CULTURE OF FUR-BEARERS 247 



New, in Labrador, or Florida, or Mexico, on 

 the Yukon as on the Hudson, is substantially 

 the same, a keen, agile, relentless, indomitable 

 hunter, within Ms powers a being of the high- 

 est type of effectiveness. 



"The weasel's head is small and trim, 

 An' he is little an' long an ; slim, 

 An' quick of motion an' nimble of limb. 



An' ef you'll be advised by me, 

 Keep wide awake when you're catchin' him." 



The weasel turns white in winter in all cold, 

 snowy latitudes that is, when the brown sum- 

 mer-coat is shed in the fall it is replaced by a 

 white one, which in turn is lost in the spring 

 and replaced by the soft brown again. The 

 tip of the tail, however, always remains black. 

 In this white winter dress with the black- 

 tipped tail every weasel is an "ermine"; and 

 it is only in this coat that his fur becomes valu- 

 able in the market. It comes to market from 

 Alaska, northern Canada and sub-arctic Rus- 

 sia, and is used mainly for trimmings of 

 garments. In old times it was reserved exclu- 

 sively for the wearing of royalty, and of cer- 

 tain officers of high rank. It was especially 



