212 AUDUBON THE NATURALIST. 



Along the trout streams of our Eastern and 

 Northern States, the mink has been known to 

 steal fish, that, having been caught by some 

 angler, had been left tied together with a string 

 while the fisherman proceeded farther in quest 

 of more. An angler informed us that he had 

 lost in this way thirty or forty fine trout, which 

 a mink dragged off the bank into the stream and 

 devoured, and we have been told that by look- 

 ing carefully after them, the minks could be 

 seen watching the fisherman, and in readiness 

 to take his fish, should he leave it at any distance 

 behind him. Mr. Hutson of Halifax informed 

 lis that he had a sahiion weighmg four pounds 

 carried off by one of them. 



We have observed that the mink is a toler- 

 ably expert fisher. On one occasion, whilst 

 seated near a trout-brook in the northern part 

 of the state of New York, we heard a sudden 

 splashing in the stream, and saw a large trout 

 gliding through the shallow water and making 

 for some overhanging roots oq the side of the 

 bank. A mink was in close pursuit, and dived 

 after it; in a moment afterwards it reappeared 

 with the fish in its mouth. By a sudden rush 

 we induced it to drop the trout, which was up- 

 wards of a foot in length. 



We are disposed to believe, however, that 

 fishes are not the principal food on which the 



