246 CALIFORNIA MAMMALS. 



July 3rd near the southwestern corner of Lassen County. Four 

 to six young are born in April and May ; perhaps as late as June. 

 Minks are seldom found far from streams, as most of their hunt- 

 ing- is done about water. They are fine swimmers, but poor 

 climbers. Their food includes such birds and mammals as are 

 ordinarily eaten by members of this family and also fish, frogs 

 and other aquatic forms of life. 



Genus Putorius Frisch. (Stinking.) 

 Body very slender, neck long; legs very short; tail of mod- 

 erate length, with rather short hairs ; toes cleft ; size small ; anal 

 glands moderately developed ; skull flat and very narrow ; upper 

 sectorial teeth well developed, lower sectorial teeth rather small ; 

 without internal cusps; auditory bullae large, palate extending 

 nearly half way from, last molar to auditory bulla; occipital crest 

 moderately developed; saggital crest small. 



Dental formula, I, 3 — 3 ; C, i— i ; P, 3 — 3 ; M, i — 2, X2^34. 



Putorius xanthogenys Gray. (Yellow — under jaw.) 



CALIFORNIA WEASEL. 



Above cinnamon or tawny olive, tinged with yellow in sum- 

 mer, and with drab in winter ; terminal fourth of tail black ; 

 throat, belly, inner side of legs and toes buff or ochrareous, the 

 toes sometimes whitish; upper and lower lips, chin, sides of the 

 head in front of and below the ears, and a large squarish spot 

 on the forehead white, sometimes tinged with ochraceous, more 

 often on the female ; a small brown spot behind the corner of the 

 mouth ; remainder of face and top of the head varying from 

 broccoli brown to dark sepia, darkest in winter. 



Length about 420 mni. (16.50 inches) ; tail vertebrae 165 

 (6.50) ; hind foot 45 (1.80) ; ear from crown 13 (.50). Female 

 averaging smaller. 



Type locality, southern California, probably San Diego. 



