36 THE BROWN EAT IN THE UNITED STATES. 



capture fowls that roost on elevated perches. Indeed, so few skunks 

 ever kill poultry that warfare on the skunk family is not justi- 

 fied. Besides destroying mice and rats, skunks are invaluable to the 

 farmer as consumers of noxious insects, particularly cutworms, army 

 worms, tobacco worms, white grubs, May beetles, grasshoppers, 

 crickets, and sphinx moths. 



Weasels. — Weasels are good ratters and mousers. Several of the 

 American species come about buildings and often perform excellent 

 service in destroying rodents. They are more destructive to poultry 

 than the skunk, for they can enter poultry houses through smaller 

 openings, can climb to the roosts, and usually take more than one 

 victim at a time. 



These traits make them efficient in destroying rodents also. The 

 smaller 'species of weasels can follow a rat into its burrow and to 

 nearly all its usual retreats. A single victim rarely satisfies it, and 

 in a very short time it clears stackyard or shed of rats and mice. 



Our largest species of weasel, the black-footed ferret (Putorius 

 nigripes), occasionally deserts its wild haunts and comes about build- 

 ings in search of rats and mice. At Hays, Kans., during the summer 

 of 1905, a black-footed ferret took up its abode under the board side- 

 walk in the business part of the town, and the squealing of its vic- 

 tims was frequently heard. 



As concerns the destruction of poultry by weasels, the same care 

 necessary to exclude rats from the poultry house and yard will keep 

 out the weasel also. When so excluded, the weasel does no harm 

 about the premises, but may be depended upon to drive out or destroy 

 the rats. 



Minks. — Minks surpass weasels in their destructiveness to poultry, 

 and they feed on fish also. While excellent ratters, the increasing 

 value of mink furs causes the animals to be so closely hunted that 

 in most parts of the country they now exert little influence upon the 

 numbers of rodent pests or upon the fortunes of the poultry grower 

 or the fish culturist. 



The mongoose. — Among the natural enemies of rats are the various 

 species of mongoose (Herpestes and Mongos). The mongoose was 

 introduced into Jamaica and Hawaii many years ago to stay the 

 depredations of rats upon sugar cane and other products. While it 

 kills many rats, it does not exterminate them, and it has proved a 

 great scourge to poultry and native birds. It destroys also many 

 lizards and other insectivorous animals. For these reasons its impor- 

 tation into the United States is prohibited by law. 



RAT-PROOF CONSTRUCTION. 



The best way to exclude rats from buildings, whether in city or 

 country, is by the use of cement in construction. As the advantages 

 of this material are coming to be generally understood, its use is 



