The Weasels of Eastern North America. 9 



(Nos. f = f ? and 3264, American Musenm Nat. Hist.) the belly is bufi' yellow, 

 and in a skin from Elk river, Minn. (No. 31891, Dept. of Agric. coll.), it 

 is strong buff yellow. All but the type, however, are immature, and 

 the under parts of all are much lighter than in true longicauda of the same 

 age. The line of demarkation, owing to the much darker upper and 

 lighter under parts, is very much more distinct than in longicauda; it runs 

 in an even line straight along the side. The color of the under parts covers 

 the inside of the legs, under surface of the arms, and the whole of the 

 hands and toes; upper lijis and chin, white; tail, same color as back, 

 with a short, black end, and also a long pencil of black hairs ; under fur, 

 same color as the long hairs. Winter pelage: Pure white, with no yel- 

 lowish tinge ; end of tail jet black. 



The change to a winter white coat takes 2>lace over the entire range of 

 the subspecies. 



Size. — Tj'pe, male, yg. ad. : Total length, 445; tail vertebr;«, 160; hind 

 foot, 55. Average of five adult males from Fort Snelling and Elk river, 

 Minn.: Total length, 467 ; tail vertebrfe, 171; hind foot, 54. An adult 

 female topotype measures: total length, 375; tail vertebne, 123; hind 

 foot, 42.5. 



Skull. — Same as in true longicauda. 



Remarks. — Putorius sjmdix is the dark-colored eastern race of 

 longicauda. It seems to inhalnt only a small area along the 

 western edge of the eastern forest belt. In color it very closely 

 resembles P. nuveboracensis, from which it can easily be told by 

 the white feet, longer tail with shorter black ti}), and the harsh 

 pelage; and with as great certainty by the skull, which is the 

 same in all its characters as that of true longicauda. 



Putorius brasiliensis frenatus (Licht.). Bridled Weasel. 



Mustela frcnatu Lichtenstein, Darstell. neuer o. wenig bekannt Saugth., 



pi. XLII and corresponding text, 1832. 

 Putorius frenata Aud. and Bach., Quad. N. Am., II, p. 71, 1851 (in part; 



not plate LX). 

 Putorius frenatus Baird, Mamm. N. Am., p. 173, 1857. Mex. Boundary 



Surv., part II, Kept, on INIammals, p. 19, 1859. 

 Putorius {Gale) brasUiensis frenatus Coues, Fur-bearing Animals, p. 142, 



1877 (part). 



Type from vicinity of the city of Mexico. 



Geograghic distribution. — Table-land of Mexico from city of jNIexico north- 

 ward to southeastern Texas (north at least to San Antonio and prol)ably 

 east along the coast to Louisiana). 



General characters. — Size, largest of all our weasels, tail forming nearly 

 half of the total length and with a short, black tip ; hair rather short and 

 coarse; conspicuous black and white markings on the head. 



Color. — Upper parts light brown, varying from russet to raw umljer, 

 gradually darkening just back of the ears to black ; a large spot between 



2— Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. X, 189G 



