TheColony . ^ ■ ^ ■, / ^ -,-\ , • -, ^^ ^ 



Plan exist was furnished by owners who did not wish to reveal 



to the public the methods they used. The promoters of 

 thJs method claim to be highly successful and have given considerable 

 study to the habits of the mink, a fact which is proved by their intel- 

 ligent discussions of mink-ranching problems. 



