New York Weasel 



Dark chocolate-brown above, white on under parts, terminal 

 third of the tail black. In winter pure white except the 

 black of the tail. This change in colour is complete only 

 in the northern part of its range. The difference in size of 

 the male and female is remarkable, and the latter is some- 

 times confused with Bonaparte's weasel, which has a much 

 shorter tail. (Illustration facing p. 233.) 



Range. Eastern United States, New Hampshire to Virginia, and 

 westward to Illinois. To the north and west and in higher 

 parts of North Carolina it is replaced by very closely allied 

 varieties. 



The various kinds of weasels in this country are much alike 

 in their habits, and there is probably as much difference to be 

 observed between the ways of individuals of each species as 

 between the different species. There are certain family charac- 

 teristics, however, which apply to all of them. First of all, they 

 are hunters; if they ever follow the example of the majority of 

 the flesh-eaters and partake of beechnuts, berries, mushrooms, or 

 herbs on occasions, they have evidently never been caught at it 

 and reported by the student of nature. 



They hunt tirelessly, following their prey by scent, and kill 

 for the mere joy of killing, often leaving their victims uneaten and 

 hurrying on for more; when game is abundant they content 

 themselves with sucking the warm blood. In cold weather they 

 frequently hide the game they are unable to eat as a provision 

 against period of hunger. 



They like best to follow old tumble-down stone walls over- 

 grown with weeds, squeezing into every crevice that may har- 

 bour a mouse or chipmunk; white-footed mice in particular furnish 

 them no end of sport, for they are scarcely inferior to the 

 weasels themselves in leaping powers, and are very abundant 

 everywhere in the woods. In eating a mouse, the weasel first 

 sucks the blood through the large veins of the neck, then bites 

 through the skull and eats the brains, and after that, if still 

 hungry, he eats the flesh, turning back the skin as he does so, 

 leaving it turned inside out with the feet and tail attached. 



Meadow-mice, moles, shrews, and the common mice and rats 

 of barns and corn ricks, are also hunted by the weasel, but 

 where white-footed mice are abundant they are pretty certain 

 to receive his first attention. 



In winter the larger weasels kill large numbers of gray rabbits, 



t|6 



