The Home of the Wolverene and Beaver. 157 



which measures perhaps five inches, of which about 

 three are black both in summer and winter. 



The change of colour in these little animals is 

 very curious. Messrs. Audubon and Bachman say, 

 "As far as our observations have enabled us to 

 form an opinion on this subject, we have arrived at 

 the conclusion that the animal sheds its coat twice 

 a year, i.e., at the periods when these semi-annual 

 changes take place. In autumn, the summer hair 

 gradually and almost imperceptibly drops out, and 

 is succeeded by a fresh coat of hair, which in the 

 course of two or three weeks becomes pure white ; 

 while in the spring the animal undergoes its change 

 from white to brown in consequence of shedding its 

 winter coat, the new hairs then coming out brown. 

 We have in our possession a specimen captured in 

 November, in which the change of colour has con- 

 siderably advanced, but is not completed. The 

 whole of the under surface, the sides, neck, and body 

 to within half an inch of the back, together \\ith 

 the legs, are white, as well as the edges of the ears. 

 On the upper surface, the nose, forehead, neck, and 

 an irregular line on the back, together with a spot 

 on the outer surface of the fore-leg, are brown, 

 showing that these parts change colour last." 



Beautiful as the ermine is in the purity of its 

 spotless white, a more mischievous little animal 



