296 ZOOLOGY. 



Meri-iam has Known one to swim nearly a quarter of a mile 

 without allowing its head above the surface. It lives on fish 

 and crayfish, as well as frogs, and is said to invade the hen- 

 yard and even to prey npon yonng lambs. " It can dive and 

 swim under water with such speed and agility, that it can 

 overtake and secure, with great ease and certainty, almost 

 any of our fresh-water fishes." When in winter travel- 

 ling on ice they advance by "a run and a slide," i.e., mak- 

 ing several jumps and then sliding ahead flat on their bel- 

 lies. Tbe otter is also fond of " sliding doAvn hill," both 

 in winter on the snow, and in summer down the steep banks 

 of stream. We have seen such "otter slides" in northern 

 Maine, and Merriam reports them as common in the Adi- 

 rondacks. The otter is one of our most valuable fur 

 animals. Its skin becomes ''i)rime in November, remains 

 good throughout the winter, and is best in spring. Its nest 

 is generally made under some shelving bank, or uprooted 

 tree. The young are born about tbe middle of April, and 

 two (rarely one or three) constitute a litter." (Merriam.) 



The skunk {Mephitis mcpJiHicK), says Merriam, who 

 thinks this malodorous creature has been too much abused, 

 "is pre-eminently an insect-eater;" he destroys more bee- 

 tles, grasshoppers, and the like than all our otlier mammals 

 together, and in addition to these devours vast numbers 

 of mice." Skunks hibeinate only during the severest 

 portion of the winter. Tliey are vejy jirolific, bringing 

 forth six to ten young at a birth; tlicse young, with their 

 parents, remaining in one hole for the ensuing year. 



The badger {Di.riden Americ(uia) is stout and clumsv, 

 the body very flat, with very large fore feet and claws; it 

 digs with great rapidity, and lives so seereled a life that 

 little is known of its hahits. It lives in holes in the 

 ground and keeiis out of sight. It is now nn)st abun- 

 dant in the Ujiper Missoui-i, where its burrows ai-e nu- 

 merous. It preys on prairie-dogs and siiermo])hiles. The 

 badger, too slow, says Coues, to caiilure tbe nimble ro- 

 dents which form its princi])ul Io.hI, pei'petually seeks 



