284 VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF THE UNITED STATES 



beneath; posterior third or half of tail black; color in winter white 

 towards the north and drab towards the south, except the end of the tail, 

 which is always black; length 405 mm. (male) ; tail slender and 140 mm. ; 

 hind foot 47 mm.; female about a fifth smaller: eastern and central 

 States; southward into North Carohna; westward to Illinois; Canadian, 

 Transition and Upper Austral zones. 



Fig. 157. — Tail of Piitorius noveboracensis (lower figure) and of P. cicognanii (upper figure) 



{from Rhoads). 



Subspecies of P. noveboracensis 



P. n. noveboracensis Em. Eastern States from southern Maine 

 throughout the Transition zone; westward to Ilhnois. 



P. n. notius Bangs. Belly yellow; winter coat drab: Austral zones 

 of the eastern States. 



P. cicognanii (Bonaparte). Short-tailed weasel (Fig. 157). Color 

 in summer brown above and white beneath, except the terminal third 

 of the tail which is black ; color in winter white, except' the terminal 

 third of the tail which remains black; length 285 mm. (male); tail 77 

 mm.; hind foot 37 mm.; female about a fifth smaller: Boreal forests of 

 North America from New England, New York and Minnesota north- 

 ward; westward to Alaska and British Columbia; southward in the 

 Rockies to Colorado. 



P. occisor Bangs. Similar to P. noveboracensis; tail very slender, 

 the black tip very short, confined to the terminal tuft of hair; length 

 (male) 460 mm.; tail 170 mm.; hind foot 50 mm.: southern Maine and 

 northward; rare. 



P. peninsulcB Rhoads. Color chocolate brown above, yellow 

 beneath; length (female) 375 mm.; tail 127 mm.; hind foot 44 mm.: 

 Florida. 



P. allegheniensis Rhoads. Color in summer brown above and white 

 beneath and all white in winter; tail without a black tip, but with a few 

 scattered blackish hairs; length 199 mm. ; tail 19 mm. ; hind foot 20 mm. : 

 western Pennsylvania; rare. 



