MAMMALS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. 1 69 



may be invaded by them. This scheme of distribution will not apply to Pa. 

 and N. J. Indeed, it was only by the most assiduous search among many 

 hunter?, trappers and taxidermists that I was able to secure the first authen- 

 ticated specimen of Pa. cicognani, the many reports of such as I have investi- 

 gated proving with two exceptions to be females of noveboracensis, the com- 

 mon long-tailed weasel of the eastern U. States. 



Records in Pa. — (In general.) "The least weasel, according to the best 

 information obtained from local naturalists throughout the state, does not 

 appear to be of very frequent occurrence. In fact quite a number of zoolog- 

 ical students who are believed to be entirely competent to distinguish both 

 species, report the least weasel to be rare or unknown in their localities. 

 Mr. George P. Friant, of Scranton, Penna., during the past lo years has had 

 over 100 weasels taken within a radius of 25 miles of his home, and of these 

 not more than 3 or 4 were the smaller species. The experience of Mr. Chas. 

 H. Eldon, taxidermist of Williamsport, Penna., is very similar to that of Mr. 

 Friant. During the past 8 years the writer has collected zoological speci- 

 mens in almost every county of the state, and in a collection of 70 odd speci- 

 mens (of weasels) at least 6 were of the small kind. From evidence at hand 

 it seems that the least weasel is to be found in the northern and mountainous 

 regions of Pennsylvania, and I am inclined to think it more plentiful than 

 some observers and writers believe." — Warren, Poultry Book, p. 422. Dr. 

 Warren adds that 75 weasel skins which he had were burned with the Pa. 

 State capitol in 1897, so that he could not name the localities from which the 

 least weasels came. 



Lackawanna Co. — In January, 1902, I visited Mr. C. P. Friant, of Scran- 

 ton, who kindly presented me with a skin of Bonaparte's weasel In summer 

 coat, which had been taken by a boy in the city hmits of Scranton in 1900. 

 This specimen I deposited in the Academy of Natural Sciences. Mr. Friant 

 had previously written me in 1900 : "The last lesser weasel I recall having 

 mounted was for a Mr. Smith who died soon after and I can't trace the speci- 

 men. I have mounted 3 in the last 10 years. I have no doubt that they 

 "were the species you designate as compared with the common weasel," of 

 which he had mounted and handled a great number. — Rhoads. 



Sui/ivaji Co. — There is a very small weasel up here which turns white in 

 winter. Not positive of its identity. — Behr, 1900. Mr. Behr has since 

 trapped eight or more weasels near Lopez in the winter of igoo-'oi to prove 

 that he has seen the species, but all of them were noveboracensis. Most of 

 them were sent in spirits to the Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., where I examined 

 them. This is one of the best proofs of the great scarcity of cicognani, even 

 in the most boreal part of the state. 



Wayne Co. — An adult female cicognani, No. 4280 of my collection of 

 mammals, was sent me in the flesh by Mr. L. N. Goodnough, of Wayne Co., 



