MINK.

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it continued during the remainder of the day. It waged war against theNorway rats which had their domicile in the dam that formed the fish-pond, and it caught the frogs which had taken possession of its banksWe did not perceive that it captured many fish, and it never attackedthe poultry. It was on good terms with the dogs and cats, and molestedno one unless its tail or foot was accidentally trod upon, when it invaria-bly revenged itself by snapping at the foot of the offender.

It was rather dull at mid-day, but very active and playful in the morn-ing and evening and at night. It never emitted its disagreeable odourexcept when it had received a sudden and severe hurt. It was fond ofsquatting in the chimney-corner, and formed a particular attachment toan arm-chair in our study.

The skins of the Mink were formerly an article of commerce, and wereused for making muffs, tippets, &c. ; they sold for about fifty cents each.Richardson states that they at present are only taken by the traders ofthe fur company to accommodate the Indians, and that they are afterwardsburnt, as they will not repay the expense of carriage. The fur, howeveralthough short, is even finer than that of the marten.

A short time since, we were kindly presented by Charles P. ChouteauEsq., with a Mink skin of a beautiful silver-gray colour, the fur of whichis quite different from the ordinary coat of the animal. These beautifulskins are exceedingly rare, and six of them, when they are united, willmake a muff, worth at least a hundred dollars. A skin, slightly approach-ing the fine quality and colour of the one just mentioned, exists in theAcademy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia , but it is brownish, and thefur is not very good.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.

The Mink is a constant resident of nearly every part of the continentof North America . Richardson saw it as far north as latitude 66°, on thebanks of the Mackenzie river, and supposed that it ranged to the mouthof that river in latitude 69°; it exists in Canada , and we have seen it inevery State of the Union. We observed it on the Upper Missouri and onthe Yellow Stone river; it is said to exist also to the West of the RockyMountains and along the shores of the Pacific ocean.

GENERAL REMARKS.

This species appears, as far as we have been able -to ascertain, to havebeen first noticed by Governor Smith of Virginia, in 1624, and subsequentlyby Sagard Theodat and La Hontan. The latter- calls it an amphibious