THE EEMINE WEASEL. 349 



There are at least four different species of mice in the 

 fur woods, and they are most unmitigated pests to the 

 trapper, eating baits out of his traps, spoiling valuable 

 fur, swarming in his camp and cache, and devouring his 

 clothes and stores. They are in turn eaten by almost 

 every other description of carnivorous animal sable, 

 weasel, loupcervier, skunk, &c., also by owls. Some of them 

 are naturally torpid in winter, but when they find a warm 

 camp they get unpleasantly lively. I am not acquainted 

 with the scientific names of these mice. There is one a 

 great frequenter of camps, familiar to every trapper, a 

 biggish fellow, with reddish back, white belly, and very 

 short tail ; also a shrew mouse, with a nose like a mole, a 

 very diminutive fellow ; also a jumping mouse, with a 

 long tail, I presume Meriones Ldbradorius. They all seem 

 omnivorous in winter, and eat bread, meat, sugar, clothes, 

 &c., &c. 



Two weasels are met with, the ermine (Mustela erminea), 

 and the little weasel (M. vulgaris). Both these are brown 

 in summer, in October they turn a light brownish grey, 

 and in winter are pure white with the exception of a black 

 tip to the tail, and in the case of the common weasel a 

 sulphur tint about the loins. The fur of the ermine 

 weasel is very like the Russian ermine, so like that in 

 picked skins it would take a very good judge of fur to tell 

 the difference. Yet the Canadian ermine is positively of 

 no value to the trapper, who does not take the trouble to 

 skin it, and is tormented with it in his sable line. The 

 ermine weasel is the most active and sprightly little 

 animal it is possible to conceive. I saw one pursue and 



