XXXVII. 

 The Least Weasel, or Mouse-hunter. 



Putorius rixosus Bangs. 



(Pulorius, see ante; rixosus, Latin for 'quarrelsome' or 'aggressive,' though in this 

 respect the species does not seem to be any worse than its betters.) 



Putorius pusillus Baird, 1857, N. Am. Mamm., pp. 159-161 



(in part). 

 Putorius rixosus Bangs, 1896, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., pp. 



21-22. 

 Type Locality. — Osier, Saskatchewan, Canada. 



French Canadian, la petite Belette. 



Cree, Ojib., & Saut., Shing-giuus-ance or Little 



Weasel, diminutive of Shing-gwus, the Weasel. 



This name is applied to all of the small species 



indiscriminately. 

 Chipewyan, Tel-ky'-lay-az-zy (little Weasel). 

 Yankton Sioux, Ke-tong-ka-ska. (Given to all small 



Weasels.) 



This species has been partly known to naturalists since 

 1857, when Baird described a specimen, believing it to be the 

 same as its larger cousin, the Least Weasel, of Great Britain. 

 In 1893, W. C. Colt, at Osier, Sask., captured a summer spec- 

 imen which he sent to Outram Bangs, of Boston. In 1896, 

 this naturalist, convinced that it represented an undescribed 

 species, gave it the name rixosus. It proves to be very different 

 from its European cousin in size as well as in colour and 

 cranial characters; it is considerably smaller and is, indeed, the 

 smallest known beast of prey in the world. 



