MAMMALS MARTINAE PUTORIUS NOVEBORACENSIS. 167 



projecting in no case more than an inch and a quarter beyond. The tail is cylindrical, quite 

 thickly clothed with fur, and tipped with black for about twice the length of the longest 

 terminal hairs. 



Summer di ess. Not having before me a specimen taken in summer, I shall be obliged to 

 make use of one killed December 15, 1848, at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where this species does 

 not change to white in winter. It is not likely that any material change has taken place from 

 the summer dress, beyond, perhaps, a greater intensity of coloration and a fuller and softer 

 condition of the hair. In this specimen the upper parts and sides are of a rich and rather dark 

 chestnut brown, deeper towards the back and on the dorsal line of the tail. The under parts 

 are of a yellowish white, palest on the chin, and tinged with delicate straw color under the 

 body. The line of demarcation between these colors is quite low down the sides, beginning at 

 the angle of the mouth, (the extreme edge of the lips only being white,) and extending quite 

 low down on the flanks. On the neck the brown occupies two-thirds of the entire circumference, 

 and on the middle of the belly, five-sixths. From this region, however, the white widens to 

 the fore and hind legs, extending along their inner surfaces to about opposite the wrist and the 

 knee, where the color runs out to a point. The limbs are thus entirely and uniformly like the 

 back, with the exception of the light spur which runs down their inner faces from the abdomen. 

 The light color of the abdomen does not extend as far as the arms, the region about which, with 

 the entire tail, is brown. There are no light marks on the ears. The dark tip of the tail 

 occupies from one-third to one-fourth of its entire length, the end of the vertebrae falling about 

 in its middle. 



A specimen from Fort Smith, Arkansas, is similar in all essential respects, although of a 

 reddish yellow beneath. 



A specimen in alcohol, from Massachusetts, is rather smaller, perhaps, than the average, but 

 of sufficient size to have it represent this species, has the feet very large and strong. The hind 

 foot is one-third the length of the vertebrae of the tail. The feet are densely furred, so as to 

 hide the tubercles to a considerable extent. The dusky of the tail covers more than its terminal 

 third. This specimen is labelled as collected in winter, but exhibits no signs of change. The 

 outstretched hind feet reach not quite to the middle of the tail. About two-thirds of the black 

 tip to the tail project beyond the vertebrae. 



I have before me no pure white ermines from the eastern States. A very large skin from 

 Essex county, New York, (835,) is in a transition state, the under fur, generally, being white, 

 and only the long hairs towards the middle of the back retaining their summer color. The 

 terminal third of the tail is black, the end of the vertebrae falling about in the middle of it. 



It is quite probable that this species retains its color throughout the season to a considerable 

 range northward, more so, indeed, than P.fuscus, originally supposed not to change at all. 



The principal points of difference between this species and P. richardsonii, (P. agilis, of 

 Aud. and Bach.,) are the considerably larger size and disproportionately large and broad 

 feet, the hinder of which measures If inches, or nearly half an inch more than in the other. 

 There appears to be a pretty constant character in the white margin to the upper lip, which I 

 have not noticed in the other, although it may occasionally be present. 



The much larger size and the longer tail, distinguish it at once from P. cicognanii. Its 

 relationship to P. longicauda will be referred to under the head of that species. 



In comparing specimens of this species with the Putorius erminea of Europe, notwithstanding 

 the assurances of authors, very decided points of distinction are readily discer cable. Of these 



