166 MUSTELINE. 



Colour. In summer dull chestnut (reddish brown) above, white 

 or yellowish white below, the terminal portion of the tail black. 

 The underf ur on the back paler. In winter the whole of the fur 

 is white except the tail towards its extremity, which remains black. 

 In some countries, as in England, the white winter garb is seldom 



Dimensions. Head and body 9 to 11 inches, tail with hair 4| to 

 6, without hair about 3 to 4. Males are larger than females. A 

 skull measures 1*7 in basal length, and 1 inch in breadth across 

 the zygoma tic arches. 



Distribution. Throughout the Palaearctic region as far south as 

 the Alps and the Himalayas. A specimen was obtained in 

 Afghanistan by Griffith, and the species was recorded from Nepal 

 by Hodgson ; but the only specimen made over by him to the 

 British Museum is a furrier's skin, said to have been brought from 

 Tibet. Adams says the species is found in the lower and middle 

 regions of the Western Himalayas, but Jerdou very pertinently 

 remarks that no Himalayan examples exist in any of our museums. 

 Indeed the only thoroughly authentic occurrence within our area 

 appears to be that mentioned by Dr. G. Henderson in ' Lahore to 

 Yarkand,' p. 42. He shot a specimen near Dras, north of the 

 Zoji-la, Kashmir. The skin is, I believe, that now preserved in 

 the Indian Museum, Calcutta. Dr. Henderson remarked that the 

 annual was probably rare in the locality, for the people had no 

 nam,e for it. 



Habits. The ermine lives in holes in the ground made by rodents, 

 amongst rocks or heaps of stones, or in hollow trees, sometimes 

 hunting in the daytime, but more frequently at night, and killing 

 any mammals, birds, or reptiles that it can master. It kills rats 

 and mice of all kinds, and is well known to be very destructive to 

 rabbits and to feathered game generally. It climbs well, and 

 plunders birds' nests of eggs and young. It is bold and sanguinary. 

 In Europe it pairs in February or March, and has young, usually 

 5 to 8 in number, in April or May ; the latter are blind for 9 days, 

 remain with the mother till the autumn, and are full-grown in the 

 following spring. 



The white winter skins from the North, where the fur is thick 

 and close, form the valuable ermine of commerce. 



82. Putorius subhemachalanus. The Himalayan Weasel. 



Mustela (Putorius) subhemachalana, Hodgson, J. A. S. B. vi. p. 563 



(1837) ; Horsf. Cat. p. 103 ; Jerdon, Mam. p. 83. 

 Mustela humeralis, Slyth, J. A. S. B. xi, p. 99. 

 Mustela horsfieldii, Gray, A. M. N. H. xi, p. 118 (1843). 

 Mustela hodgsoni, Horsf. Cat. p. 103, nee Gray. 

 ? Kran or Gran, Kashmir * ; Sang-king, Lepcha ; Temon, Bhot* 



* See under P. canigula. 



