246 



NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS IN ALASKA. 



About the Yukon month they take on their.wiuter fur early in October, sometimes before the 

 first snow, and retain it until the hist of May or first of June. There is no market for skius of 

 the Ermine, and in consequence they are not tra^iped except in small numbers. 



PuTORius vuLGAKis Liuu. Least Weasel (Esk. Ti'iMhi/i'tlc). 



A specimeu of this weasel in the winter coat was obtained on the Upper Yukon iu December, 

 1878. A second individual in summer pelage was captured at Saint Michaels May 25, 1880. A 

 third specimen, captured October la, was in winter pelage. 



List of specimens. 



Biographical notes. — The Weasel has essentially the same distribution in Alaska as its larger 

 relative. It is much less common than the Ermine and its skius are more highly prized by the 

 Eskimo, among whom it is used as a fetich and is also one of their totemic animal,'*. A skin was 

 brought me from the Upper Yukon by Mr. McQuesten; others w re obtained at Saint Michaels, 

 and I saw .skins from the Kuskoquim River and from the Kotzebue Sound district and from other 

 localities. 



They were seen iu use as fetiches among the Eskimo of widely-separated localities and speak- 

 ing different dialects. The people of the Kaviak Peninsula prize them so highly for this puri)ose 

 that they frequently pay the value of a marten-skin for one. -TLe boys and young men wear them 

 in their belts iu order to become successful hunters, and they are considered to be of great use to 

 the persons who wear them thus. 



The quickness and boldness of this animal are remarkable. The only tim e I ever saw one of 

 these weasels alive was one morning late in May, near Saint Michaels. I was goose-hunting at 

 the time and first saw it close to the tent. The ground was still covered here and there with 

 patches of snow and the Weasel was searching among the dwarf willow stems about a snow- 

 drift, evidently looking for mice. It darted here and there among the willow stems so rapidly 

 that I lost track of it several times. At short intervals it would dart upon the snow and stare at 

 me a moment with its bead like black eyes and then go on with its search although I was but a 

 few feet away all of the time. My Eskimo hunter came and stood by me, watching its movements 

 with great interest, until I finally went to the tent and got a charge of fine shot and added the 

 little hunter to my collection. It was in full summer pelage. 



PVTOEIUS YISON (Sclireber). Mink (Esk. Imi'iy-ihmi/H-ti'ik). 



The series of skulls obtained indicate that the Mink attains constantly a very large size in 

 Alaska. Among the twenty-six skulls there are but three whose length falls below 66""", one 

 whose length is 75™", and five, 74""". Among 51 skulls in the National Museum all whose length 

 exceeds 66""" (viz., 13) are from Alaska. Several adult skulls, from the Saranac Lake, New York 

 (which are at least yearlings), are but 55""" long. 



