Tlic Weasels of Eastern North America. 7 



Tail more than half as lone; as head and body ; head with 

 distinct 1)lack and white markings or wholly nnmarked. 



Head witli distinct black and white markings freualns. 



Head without black and white markings. 



Upper parts light brown or clay color longicauda. 



Upper parts dark rich brown sjjadiv. 



Pelage fine and soft. 



Tail not tipped with Ijlack ; size smallest rixosns. 



Tail tipped with black ; size medium or large. 



Tail almost half as long as head and body ; feet usually 



without white markings noveboracensis. 



Tail about one-third as long as head and body ; feet 

 usually with white markings. 



Under side of tail concolor with back ; tail vertebrfe 



in adult male al^out 80 millimeters cicognani. 



Under side of tail concolor with bell}' ; tail vertebrie 



in adult male about 100 millimeters richardmni. 



Putorius longicauda (Bonap)arte). Long-tailed Weasel. 



PI. I, figs. 1, la; II, figs. 1, la; III, figs. 1, la. 



Mmiela (Putotius) ermines Rich., Fauna Boreali-Americana, 46-47, 1829 



(in part: the long-tailed variety from Carlton House). 

 Mustelalongicauda^o\\?iY>-, Chariesw. Mag. Nat. Hist., II, p. 38, Jan., 1838. 

 No description, but based on Ricliardson's long-tailed varietj- of 

 erminea from Carlton House, Sask. (Rich., Fauna Boreali-Am., 1, 

 p. 47, 1829). _ 

 Putorius longicauda Rich., Zool. Beechev's Yoj'age, p. 10,* 1839. 

 Baird, Mamm. N. Am., p. 1()9, lS."i7. 



Coues' Fur-bearing Animals, p. 136, 1877; and of most .subsequent 

 authors. 



Tgpe loculUy. — Carlton House, Saskatchewan. The supposed tyjie, a 

 specimen in winter pelage, is in the British Museum. 



Geographic distribution. — Northern plains from Saskatchewan and Al- 

 berta, south at least to Nebraska and Kansas, west to the Rocky mountains, 

 and east only to the western edge of the eastern forest belt in Minnesota. 

 Apparently abundant throughout its entire range. Inhabits parts of the 

 Canadian, Transition, and Upjter Sonoran Zones. 



General cliaracters. — Size very large ; tail very long, more than one-third 

 of total length, with the black tip short, often scarcely more than the 

 pencil ; claws long, sharp, and curved ; coat in sunnner pelage coarse and 

 harsh. 



Color. — Summer pelage: Upper parts pale yellowish brown, varying 

 individually from strong tawny to clay color, rather darker on top of head 

 and sides of nose; under j^arts yellow (varying from buff yellow and 

 maize yellow to pale ochraceous and saffron yellow) ; line of demarkation 

 between colors of upper and under parts distinct and straight along the 

 sides, color of under parts extending down in.side of legs and covering the 

 whole fore feet and toes and inside half of upper surface of hind feet ; chin 



