LITTLE BEASTS OF FIELD AND WOOD 



visits them at certain times of the day, watet 

 being one of the things which none of our wild 

 creatures appear wilHng to go without for many 

 hours at a time. 



Along the larger streams the minks keep 

 beneath the over-hanging banks as much as pos- 

 sible, sometimes crawling out along low-growing 

 branches or fallen tree-trunks to watch for fish 

 beneath. 



When the alewives run up into the fresh water 

 in June, the minks must find the food problem a 

 very easy matter, as thev have only to wait at 

 the edge of the shallows above tide-water until 

 a school comes along, and seize whatever fish are 

 crowded out of the water by their fellows, or 

 become stranded among the pebbles by their own 

 carelessness and impetuosity. 



For a few weeks before the alewives run, the 

 suckers are going through practically the same 

 performance, so that for the first few weeks of 

 summer the minks must have more fish at their 



130 



