TWO FAMOUS SWIMMERS. 153 



row. There are from four to six young produced 

 in the latter part of April or early in May. But one 

 litter is raised in a year. By nature the mink is not 

 a good burrower, and often the female avails herself 

 of the hole of a muskrat in which to build her nest. 



Thirty years ago the fur began to increase steadily 

 in value until the price of a single pelt reached five, 

 and even ten, dollars. Dr. Merriam says he caught 

 one whose skin sold for fourteen dollars ; but to-day 

 the highest price quoted for the dark Nova Scotia 

 and Labrador skins is two dollars ; those from New 

 York and New England bring about a dollar and 

 a half ; and of the more southern and western furs, 

 those from northern New Jersey to Wisconsin bring 

 from a dollar and a quarter to thirty cents ; and those 

 from Ohio to Florida and Texas, from a dollar and 

 twenty cents to twenty cents, according to color — the 

 darkest fur bringing the most money. 



Now the mink is the last member of the sub- 

 family Mustelinw, which is an important and large 

 division of the general family Mustelida?. The next 

 subfamily is that of the skunks, Mephitince, only one 

 member of which, the common skunk {Mephitis me- 

 phitica\ is found northeast of the Mississippi, and 

 consequently concerns us. But the skunk is so com- 

 mon and important an individual that, a little fur- 

 ther on, I have devoted a whole chapter to his odor- 



