216 AUDUBON THE NATURALIST. 



of them ; both parties, having seemingly entered 

 into a truce at a time when their lives seemed 

 equally in jeopardy, were apparently disposed 

 peaceably to await the falling of the waters that 

 surrounded them. 



This species prefers taking up its residence on 

 the borders of ponds and along the banks of 

 small streams, rather than along large and broad 

 rivers. It delights in frequenting the foot of 

 rapids and waterfalls. When pursued, it flies 

 for shelter to the water, an element suited to its 

 amphibious habits, or to some retreat beneath 

 the banks of the stream. It runs tolerably well 

 on high ground, and we have found it on sev- 

 eral occasions no easy matter to overtake it, and 

 when overtaken, we have learned to our cost, 

 that it was rather a troublesome customer about 

 our feet and legs, where its sharp canine teeth 

 made some uncomfortable indentations; neither 

 was its odour as pleasant as we could have de- 

 sired. It is generally supposed that the mink 

 never resorts to a tree to avoid pursuit; we 

 have, however, witnessed one instance to the 

 contrary. In hunting for the ruffed-grouse, we 

 observed a little dog that accompanied us, bark- 

 ing at the stem of a young tree, and on looking 

 up, perceived a mink seated in the first fork, 

 about twelve feet from the ground. Our friend, 

 the late Dr. Wright, of Troy, informed us that 



