166 U. Ss. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
Measurements. 
a 
| Tip of nose to— Tail toend of—| Length of— | 
Current Locality. Black tip) Nature of 
number. | to tail. | specimen. 
Eye. | Ear. | Occip.| Tail. | Verteb. | Hairs. | Fore ft. | Hind ft. 
| | 
ie Arora 
2316 | Middleboro’, Mass- ---- .55 | 1.05 | 1.90 | 8.00 | 4.00 | 5.10 +90 1.35 2.15 | Alcohol ~~. 
Spee ed) Boston sees ae ee | .56 |) 1.05 | 1.83 | 8.25 | 4.25 | 5.25 95 17 ae ee ===. d0agemee 
List of specimens. 
= = ] al x c - a a =r ——< 
Catalogue | Sex & | Locality. When collected.| Whence obtained. Original Nature of specimen. 
number. | age. number. 
2316 Q | Middleboro’, Mass ----- | Apuil) 1g65% -e|nlaW bs enks 2 one et opens In alcohel ; brown---.-- 
See ere } 5 4t-Bostony Mass- 2-542. se) Spine, 18h5,er)(D. Mer Rrewere -26 52] sme n oo oleae 0a a> eee 
Pe hy a ess Halifax: Nabissanccs <5 Wanter 22.25 — Driideds.cGal pin) = 5 abe oe = te Dry skin; white-.-.--.. 
G54: wilect te 2 Fort Steilacoom ------- | Summer, 1854-| Dr. George Suckley -- 20 Dry skin; brown-----.- 
PUTORIUS NOVEBORACENSIS. 
Common Weasel; White Weasel. 
Putorius noveboracensis, Dexay, N. Y. Zool. I, 1842, 36; pl. xii, f. 2; pl. xiv, f. 2. 
Putorius erminea, Aup. & Bacn. N. A. Quad. II, 1851, 56; pl. lix. 
Spr. Cu.—Length to tail about ten inches. Tail vertebre about half this length. Black of tail, one-third its length. Out- 
stretched hind feet reach not quite to the middle of the vertebrae. In summer, chestnut brown above, whitish beneath. Edge of 
upper lip white. In winter, white, tail with black tip. - 
The precise determination of the North American weasels is a matter of very considerable 
difficulty, owing to the close relationship existing between them and the absence of any minute 
comparisons of the allied species, both American and European. It is by no means improbable 
that an examination of large numbers of specimens from remote localities will bring to light 
several additional species, while at the same time greatly extending the range of those at present 
known. 
I am not now prepared to say whether the true ermine, Putorius erminea, is found in any part 
of North America, but doubt very much whether it exists even in high northern localities. All 
the specimens collected within the limits of the United States by the different expeditions are 
clearly distinct from P. erminea, as will hereafter be shown. 
None of the specimens at my command admit of any very nice distinctions as to proportion of toes, 
number and extent of naked pads on the feet, length of tail and ears, &ec. 
The head is depressed 
and acute; the ears large and extending far around the auditory aperture. 
The tail, as well as 
can be ascertained from the skin, has the vertebre about half the length of the body, the hairs 
