472 



JOHN M. BUCKALBW, Fishing Creek, Columbia County, Pa.: 

 Minks dostroy fish; sink down in the water to catch and 

 come to the surface to consume. Minks are numerous and 

 a damage to the communities where found. 



SAMUEL M. DOWNS, Mauch Chunk, Pa.: 



I have no personal knowledge, but reports of Mink depre- 

 dations to fish are common; having a semi-palmated foot and 

 being expert swimmers and divers they experience little diffi- 

 culty in capturing such prey. 



FRED. W. WELD, Sugar Grove, Warren County, Pa.: 



I have occasionally seen dead fish along Stillwater creek 

 killed and partially eaten by Minks, but have never observed 

 their method of capture. 



E. W. CAMPBELL, West Pittston, Luzerne County, Pa.: 



Trout have been killed by Minks, as they have been caught 

 at it. 



H. C. KIRKPATRICK, Meadville, Crawford County, Pa.: 



I have only seen the Mink fishing. Once when duck shoot- 

 ing in Conneaut Marsh I noticed a great commotion in the 

 water just beneath an oak tree which overhung the water; 

 thinking it might be a Wood Duck I made a large circle and 

 came out under the tree; crawling up to where I could look 

 over the bank I saw a large Mink about ten feet from me; it 

 seemed to be hunting in the weeds for something; in a moment 

 it disappeared under the water, in about fifteen or twenty sec- 

 onds it reappeared with something in its mouth and swimming 

 to shore jumped out on the bank where it shook it as a dog 

 shakes a rat; after it was apparently dead the Mink dropped 

 it and sniffed around it a few times and disappeared in the 

 underbrush. Then I went to where the object was lying and 

 found it to be a large species of Salamander about one foot 

 long. Although they are not a fish, it illustrates, to a certain 

 extent, the Mink's manner of fishing for that kind of game. 



OTTO BEHR, Lopez, Sullivan County, Pa.: 



Minks are very" good fishers. Saw one come out of the open 

 riflle in winter with a large trout in its mouth, which it had 

 caught across its back; on another occasion I caught one 

 Jragging a good-sized eel along in the snow. They sometimes 



