. An introduction to the study of mammals living and extinct. Mammals. MUSTELIDJ-: 587 on the under parts of the body. In \erv rare instances the tail is tipped with white. The fur, like that of most of the animals of the group to which it belongs, is an important article of commerce. The principal characteristic of the Mink in comparison irith its congeners is its amphibious mode of life. It is to the ^^•ater what the other ^\'easels are to the land, or Martens to the ti'ees, being as osseutially aquatic in its habits as the Otter, Beaver, or Musk-Eat, and spending perhaps more of its time in
. An introduction to the study of mammals living and extinct. Mammals. MUSTELIDJ-: 587 on the under parts of the body. In \erv rare instances the tail is tipped with white. The fur, like that of most of the animals of the group to which it belongs, is an important article of commerce. The principal characteristic of the Mink in comparison irith its congeners is its amphibious mode of life. It is to the ^^•ater what the other ^\'easels are to the land, or Martens to the ti'ees, being as osseutially aquatic in its habits as the Otter, Beaver, or Musk-Eat, and spending perhaps more of its time in the water than it does on land. It swims mth most of the body submerged, and di^•es with perfect ease, remaining long without coming to the surface to breathe. It makes its nest in burrows in the banks of streams, breeding once a year about the month of April, and producing five or six young at a birth. Its food consists of frogs, fish, freshwater. Fio. -L'S.—The Common Polfcat {Uustda pittorius). molluscs and crustaceans, as well as mice, , musk-rats, rabbits, and small birds. In common with the other animals of the genus, it has a very peculiar and disagroealile effluA'ium, which, according to Cones, is more poA\-crful, penetrating, and lasting than that of any animal of the except the Skunk. It also ]iossesses the courage, ferocity, and tenacity of life of its allies. M'hen taken young, ho\\-ever, it can be readily tamed, and lately blinks ha^-e lieen extensively bred in captivity in America, both for the sake of their fur and for the purpose of using them in like manner as Ferrets in England, to clear buildings of rats. The Polecats include four species confined to the northern hemisphere, the best known of which is the Common Polecat (J/, Fig. 2G8). The Ferret is a domesticated variety of this species, generally of a yellowish-white colour ; whereas the "Wild. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that m
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Keywords: ., bookauthorly, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectmammals
