. Cyclopedia of farm animals. Domestic animals; Animal products. 168 WILD MAMMALS IN THEIR RELATIONS WITH AGRICULTURE are most easily destroyed by hunting out the breeding-places in early spring and killing the litters of pups (Fig. 149). They may also be poi- soned and trapped. The foxes are generally con- sidered as enemies of the poultry yard, but it is probable that, in general, they do more good in. Fig. 148. A jack-rabbit drive. destroying meadow mice and other pests than they do harm in taking poultry. The bears (Ursidse) are even yet troublesome in many of the sparsely inhabited region
. Cyclopedia of farm animals. Domestic animals; Animal products. 168 WILD MAMMALS IN THEIR RELATIONS WITH AGRICULTURE are most easily destroyed by hunting out the breeding-places in early spring and killing the litters of pups (Fig. 149). They may also be poi- soned and trapped. The foxes are generally con- sidered as enemies of the poultry yard, but it is probable that, in general, they do more good in. Fig. 148. A jack-rabbit drive. destroying meadow mice and other pests than they do harm in taking poultry. The bears (Ursidse) are even yet troublesome in many of the sparsely inhabited regions of the country. In northern New England sheep cannot be kept in certain pastures without danger of attack from the black bear. The raccoon, which has been called the "little brother to the bear," is familiar to many persons over a wide territory. It feeds on a great variety of animal and vegetable food and is sometimes destructive to green corn in the field. Badgers, weasels, otters, minks and skunks.— To the family Mustelida? belong the badgers, weasels, otters, minks and skunks. Many of these animals furnish very valuable fur for which they are eagerly hunted. Many of them, also, are of great value to agriculture because they feed so largely on injurious insects and destructive rodents. The badger of the West is a notable example of this, feeding chiefly on ground-squirrels and prairie dogs, which it can easily get because of its wonder- ful ability to burrow rapidly through the ground. Even the skunks, which are universally condemned as enemies of poultry, doubtless do vastly more good than harm, hunting persistently for white grubs, voles and other pests. The black-footed ferret of the great plains region (Fig. 150) is one of the most effective extermi- nators of the inhabitants of prairie-dog towns, and in infested regions should not be killed on sight. Insectivorous mammals. The shrews and moles are the important represen- tatives of the order of insect-eate
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