6 Bangs — The Weasels of Eastern North America. 



The next paper of importance is Allen's list of the ' Mammals 

 of Massachusetts ' (1869). Allen degraded all the species of pre- 

 vious authors and lumped all our weasels under the names 

 Futorius enninexi and Putorhis vulgaris, allowing /*. J'rcnatus to stand 

 as a doubtful form. 



In 1877 a})peared Cones' Fur-bearing Animals. In this work 

 the author recognized four weasels in the whole of North America, 

 namely, vulgaris, crw.inea, longicau.da, and brasiliensis frenatus. 

 This arrangement has been followed by most subsequent authors. 



The species of the subgenus Gate inhabiting eastern North America may 

 be arranged in three groujxs as follows: 



1. Skull large and heavy, miich constricted 

 just back of postorbital processes, and develop- 

 ing a strong sagittal crest ; postorbital processes 

 well developed ; inflated squamosal much re- 

 duced Neogalc Gi'ay.* 



Name of species. Type locality. 



Putorius longicauda (Bonaparte) Carlton House, Saskatchewan. 



longicanda spadix subsp. nov. . . .Fort Snelling, Minn. 



brasiliensis frenatus (Licht. ) Valley of Mexico. 



peninsulee Rhoads Hudson's, Pasco Co., Fla. 



2. Skull of male developing sagittal crest; 

 that of female smooth. Inflated squamosal 

 much more reduced in the male than in the 

 female ; postorbital processes well developed in 

 both sexes. 



noreboracensis Emmons Massacliusetts. 



3. Skull light and smooth, not sharply con- 

 stricted back of postorbital processes ; develop- 

 ing only very slight sagittal crest ; postorbital 

 processes not well developed; inflated squamosal 



large and much inflated Gale Wagner. 



richardsoni (Bp.) Port Franklin, Great Bear lake. 



ricliardsoni cicognani (Bp.) Eastern United States. 



rixosus sp. nov Osier, Saskatchewan. 



Key to the Weasels of Eastern North America (ix Summer Pei-age). 



Pelage coarse and harsh. 

 Tail less than half as long as head and bodj^ ; a tuft of 

 white hairs in front of ear and sometimes an indistinct 

 white patch on forehead peninsulx. 



*Neogale was proposed by Gray for the bridled weasels on account of 

 the peculiar black and white facial markings. P. longicauda also belongs 

 to this grou]), whicli is almost worthy of subgeneric rank. 



