MAMMAL i \ i M ii > "i m i. i . 
The chief natural enemies of field mice are (1) mammal . wild 
and domestic, (2) birds, and (8) makes. 
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Among the wild mammals of the United Man- known to feed 
upon field mice are wolves, lynxes, foxes, badgers, raccoons, opos 
sums, skunks, weasels, and shrews. A few of these feed upon mice 
habitually, and this habit, combined with their well-known service 
in destroying insects, compensates in great measure for the injuries 
they inflict in other \\ a\ s. 
Skunks arc efficient in the destruction of mice and rats. The 
larger skunks (Mephitis), with about 17 species and subspecies, are 
distributed over most of the territory occupied by Held mice. Their 
chief food is insects, but mice arc second in importance on the lull of 
fare Skunk- not only search woods and meadow- for mice but 
often come about barns and outbuildings in quest of the common 
mouse (Mus miisculus) and brown rat (Mus norvegieus) . While 
it is true that skunks sometimes destroy poultry, they do so much 
less frequently than is generally supposed. Comparatively few 
skunks learn to kill chickens, the habit being characteristic of the 
individual rather than of the species. 
Of ; »''' skunks of the genus Mephitis whose stomachs were examined 
by the Biological Survey, two only, hoth captured in poultry houses, 
had eaten dome-tic fowls. There was no evidence that any of the 
:>('> had destroyed game or small birds. The food consisted princi- 
pally of beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas, cricket-, rats, mice, and liz- 
ard-. On account of their usefulness in destroying noxious insects 
and rodent-, skunks deserve even more than the partial protection 
now afforded them by the laws of several State-. 
The habits of the little spotted skunks (SpUogdU | are similar to 
those of the larger species. Like them, they are useful because they 
destroy insects and mice. Occasionally individuals learn to destroy 
domestic fowls, but the habit i- even rarer than with the Large skunks. 
A- persistent and successful mousers about farm premises, they are 
unequaled and should be protected, the death penalty being reserved 
solely for the individuals that attack poultry. 
The white-backed skunks (Conepatus) live in the South, mostly out 
of the range of held mice. They destroy many other kind- of rats 
and mice. 
The mink (Lutreola) U'i'i\- commonly upon fish and other aquatic 
animal-, but sometimes raid- poultry kept near streams. It destroys 
meadow mice a- well a- other small rodents. The fur i- in such 
demand, however, that mink- are not likely to become sufficiently 
