Least Weasel 859 



It is readily recognized by its very small size and short 

 tail without black tip. For generic characters of Putorius, see 

 page 872. 



Head and body, about 6 inches long (150 mm.); tail, i^ size 

 inches (31 mm.); hind-foot, about 13-16 inch (20 mm.). 



In summer coat, upper parts and tail even umber brown; colour 

 under parts, pure white without any yellow 

 tinge, and sharply demarked from the ^ '— 

 brown; or, in detail, lips, cheeks, chin, ^ ^ y 



throat, fore-neck, chest, belly, inside of ^^^-=.^ — ->-' 

 each leg, and the toes, white. 



A female which I got at Old Fort 

 Reliance, Great Slave Lake, September 15, 

 1907 (No. 1090, Seton Collection), was: 

 length, 6| inches (175 mm.); tail, ifV inches fig. .c-skuii ot p. 



(30 mm.); hind-foot, }J inch (21 mm.). FromMemam-sN.A.Fau„a ■.. 



The body, after skinning, was | mch (19 



mm.) through the deepest part and but J inch (13 mm.) 



through the chest. 



Three races are recognized: 



rixosus Bangs, the typical form. 

 eskimo Stone, a larger, redder race with shorter tail. 

 allegheniensis Rhoads, larger, darker, and more 

 thinly furred than rtxosus. 



Life-history. 



The species is found in Arctic and boreal America from the 

 Bering Sea, at least to Hudson Bay, probably to the Atlantic; 

 and from the Arctic Ocean to the southern limits of the 

 Canadian Fauna. 



Professor S. F. Baird had a specimen from Pembina, 

 Minn.' Outram Bangs records- it from Osier, Sask., Alaska, 



• Pacific R. R. Rep., Vol. VIII, 1857, p. 160. 



' Rev. Weasels, E. N. A., Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., February, 1896, p. 22. 



