44 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXIII 



Except for one extra limital record by Miller^ 

 for North Bay, the species has only been found in 

 Canada broadly coincident with the prairie con- 

 ditions of the western provinces of Manitoba, Sas- 

 katchewan, and Alberta; in the south-western por- 

 tion of the former and north to 55 in the two 

 latter. In the United States its range is south to 

 Kansas. While it is generally recognized as a 

 prairie dweller, the poplar forests skirting the prairies 

 harbor great numbers, as do also to some extent the 

 darker coniferous areas. Probably the latter fact 

 is not generally accepted. I have personally, how- 

 ever, frequently collected the species about the city 

 of Edmonton. The immediate region comprises con- 

 ditions peculiar to the north-west, such as the oc- 

 casional grass or prairie lands, the poplar woods of 

 the upper country, and the deep river basins and 

 ravines which are comparatively heavily timbered. 

 Over all such areas around Edmonton the long-tail 

 ranges indifferently. 



In summer the species over the upper parts is pale 

 yellowish-brown, the under parts rich ochraceous 

 or buff yellow. The winter fur is pure white. The 

 tail is one-third the length of the animal and the 

 black tip one-quarter of the length of the whole tail. 

 Measurements as given by Seton^ : Length about 

 18 inches (457 mm.); tail 6 inches (152 mm.); 

 hind foot 2 inches (51 mm.) Female about one- 

 seventh smaller. 



With the short-tailed species, M. cicognanii, the 

 Edmonton region is favorably endowed. In win- 

 ter their delicate paired tracks may be seen nearly 

 everywhere. M. longicauda occurs in a ratio of 

 about one to ten of M. cicognanii. Under the dis- 

 cussion of the latter I have placed my estimate on 

 the general and specific numbers of all the weasels 

 found around Edmonton. 



Along the Saskatchewan river numerous deep 

 wooded ravines open out upon the valley. Withm 

 these, probably induced by a greater abundance of 

 game in winter, a goodly number of weasels, or 

 ermine as they are called, make their daily rounds. 

 The spaces under the spruces and the open runs 

 of the little frozen streams are usually at very fre- 

 quent intervals indented with the innocent-looking 

 trails. Hither and thither they lead, under wind- 

 falls and logs, through tangled growths, into crevices 

 or other surface openings, etc. A blood-flecked 

 hollow reveals the tragic end of a little deer-mouse ; 

 probably at a grassy margin a meadow vole. In a 

 sheltered hollow a huddled hare has provided a 

 sumptuous feast for days. And so all through the 

 bitter weeks until nature fans the land with vernal 



breezes, the great white page is written again and 

 again with signs of frolic or grim tragedy that 

 spells life or death. 



Bordering the White-mud river which flows into 

 the Saskatchewan about two miles south-west of 

 Edmonton I found the favorite hunting grounds of 

 longicauda in the meadow-like areas on both sides. 

 On these miniature alluvial plains in the concavity 

 of the bends now grown to grass and scattered 

 poplars, the weasels bounteously fared on the num- 

 berless population of shrew, mice and rabbits. Such 

 places always suggest good weasel grounds. 

 New York Weasel, Musiela noveboracensis 

 (Emmonds). 

 In comparison with other weasels this species has 

 a relatively restricted range within which also occurs 

 Musiela cicognanii. In some sections it yields in 

 numbers to the latter, but in other areas entirely 

 replaces it. 



The range of this species is approximately within 

 the area bordered by an imaginary line drawn from 

 the southern New England States, south to the 

 Carolinas, west to the Mississippi, north to Georgian 

 Bay, and east to Montreal. Within such area it is 

 confined to the Canadian, Transition and Upper 

 Austral zones. 



The summer color of M. noveboracensis is dark 

 brown above and white below, sometimes tinged 

 with sulphur-yellow. In Ontario the winter coat is 

 pure white, excepting sometimes a slight xanthic 

 tinge on the belly, buttocks and tail. The latter is 

 one-third of its total length and the terminal half 

 is black (at all seasons). By this character it may 

 readily be distinguished from M. longicauda, but as 

 the range of the two species do not coincide, it will 

 not be needed as a field mark. 



The following measurements of this species are 

 given by Rhoads'' : Total length, male 405 mm. (16 

 ins.), female, 325 (12^4 ins.); tail vertebrae, male, 

 140 (5'/2 ins.), female, 108 (AVi ins.); hind foot, 

 male, 47 (P/j ins.), female, 34 (Wi ins.) 



In the counties of Wellington and Waterloo, of 

 the province of Ontario, I have found this species 

 to be much less common than M. cicognanii. Brooks 

 as recorded by Miller'' saw weasels at Milton much 

 larger than the latter. The species, I think, would 

 scarcely be other than M. noveboracensis. Mr. W. 

 E. Saunders, of London, Ont., has informed me that 

 the New York Weasel is the form occurring there, 

 and that it is common throughout the western part 

 of the Ontario peninsula. 



By a peculiar coincidence the first weasel I ever 

 trapped in Ontario was this species. This was near 



sMiller, Jr., G. S., Mammals of Ontario, VoL 28 

 No. 1, 18'J6. 



4Seton, E. T., Life Hist., N. Animals, Vol. II, 

 p. 865, 1909. 



"'Rhoads, S. N., Mammals of Penn. and N. 

 Jersey, p. 172, 1903. 



cMiller, Jr., G. S., Mammals of Ontario, Vol. 28, 

 No. 1, p. 44, 1896. 



