’lnsectivora ’.

’Hoofed animals. ’

’Carnivora. ’

a spruce wood. It has cheek pouches, in which it carries grain and nuts, and is noted for laying up stores of these for winter use. The Flying Squirrel is not rare, but being nocturnal in its habits, is seldom seen. It nests in hollow trees, and is distributed from Canada to Mexico.

”Rabbits,” or more properly American Hares, are very numerous. They feed on grass in summer and on the young shoots of trees in winter. Their color changes from brown in summer to white in winter. Their flesh, when properly prepared, is excellent. ”Rabbits” like dry ground in summer but frequent swamps in winter. . .

[pp. 118-19] The Mole burrows in wastelands and feeds on worms and grubs. The Little Shrew Mole burrows under stumps and explores the grasslands for insects. Its tiny, chain- like trail is often seen on the snow in winter.

The Common Bat is plentiful, flitting about in summer evenings, after dusk, in pursuit of the insects on which it feeds. lt hides away in some secure cranny in buildings or in a hollow tree, and passes the winter in a torpid state. [p.119]

The Elk, or Moose Deer is not now found on the Island, but as its antlers are sometimes picked up in our wild lands it probably once ranged here as it once did on the adjacent continent. [p. 120}

The Black Bear is our only dangerous wild animal, and is found in the large wooded tracts of the eastern and western counties. He sometimes takes a sheep or lamb from the new settler’s flock, but prefers to subsist on berries and wild fruit. He is fond of oats. On coming into an oat field, the Bear sits on his haunches, and gathering a bundle of the grain in his arm eats the heads off. When this is devoured, he scuttles along to obtain a fresh supply, and, in this manner, does great damage to the crop. The Bear rarely attacks human beings unless enraged. In winter he retires into a den and passes the season in a torpid state.

The Otter lives much in ponds and streams, subsisting on fish which it takes like a seal. When fish fail, it will attack lambs and poultry. The fur of the Otter is fine, thick, and much valued.

The Mink is eighteen inches long without the tail, and of a dark brown color. It is semi—aquatic, living about streams and feeding on fish and frogs, as well as small land animals and poultry. The Martin is a woodland animal nesting in hollow trees and feeding on birds and small animals. It is the size of a mink, but fawn—colored. The skins of both animals are valuable furs. The Weasel is a beautiful and agile little animal of the same family frequently seen about farmsteads where it comes in search of mice. Its color is brown in summer and white in winter.

The Fox is quite common. Seldom abroad in the day, it prowls round at night, feeding on young birds and quadrupeds and robbing poultry yards. Though slightly built, it is very strong, fleet and active. There are three varieties, the Red, Silver—grey and Black. The fur of all, especially the latter two, is valuable.

Wolves have been known to cross the Northumberland Strait on the ice and visit the Island.

The Wild Cat, or Lynx, was once not uncommon here but is now unknown. It is more than three feet in length and of a hoary grey color with a dark brown space on the back. It lives on small quadrupeds and birds, pursuing the latter to the tops of trees.

[pp. 12022]

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