MODE OF CAPTURE. 217 



whilst he was walking on the border of a wood, 

 near a stream, a small animal which he sup- 

 posed to be a black squirrel, rushed from a tuft 

 of grass, and ascended a tree. After gaining a 

 seat on a projecting branch, it peeped down at 

 the intruder on its haunts, when he shot it, and 

 picking it up, ascertained that it was a mink. 



We think, however, that this animal is not 

 often seen to ascend a tree, and these are the 

 only instances of its doing so, which are known 

 to us. 



This species is a good swimmer, and like the 

 musk-rat, dives at the flash of a gun ; we have 

 observed, that the percussion-cap now in general 

 use is too quick for its motions, and that this in- 

 vention bids fair greatly to lesson its numbers. 

 When shot in the water, the body of the mink, 

 as well as that of the otter, has so little buoy- 

 ancy, and its bones are so heavy, that it almost 

 invariably sinks. 



The mink, like the musk-rat and ermine, does 

 not possess much cunning, and is easily cap- 

 tured in any kind of trap ; it is taken in steel- 

 traps and box-traps, but more generally in what 

 are called dead-falls. It is attracted by any 

 kind of flesh, but we have usually seen the traps 

 baited with the head of a ruffed grouse, wild 

 duck, chicken, jay, or other bird. The mink is 

 exceedingly tenacious of life, and we have found 

 IV 



