34 VERTEBRATES I MAMMALS. 



spotted with gray about the head, and its feet furred. It 

 inhabits the coldest regions, and the hunting to obtain it, 

 in the midst of winter and tremendous snows, is attended 

 with the greatest privations and dangers. 



The Genus Putorius Weasels is characterized by a 

 very slender body, long tail, and thirty-four teeth, the den- 

 tal formula being, incisors ~^ canines ^-*, premolars , 

 molars ^. The lower sectorial tooth is without an in- 

 ner tubercle. 



rig. 31. The Least Weasel, P. pusillus, Aud. 



& Bach., from New York to Puget's 

 Sound, is six inches long to the tail, 

 which is less than two inches ; the 

 weasel. color brown above, white beneath. 



The Small Brown Weasel, P. Cicognonii y orfuscus, Aud. 

 & Bach., of North America, is about eight inches long 

 to the tail, which is three inches ; the color in summer, 

 brown above, whitish beneath ; in winter, white ; the tail 

 with the tip black. 



The Little Ermine, P Richardsonii, Bonap., of North 

 America, is eight inches long to the tail, which is over 

 five inches ; the color in summer dark chestnut-brown 

 above, whitish beneath ; in winter white, tail with a 

 black tip. 



The Common White Weasel, P. noveboracensis, De Kay, 

 of the United States, is about ten inches long to the tail, 

 which is about six inches, the color in summer chestnut 

 brown above, whitish beneath ; in winter, white ; tail 

 tipped with black one third of its length. 



The Long-tailed Weasel, P. longicauda, Rich., of West- 

 ern North America, is about eleven inches long to the 

 tail, which is nearly seven inches ; the color in summer, 

 light olive-brown above, brownish-yellow beneath ; in win- 

 ter, white ; the tail with a black tip about one fourth its 

 length. 



