OLD WORLD DISTRIBUTION OF THE ERMINE. 13"5 



personally, and contrary to the opinion of Pallas, Ermines are 

 met with on the Aleutians and Behring Islands, where they 

 are hunting the Mice and Shrew-mice marching after the food- 

 provisions of man. The same author also speaks of their fre- 

 quent occurrence in Kamtschatka and on the coasts of the sea of 

 Ochotsk. Von Saritschew (Reise,i. p. 92) observed Ermines 

 on the middle course of the Indigirka, and von Wrangel 

 (Reise, ii. p. 238) near Werchojansk, in latitude 67°, longitude 

 330 5 Gebler (Katun. Gebirge, p. 85) mentions their existence in 

 West Siberia; Eversmannin the governments of Kasan and 

 Orenburg; Lehmann (Reise, Zool. App. by Brandt, p. 302) 

 names, besides Orenburg, the country of the Bashkirs and 

 Fort Spask; Hohenacker (Bull. i^at. Hist. Moskou, 1837,2, p. 

 137) enumerates them among the Mammals of the countries of 

 the Caucasus; Nordmann mentions their appearance in Bes- 

 sarabia, Ekaterinoslaw, and Asia Minor (Demi doff, Yoy. iii. 

 p. 17); and Ozernay (Bull.Nat. H. Moskou, 1851,p.274) in the 

 governments of Oharkow and Ekaterinoslaw. Kessler calls 

 them frequent inhabitants of all the four governments of the Dis- 

 trict of Kiew. Brincken (Mem. p. 47) and Eichwald (Skizze, 

 p. 237) number them among the animals of Lithuania. Their ap- 

 pearance in Ourland is mentioned in the Description of the 

 Province of Curland by v. Derschau and v. Keys er ling (p. 

 130), and also by Lichtenstein (Bull. Xat. H. Mosc. 1829, p. 

 289). According to a communication from Fischer, Ermines 

 are met with in Livonia only in certain localities and a very few 

 places (Naturg. v. Livland, p. 144). Their frequent appearance 

 near St. Petersburg I am able to attest by many years' experience. 

 In Finland, they are mentioned by Sadeliu (Fauna Fenn. p. 10, 

 and the Forteckning ofver Sallskapets p. Fauna Fenn. Sam- 

 lingar,p.7). O sere tskowski indicates them also on the coast 

 of Lapland. Schrenk (Reise, i. pp. QQ, 97) reports them on the 

 Pinega River and in the District of Mesen. From the latter 

 region, a specimen was received by the Academical Museum 

 through the kindness of Mr. Bystrow, inspector of schools (see 

 my report in the Scientific Bull, of the Acad, of Scie^nces of St. 

 Petersburg, v. x). In the government of Wologda there are 

 said to be collected annually from 5,000 to 10,000 skins (v. B a e r 

 Beitr. vii. p. 251). Sujew (Pallas, Trav. iii. p. 87) numbered 

 them among the inhabitants of the lower Obi, and this was 

 lately confirmed by Ermann (Reise, i. p. 562). The Ural expe- 

 dition brought back with them a male specimen killed on June 



