CHAPTEK VI. 



MUSTELIN.E— Continued: The Mink. 



The subgenus Lutreola — Subgeneric characters and remarks — Puiorius vison^ 

 the American Mink — Synonymy — Habitat — Specific characters — Descrip- 

 tion of external characters — Measurements — Variation in external char- 

 acters — Variation in the skull — Comparison with the European Mink — 

 Notice of allied Old World species, P. lutreola and P. sibiricus — General 

 history and habits of the Mink — "Minkeries". 



WE come now to consider a particular modification of the 

 genus Putorins, in adaptation to an aquatic mode of life. 

 Both the foregoing subdivisions of the genus comprehend ter- 

 restrial and more or less arboreal species ; the present one, Lu- 

 treola^ consists of species which are scarcely less aquatic than 

 the Otters themselves; and the consequent modifications, both 

 in cranical and external characters, are decided. 



The Subgenus LUTREOLA. (Wagner.) 



The leading peculiarities of this section have been already 

 pointed out (p. 100), and contrasted with those of Gale, Cynomy- 

 onax, and Putorius proper. 



The skull of the Mink bears out the general points of " build '^ 

 which distinguish Putorius at large from Mustela — such as the 

 short, turgid, truncate rostrum, comparatively shallow inter- 

 pterygoid emargiuation, position of anteorbital foramen, &c. As 

 might be expected from consideration of the habits of the ani- 

 mal, a resemblance to the cranium of an Otter is better marked 

 in this than in other sections of the genus, the bullae auditoric^e, 

 in particular, being notably flattened, and the whole upper out- 

 line of the skull being straightened. In its own genus, the 

 resemblances of the skull are with that of Putorius proper and 

 of Cynomyonax, rather than with that of Gale. In addition to 

 the absolutely much greater size in Lutreola, the massiveness 

 of the skull, with the strong flaring sagittal and lambdoidal 

 crests defining temporal fossie, contrasts strongly with the 

 smooth condition of the parts in Gale. In L. vison, there is, in 

 158 



