1910] FOREST, GAME AND FISH WARDEN. 75 



Mountain Mink or Black Mink, Putorws vison Schreber. 



Found only in our more boreal regions. Surber says it occurs only in 

 the spruce belt. Frank Houchin has taken it in the vicinity of Cranberry 

 Glades where, he states, it wanders farther and more constantly away from 

 streams of water than the brown mink described next. Smaller than the 

 brown mink and the color a darker shade of brown, in some cases being 

 almost black. 



Brown Mink or Common Mink, Pulorius vison lutreocephalus Harlan. 



The common mink of hilly regions and lowlands in all parts of the State. 

 Frequents water courses, large and small, but is especially fond of hunting 

 along the banks of small woodland streams. Their long journeys are made 

 mostly by night but they may occasionally be seen moving about by day. Ai 

 a boy, I trapped many minks and regarded no bait for the purpose as being 

 so good as a piece of freshly killed rabbit. Occasionally visits chicken 

 roosts but most of the food consists of small mammals and other forms of 

 animal life that it finds along str-eams. 



New York Weasel, Putorius noveboracensis Emmons. 



The common weasel found in almost every locality. In the colder mountain 

 districts white individuals are found occasionally in winter. Farther north 

 the color is always white in winter and brown in summer. In the Austral 

 and Transition zones of this State the color is brown throughout the year 

 but the winter pelage is a lighter shade of bro.wn than that of summer. Kills 

 poultry, rabbits and other small mammals and birds. Its victims are often 

 bitten about the head or throat and only the blood taken. 



Pennant 's Martin or Fisher, Mustela pennanti Erx. 



Fifty years ago it was not uncommon for the fisher or "black fox" to 

 be taken in our forests. Of late years it has become very rare and may 

 extinct within our limits. Mr. E. C. Barrett, of -Beckley, has informed me 

 that he bought three fisher skins from Moses Stover, one in 1871, one in 

 1872 and one in 1873, paying for them $3.00, $3.50 and $5.00. Stover caught 

 the three animals on Clear Fork of Big Coal river. These were the last heard 

 of in that section of the State. 



In an early day fishers were often caught in log traps set by trappers for 

 bears. They are accredited by old hunters of being so active that they could 

 take the bait from a log bear-trap and spring out before the cover of the trap 

 dropped into place. They also annoyed trappers greatly by following linei 

 of traps of other kinds and stealing the bait, without getting caught. 



Eaccoon or. Coon, Procyon Lotor Linn. 



Found in considerable numbers in many parts of the State. Abundant in 

 the larger forests. A lover of roasting-ears. Coon hunting by night with 

 dogs, ax and gun has furnished delightful sport to the boys and men of almot 

 every rural district. The fur is valuable. 



Black Bear, Ur&us americanus Pallas. 



Once common but now restricted, as a rule, to the forest covered mountain*. 

 Stragglers are occasionally seen in the more populous farming districts where 

 their presence causes great local excitement. 



The bear was an animal of considerable economic importance to the early 



