1G8 BULLETIN OF THE 



Don. ; PutorhlS fuscus, P. agilis, and P. ermineus Aud. and Bach.) 

 Common Weasel. Ermine. Comparatively common. It varies 

 considerably in size, like other members of tins family, according to 

 sex and age. 



I have obtained specimens at Springfield, identified some years since 

 as belonging to the three species currently admitted by American 

 authors as inhabiting Eastern North America, — "P. Richardsonii Bon."; 

 11 P. Cicognanii Bon.," and "P. noveboracensis De Kay." I have not 

 access to the specimens for re-examination, but that these, forms, or 

 so-called species, occur in Massachusetts there can be little doubt, since 

 Professor Baird, in his Report on the Mammals of North America, 

 cites eleven examples from Middleboro', collected by Mr. J. W. P. Jenks, 

 of his P. Cicognanii, two of P. Richardsonii and one of P. noveboracen- 

 sis. As indicated by the synonymy already given, I consider all these 

 as tunning but a single species, which, after careful comparison of Ameri- 

 can with European specimens, I fully believe to be identical with the 

 ermine (/'. ermineus) of the Old World. I also feel obliged to consider 

 the common American weasel, after similar comparisons, as identical with 

 the common weasel fP. vulgaris) of the Eastern continent. 



Although three species of ermines, or stoats, have been supposed to in- 

 habit New England, in common with Eastern North America generally, 

 no constant character has yet been indicated by which more than a single 

 one can be positively distinguished. In size there is an almost impercep- 

 tible gradation from the smallest specimens to the largest, and similar gra- 

 dations in all other characters, not excepting the relative length of the tail 

 to the body. This latter character and that of size have formed the two 

 distinctions most strongly urged as specifically separating them. 



Previous to 1838, all the known weasels of North America were con- 

 sidered as belonging to two species, identical with the Mustela vulgaris and 

 M.erminea of the Old World. At this time Bonaparte, in his Fauna 

 rtalica, added a third, which he called Mas!, la Cicognanii He gave of it 

 the following short and very unsatisfactory diagnosis: " M. rufo-cinna- 

 momea, subtus Jiavo-albida : cam/a corjioris dimidio sub-breviori, apice nigri- 

 cans " ; which contains the single tangible character of " tail rather less 

 than half the body." In the same year, in Charlesworth's Magazine of 

 Natural History,* he added a fourth, which he called Mush hi longi- 

 cauda. This species was based on a variety mentioned in the Fauna 

 Boreali-Americana,t by Dr. Richardson, as differing from the; common 

 ermine in being larger and in having a longer tail. Bonaparte, in the 

 same communication, changed the name of the ermine weasel of Rich- 



* Vol. II, p. 38. t Vol. I, p. 47. 



