254 MINK. 



paddling, splashing, and quacking of a hundred old and young ducks 

 would please his ears ; and by stealing to the edge of the bank of stones, 

 with his body nearly concealed between two large pieces of broken 

 granite, he could look around and see the unsuspecting ducks within a 

 yard or two of his lurking place. When thus on the look out, dodging 

 his head backward and forward he waits until one of them has ap- 

 proached close to him, and then with a rush seizes the bird by the neck, 

 and in a moment disappears with it between the rocks. He has not, 

 however, escaped unobserved, and like other rogues deserves to be 

 punished for having taken w^hat did not belong to him. We draw near 

 the spot, gun in hand, and after waiting some time in vain for the ap- 

 pearance of the Mink, we cause some young ducks to be gently driven 

 dowii to the pond — diving for worms or food of various kinds while 

 danger so imminent is near them — intent only on the objects they are 

 pursuing, they turn not a glance toward the dark crevice where -we can 

 now see the bright eyes of the Mink as he lies concealed. The unsus- 

 pecting birds remind us of some of the young folks in that large pond we 

 call the world, where, alas ! they may be in greater danger than our poor 

 ducks or chickens. Now ■we see a fine hen descend to the water ; cau- 

 tiously she steps on the sandy margin and dipping her bill in the clear 

 stream, sips a few drops and raises her head as if in gratitude to the 

 Giver of all good; she continues sipping and advancing gradually; she 

 has now approached the fatal rocks, when with a sudden rush the Mink 

 has seized her ; ere he can regain his hole, however, our gun's sharp 

 crack is heard and the marauder lies dead before us. 



We acknowledge that w^e have little inclination to say anything in 

 defence of the Mink. We must admit, however, that although he is a 

 cunning and destructive rogue, his next door neighbour, the ermine or 

 common weasel, goes infinitely beyond him in liis mischievous propensi- 

 ties. Whilst the Mink is satisfied with destroying one or two fowls at a 

 time, on which he makes a hearty meal ; the weasel, in the very spirit 

 of wanton destructiveness, sometimes in a single night puts to death 

 every tenant of the poultry-house ! 



Whilst residing at Henderson, on the banks of the Ohio river, we ob- 

 served that Minks were quite abundant, and often saw them carrying off 

 rats which they caught like the weasel or ferret, and conveyed a'way in 

 their mouths, holding them by the neck in the manner of a cat. 



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 



