FAMILY MUSTELID.E. 37 



Length of head, 2*0. Tail (vertebrae), 4*0. 



Length of neck, 2"0. Ditto, including fur, . 5"1. 



Length of body, . 6 '5. 



These are, however, not the largest dimensions. I have seen one from Dutchess county, 

 and another from Rockland county, measuring sixteen and a half inches ; and my friend Mr. 

 Linsley states, that he has one measuring twenty and a half inches. 



The habits of this animal, as the ruthless destroyer of poultry, are well known ; but these 

 injuries, which are obvious and potent, are, we think, more than counterbalanced by their 

 destruction of hordes of mice which congregate in barns and in stacks of grain exposed in the 

 fields. Upon one occasion, we remember to have seen an example of fifty or sixty mice, 

 whose lacerated remains bore testimony to the valuable services of this species. 



I have never seen the true Ermine in its summer dress, and only know it from Pennant's 

 description (Arct. Zool. Vol. 1, p. 75) : " Ears edged with white ; head, back, side and legs, 

 " pale tawny brown ; under side of body white ; lower part of tail brown, end black." 



Our animal is exceedingly active, nocturnal in its habits, and hiding under piles of wood 

 or stone. We do not know whether it makes a burrow. Its geographical limits as yet are 

 not settled. We suppose it to be a northern animal, found as far south as Pennsylvania. In 

 its white coat, it is called, in some parts of the State, the Catamingo, and the White 

 Weasel. 



THE MINK. 



PUTORIUS VISON. 



PLATE XI. FIG. 1. — PLATE VIII. TIG. 3, a, b. Skull. — (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Mustela vison. Lin. Gmel. Vol.1, p. 94. 



Minx Otter. Penn. Arct. Zool. Vol. 1, p. 87. 



Vison. Id. ib. p. 78. 



M. vison. Haflan, Fauna Am. p. 65. 



M. lutreola. Godman, Am. Nat. Hist. Vol. 1, p. 200. 



M. (Putorius) vison. Richakdson, F. B. A. Vol. 1, p. 18. 



Characteristics. Tawny. Chin white or yellowish white. Ears short, and mostly concealed 

 in the fur. Tail half as long as head and body. Length 20" - 25 - 0. 



Description. Body long and slender. Head small and rounded. Ears broad and low, with 

 the auricular opening very large ; they are nearly hidden by the fur. Eyes small. Whiskers 

 stiff, shorter than the head. Muzzle thick, and somewhat depressed. Neck very long. Legs 

 short in proportion to the bulk of the animal. Claws short, slightly curved, blackish at the 

 base, horn-colored at the tips, and nearly concealed by long subrigid hairs. Toes webbed, 

 with short hairs on the webs above and below. Tail thick at the base, cylindrical, slender, 

 gradually tapering to the tip. The fur shortest on the head, longer behind, and is of two 

 kinds ; a soft light grey down, covered by longer lustrous hairs. Two fetid glands near the 



