CGI. 341 



1131. M. pennant! (Erxleben). PEKAN. BLACK CAT. Black- 

 ish, paler anteriorly, darkest below ; no throat-patch ; ears low, semi- 

 circular. L. 35. T. 14. Penn. to Hudson's Bay, and W. (To 

 Thomas Pennant, author of Arctic Zoology.) 



601. PUTORIUS Cuvier. (Lat., putor, a bad odor.) 



a. Species of large size (length to base of tail over 12). 

 b. Toes somewhat webbed ; pads of palm coalescent; tail bushy; ears low. 

 (Lutreola Wagner). 



1132. P. vison (Schreber). MINK. Dark chestnut-brown, uni- 

 form or varied with whitish below. L. 28. T. 8. N. Am. ; com- 

 mon, aquatic. (Lat., a scout.) 



bb. Toes not webbed; pads of palm separate; tail short, slender; ears high, 

 round. ( Cynomyonax Coues.) 



1133. P. nigripes Audubon & Bachman. BLACK-FOOTED FER- 

 RET. Pale brown; feet, tip of tail and bar across face black. L. 

 23. T. 4. Neb. and W., in " Prairie-dog towns," feeding on the 

 rodents. An allied species is the European Ferret, P. putorius L., 

 trained to hunt rats. (Lat., black-foot.) 



aa. Species of small size (length to base of tail less than 12); body attenuate; 

 neck long; ears conspicuous, orbicular; tail slender; toes cleft; pads on 

 feet separate ; coloration bicolor, reddish brown, yellowish or white below, 

 the fur usually becoming snow-white in winter. ( Gale Wagner.) 

 c. Tail black at tip. 



1134. P. longicauda Bonaparte. LONG-TAILED WEASEL. 

 Belly tawny or salmon-yellow ; black tip of tail reduced to a ter- 

 minal pencil. L. 16J. T. 6. Minn, to Ariz, and N. 



1135. P. ermiiiea (L.). WEASEL. ERMINE. STOAT. Belly 

 sulphur-yellow ; black of tail not confined to tip ; fur snow-white in 

 winter. L. 11. T. 3. Northern regions, S. to Kan., common N. 

 (Eu.) (From ermine.) 



cc. Tail pointed, scarcely black at tip. 



1136. P nivalis (L.). LEAST WEASEL. Mahogany-brown, 

 white, rarely yellowish below ; white in winter. L. 10. T. 2. 

 Northern regions, S. to Penn. (Lat., snow-white.) (Eu.} 



FAMILY CCI. CANID^E. (THE DOGS.) 



Digitigrade Carnivora with blunt, non-retractile claws ; toes 5-4. 

 Muzzle more or less elongated. Dentition typically i. |cf ; c. ^ ; 

 p m . |:| ; m. |;f = 42 ; canines large, rather blunt. Genera about 

 5. Species widely distributed, all of them more or less dog-like or 

 fox-like in habit. 



aa. Pupil elliptical; tail long and bushy; upper incisors scarcely lobed; body 



rather slender. 

 b. Tail with soft fur and long hair ; muzzle long. . . . VULPES, 602. 



