416 MICHIGAN SURVEY, 1908. 



on Siskowit Bay (V, 1) where it was shot by N. A. Wood at the water's 

 edge during the day time; the second specimen was caught in the fish 

 house at Malone's fishing camp, just east of our camp on Siskowit 

 Bay. A steel trap had been baited with a Herring by Frank Malone. 

 The third specimen was tal^en by W. A. Maclean, at the west end of 

 Grace Harbor. 



Victor Anderson saw a Mink on July 16, on the mainland at Rock 

 Harbor, about opposite Middle Island. He reported it as abundant on 

 the north of the Isle, at Fish Island, during the winter of 1903 and 

 1004, and also reported it from Tobin Harbor. Charles Preulx secured 

 18 skins during the past winter at Washington Harbor, most of which 

 came from the harbor at the Club House, but a few were found upon 

 the neighboring ridges. 



There can be but little doubt that thii^ animal is of general distribu- 

 tion over the island in moist and wet places. To what degree broken, 

 mussel shells (Anodonta) may be credited to the Muskrats alone is 

 uncertain, as the Mink may share in this mischief. 



Max M. Peet saw numerous mink tracks, Sept. 16, (II, '04) along a 

 small stream, where mink had eaten a Grinnell's Water Thrush, Her- 

 mit Thrush, and a few days previously an Oven Bird. 



An entry in the University Museum Catalogue records a, specimen 

 of mink (No. 3595) from Isle Eoyale, collected in 1868 by Dr. J. C. 

 Gubbs, and presented to the Museum by Dr. A. E. Foote. 



Ecological Notes. — The breeding season for mink occurs in February 

 and March, at which time the males wander about a great deal; the 

 young are born about six weeks later, or usually in April. The young, 

 which are born blind, remain so for about five weeks. There are 

 iisually five or six young in a litter, but the number varies and there 

 may be only three, and it is reported to be subject to a periodical in- 

 crease similar to that of the Hare. When on the increase, there may 

 be as many as 8, 10 or 12 in a litter (MacFarlane, '05, p. 714). In each 

 litter one sex is said to predominate (Coues, '77, p. 182). In the fall 

 the young begin to shift for themselves, as Minks live solitary lives, not 

 in pairs, and may frequently be seen swimming about, presumably in 

 search of new quarters. This tendency, with the wanderings by day 

 and night of the males during the breeding season, combined with his 

 promiscuous tendencies, must have a marked influence toward favoring 

 interbreeding. The females reach their growth in about a year, but the 

 males require about a year and a half, although they are somewhat 

 smaller than the females. Their nests are formed in burrows, hollow 

 logs, muskrat burrows or other cavities, and the female makes for the 

 young a compact nest out of leaves, grass and straw, and lines it with 

 her own fur. 



The Mink is very fierce, and so courageous that it will not hesitate to 

 attack animals larger than itself, such as hares, muskrats, etc. Its 

 amphibious habits allow it to procure food from both the land and 

 water: Thus snakes, frogs, mussels and fish are secured from the water 

 by diving (Webster, '89, p. 176), while birds and their eggs, and mam- 

 mals are found on land. In pursuit of its prey, Kennicott ('58, p. 103 1 

 says : "It follows the track by scent, like a dog." 



Geographic Range. — This species has an extensive range over most of 



