LITTLE BEASTS OF FIELD AND WOOD 



patient waiting on my part, absolutely refused 

 to show himself again. 



The tracks of a mink are in pairs, two or 

 three inches apart, and one decidedly in advance, 

 the pairs from one to four or five feet apart. 

 About the only other track with which this one 

 is likely to be confused is that of the musk- 

 rat. But in wet snow the muskrat's toes are 

 seen to be more distinct and separate, and when- 

 ever the hind-feet are brought down fairly on the 

 snow, they make a much larger print than the 

 forefeet ; while a mink's feet are all practically 

 of the same size. 



In deep soft snow, the impression made by 

 the body of the animal serves as a distinction ; 

 for the mink's body makes a narrow, rounded 

 mark, while the muskrat's is wide and usually 

 with upright sides and flat bottom. The same 

 distinction holds good whenever the creature bur- 

 rows into soft snow or forces its way through 

 melting ice at the edge of the water. 



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