300 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



Family III. — MusTELiDiE : The Weasels. 



7. PuTORius ERMiNEus, Cuvier. — Common Weasel.^ Ermine. — A 

 rather common species, its small size and nocturnal habits protecting 

 it from extermination, while the abundance of domestic poultry, and 

 of rats, mice, etc., is exceedingly favorable to its maintenance and in- 

 crease. 



8. PuTORius visoN (Schreber), Richardson. — American If ink. — A 

 rather rare species, partly, no doubt, on account of the market value of 

 its fur. Half grown young taken at Madisonville, June 12, by my 

 brother, Mr. C. C. Langdon. 



9. Mephitis mephitica (Shaw), Baird. — Common Skunk. — Numer- 

 ous remains found in the " ash-pits" of the Madisonville ancient 

 cemetery, and the species is far from rare in that vicinity at the 

 present day. The individual variation in this species with respect to 

 '' pattern" of coloration, is a subject of frequent remark: specimens il- 

 lustrating this peculiarity are in the Society's Museum. 



10. LuTRA canadensis, Kerr. — American Otter. — Mr. Dury favors 

 me with a note of the occurrence of this species near Venice, Butler 

 count}^ Ohio, several years ago. Prof Kirtland, in 1838, alluded to it 

 as "still common'- in Ohio ; and more recently, Dr. Haj-mond includes 

 it in his list of Mammals of Franklin county, Indiana (1869), 

 though he states that he has " seen none'' * * * for "many years." 

 It should now probably be classed amongst the extirpated species of 

 this vicinity. 



Family IV. — Ursid^ : The Bears. 



11. Ursus americanus, Pallas. — Broivn, Black, or Cinnamon 

 Bear. — Remains abundant in the "ash-pits" of the Madisonville 

 ancient cemetery. Mr. Quick's collection contains a skull of this 

 species, which was found with the remainder of the skeleton in a 

 hollow tree near Brookville, Indiana, several j^ears ago ; and Dr. 

 Raymond mentions a specimen seen in Franklin county, Indiana, 

 about the j^ear 1 840, 



Family V. — Procyonid^ : The Raccoons. 



12. Procton lotor, Storr. — Common Raccoon. — Still a common 

 species in this vicinity, although seemingly scarce on account of its 

 nocturnal habits. The abundance of its tracks along all our streams, 

 where it searches for cray fish and other aquatic animals, is sufficient 

 evidence of its numbers. I have twice caught this species in steel 



