588 



REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



SO much, but the skull narrows abruptly in front of them; the 

 audital bullae are more rounded and prominent. 



Measurements. — Miller gives the following: Total length, 890 

 mm. (35 in.) ; tail, 355 mm. (4 in.) ; hind foot, 120 mm. (4% in.). 



Range. — The fisher is an animal of the northern forests and is 

 generally supposed to be limited to Canada, the extreme northern 

 edge of the United States, and the Alleghany Mountains. I am 

 compelled to include it in the list of mammals from this State on 

 account of two records. The first is by Wied, who mentions it as 

 "Mustela canadensis Linn. Gmelin, Der Pekan Marder. " Mustela 

 canadensis is a synonym of M. pennanti, often used by the earlier 

 naturalists, and the vernacular name "Pekan" is also used exclu- 

 sively for this species. Wied says that he did not see the animal in 

 the flesh, but that it had been sometimes taken at New Harmony. 

 The other record is that of Dr. Plummer, who includes it in his 

 list of mammals of Richmond with the statement that it had not 

 been seen since 1820. 



Hahits. — I am unable to say how this animal got the name 

 "fisher" for, according to all accounts, it does not enter the water 

 to fish. Its food is principally rabbits, especially the large snow- 

 shoe hares of the northern woods. Fishers are said to be able to 

 kill porcupines, of whose flesh they are especially fond. Birds are 

 eaten and also any sort of small mammals up to the size of the rac- 

 coon. 



These animals are perfectly at home in the trees and can travel 

 in their tops, springing from branch to branch with even greater 

 agility than a squirrel. They are among the wildest and shyest of 

 all our mammals, and do not remain in a region where settlements 

 have become numerous. 



Family PROCYONIDAE. 



RACCOONS. 



Like the bears, members of this family rest the sole of the entire 

 foot, from the heel down, on the ground when standing. The claws 

 are moderately long and not retractile as they are in the cats. There 

 are five toes on each foot. The tail is generally ringed with black 

 and white. In our species the teeth are 40 in number. 



Most of the species are found in temperate and tropical America, 

 but there is one genus in the old world. The North American 

 genera number six and the species 18 or .20. A single genus is 

 found iji the eastern njnied States. 



