The Mammals of Minnesota: A Scientific and Popular Account of Their Features and Habits, with 23 Figures and 8 PlatesHarrison & Smith, state printers, 1892 - 299 sivua |
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Acad ALLEN anal glands animal antlers Arvicola AUDUBON BACHMAN badgers BAIRD bats beaver body bones brown buffalo burrow canines claws color Coues dark deer dentition domestic dorsal ears Eocene Ermine Europe external Fauna feet Felis female fore foot fossorial genera genus glands gray habits hairs head Hesperomys hind foot Hist horn inches incisors Insectivora Journ LECONTE legs length Lepus less male mammæ mammals Mephitis mice Mink Minnesota Miocene molar mole mouse muskrat Mustela muzzle nearly North America northern nose to eye Otter peculiar pelage Phila plantigrade porcupine posterior prairie premolars prey Proc Putorius rats regions riparius rodents Säuget Scotophilus seems short shrews skull skunks slender South species specimens squirrels surface tail teeth tion toes tragus trap tree upper variety vertebræ Vespertilio weasel winter yellowish young Zool zygoma zygomatic arches
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Sivu 128 - This movement is repeated with so much rapidity, that even a swift runner on snow-shoes has much trouble in overtaking it. It also doubles on its track with much cunning, and dives under the snow to elude its pursuers.
Sivu 128 - Their favorite sport is sliding, and for this purpose in winter the highest ridge of snow is selected, to the top of which the Otters scramble, where, lying on the belly with the fore-feet bent backwards, they give themselves an impulse with their hind legs and swiftly glide head-foremost down the declivity, sometimes for the distance of twenty yards. This sport they continue apparently with the keenest enjoyment until fatigue or hunger induces them to desist.
Sivu 103 - ... the spot. The traps are a little enclosure of stakes or brush in which the bait is placed upon a trigger, with a short upright stick supporting a log of wood; the animal is shut off from the bait in any but the desired direction, and the log falls upon its victim with the slightest disturbance. A line of such traps, several to the mile, often extends many miles. The bait is any kind of meat, a mouse, squirrel, piece of fish, or bird's head. One of the greatest obstacles that the Sable hunter...
Sivu 45 - No sooner did the Shrew become aware of the presence of the mouse than he gave chase. The mouse, though much larger than the Shrew, showed no disposition to fight, and his superior agility enabled him, for a long time, easily to evade his pursuer, for at a single leap he would pass over the latter's head and to a considerable distance beyond. The Shrew labored at great disadvantage, not only from his inability to keep pace with the mouse, but also, and to a still greater extent, from his defective...
Sivu 129 - The Otters ascend the bank at a place suitable for their diversion, and sometimes where it is very steep, so that they are obliged to make quite an effort to gain the top ; they slide down in rapid succession where there are many at a sliding place. On one occasion we were resting...
Sivu 110 - We have ascertained by successful experiments, repeated more than a hundred times, that the Ermine can be employed, in the manner of the Ferret of Europe, in driving our American rabbit from the burrow into which it has retreated. In one instance the Ermine employed had been captured only a few days before, and its canine teeth were filed in order to prevent its destroying the rabbit ; a cord was placed around its neck to secure its return. It pursued the hare through all the windings of its burrow,...
Sivu 108 - Sometimes when met with in a thicket or stoney place, it will stand and gaze upon the intruder, as if conscious of security ; and, although its boldness has been exaggerated in the popular stories which have made their way into books of natural history, it cannot be denied that, in proportion to its size, it is at least as courageous as the tiger or the lion.
Sivu 111 - Wherever an ermine has taken up its residence, the mice in its vicinity for half a mile round have been found rapidly to diminish in number. Their active little enemy is able to force its thin vermiform body into the burrows, it follows them to the end of their galleries, and destroys whole families. We have on several occasions, after a light snow, followed the trail of this weasel through fields and meadows, and witnessed the immense destruction which it occasioned in a single night.
Sivu 110 - ... over it ; the little prowler displaying thereby a habit of which we became aware for the first time on that occasion. To avoid a dog that was in close pursuit, it mounted a tree and laid itself flat on a limb about twenty feet from the ground, from which it was finally shot. We have ascertained by successful experiments, repeated more than a hundred times, that the Ermine can be employed, in the manner of the Ferret of Europe, in driving our American rabbit from the burrow into which it has retreated....
Sivu 261 - At full speed, and utterly regardless of the consequences, it would make for the track on its line of retreat. If the train happened not to be in its path it crossed the track and stopped satisfied. If the train was in its way, each individual buffalo went at it with the desperation of despair, plunging...