Vanation of the Weasel, 437 



the Scanian weasels should, then, belong to the subspecies 

 ^^ Putorius 7iivalis vulgaris,^^ but the weasels inhabiting other 

 parts of Sweden should be termed "P. n. typicus.''^ 



The subject, however, is not so simple. I have before 

 me now a male specimen killed on the 10th of January this 

 year in the neighbourhood of Jonkoping in the province of 

 Smaland. This is brown above and white beneath. The 

 line of demarcation between the colours is well defined, but 

 wavy. The white colour extends over the upper lips nearly 

 to the ears, but behind the angle of the mouth is a brown 

 spot in the white. The inner side of the legs is wliite, the 

 outer side brown. The hind feet have only a (qw wiiite liairs 

 at the tip of the toes, but the fore feet have white toes. The 

 white colour of the belly does not reach the anus. On the 

 flanks some brown -coloured spots are nearly detached and 

 surrounded by white. Length of head and body 210 mm., 

 of tail bb, of hind foot (without claws) 30 mm. I think this 

 specimen should be regarded as an example of " Putorius 

 nivalis vulgaris.^^ I remember also very distinctly that some 

 years ago I saw a weasel in brown winter-coat killed still 

 further north, at a place called Vallsnas, not far from the 

 town of Linkoping, in tiie province of Ostergotland. In 

 reply to a question on this subject, Dr. A. Stuxberg in- 

 forms me that the Museum of Gothenburg possesses not 

 less than three specimens of weasel with brown winter-coat, 

 namely: (1) a specimen from Molnlycke, a little south of 

 Gothenburg, killed 15th Jan., 1899; (2) a specimen from 

 Hemsjo in Vestergotland, near the town of Alingsas, killed 

 5th Feb., 1899 ; and (3) a specimen from the neighbourhood 

 of Gothenburg, killed 16th March, 1897. From all these 

 statements the conclusion can be drawn that the " vulgaris " 

 form occurs together with the " typicus " form in the provinces 

 of Oster- and Vestergotland and Smaland, so far as the 

 colour of the winter-coat is concerned. This becomes more 

 interesting because it forms a parallel to the occurrence of 

 the " bluish-grey " (" canescens''' Nilsson) and the white 

 variety of the northern hare. In Scania the ^'canescens^^ 

 variety dominates. In Smaland, Oster- and Vestergotland 

 both forms occur mixed, but in Upland and the northern 

 provinces, on the other hand, the white variety dominates. 

 The occurrence also of the brown weasel and the " blue " • 

 hare seems to correspond to the time during which the 

 ground is covered with snow. In Scania where the ground 

 is covered with snow only 45-48 days each winter, the 

 white forms are absent or extremely scarce, and it is at 

 least questionable whether a white coat would be of pro- 



