338 PUTORIUS. 



81. Putorius. 



3—3 I— I 3—3' a— 2 -"^ 



Putorius. Cuv., Regn. Anim., 1817, i, p. 147. 



Arctogale. Kaup (nee Peters), Entw.-Gesch. und Naturl. Syst. 

 der Europ. Thierw., 1829, p. 30. 



Ictis. Kaup, Entw.-Gesch. und Naturl. Syst. der Europ. Thierw., 

 1829, p. 40. 



Gale. Wagn., Suppl. Schreb. Saugth., 1841, ii, p. 234. 



Lutreola. Schinz, Syn. Mamm., 1845, i, p. 346. 



Neogale. Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1865, p. 114. 



Vison. Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1865, p. 115. 



Cynomyonax. Coues, Fur. Bear. Anim., 1877, p. 147. 



Size medium, to smallest carnivorous animal {P. rixosus). Body 

 very slender; legs short; tail long, bushy or close haired, terminat- 

 ing in a pencil; ears large; soles haired; lower sectorial without inner 

 cusp; anteorbital foramen small, opening over last premolar; ros- 

 trum short, vertically truncated; nasals widening from their base an- 

 teriorly; bullae flat; zygomatic arch not usually elevated posteriorly. 

 Females much smaller than the males. 



A. Lutreola. 

 Skull: superior outline rising gradually from nasals to occiput; 

 audital bulla flattened, the meatus tubular; width of anteorbital con- 

 striction and that of nasals about equal. Cusps of molars and pre- 

 molars well developed, uppersectorial has the antero-internal process 

 developed into a cusp, sometimes having two points. Lower sec- 

 torial has an interior tubercle rather strongly indicated. Body stouter 

 than the weasel; tail bushy, tapering; ears small. 



502. vison. {Mustfla), Briss., Regn. Anim., 1756, p. 246. 



canadensis, Erxl., Syst. Nat., 1777, 1, p. 455. 



nigresccns, Aud. & Bach., N. Am. Quad., 1853, iii, p. 104, pi. 

 cxxiv. 



Type locality. Canada. 



Geogr. Distr. Eastern North America through Canada to On- 

 tario and the Arctic Sea; westward north of Gulf States to the east- 

 ern boundaries of Pacific coast. 



Genl. Char. Tail about half as long as the body; nearly black; 

 color dark. 



Color. Body uniform chestnut brown, with a white spot on the 

 chin and sometimes on chest and abdomen. Tail darker than the 

 body, nearly black. 



