MUSTELID& 589 



Its skull, although smaller, resembles that of the common species; 

 but the coloration is very different, all the upper parts being 

 mottled with large irregular reddish spots on a white ground, and 

 the under side, limbs, and tail deep shining black. The tail is long. 



The Common Polecat occurs in a fossil condition in the cave- 

 deposits of Europe. 



The remaining members of the genus comprise the true Weasels 

 and Stoats, which are of almost cosmopolitan distribution. In the 

 Common Weasel (M. vulgar is, Fig. 269) the upper parts, outside of 

 limbs and tail, are a uniform reddish-brown, the under parts pure 



FIG. 269. The Common Weasel (Mustda vulgar is). 



white. In very cold regions, both in Europe and America, it turns 

 completely white in winter, but less regularly and at a lower 

 temperature than the Stoat, from which it is easily distinguished by 

 its smaller size, and by its wanting the black end of the tail. The 

 length of the head and body of the male is usually about 8 inches, 

 that of the tail 2| inches ; the female is smaller. 



This species is pretty generally distributed throughout Europe, 

 Northern and Central Asia, British North America, and the northern 

 portions of the United States. It possesses in a full degree all the 

 active, courageous, and bloodthirsty disposition of the rest of the 

 genus, but its diminutive size prevents it attacking and destroying 

 any but the smaller mammals and birds. Mice, rats, voles, moles, 

 and frogs constitute its principal food. It is generally found on or 



