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THE WEASEL FAMILY. 



(Mustelidae.) 



As the human family is composed of different branches 

 of varying degrees of intelligence, wealth and refine- 

 ment; so the Weasel family is made up of six dis- 

 tinct groups differing widely from one another in com- 

 mercial value, in exterior character, in coloration, in the 

 structure of the teeth, and in other details; but they are 

 all distinguished by the great development of the curved 

 ridges of bone by which the lower jaw is held in place, 

 and by the peculiar shape of the upper molar teeth. They 

 are all carnivorous. 



The typical forms of the species are characterized by 

 long, slender bodies and short limbs, and none of them are 

 very large, most of them being of medium or small size. 

 Several of the Northern forms have a dark summer and 

 light winter dress, differing in this particular from all 

 other carnivores, except the White Fox. One of the Mar- 

 tens, and some of the Badgers, are remarkable for ex- 

 treme brilliancy of color; and "warning colors," or 

 contrasting bands of dark brown, or black, and white, 

 make the American Skunk, and the Cape Polecat, con- 

 spicuous; but most of the members of the Weasel family 

 are clothed with a fur of uniform dark tint. The family 

 is widely distributed on all the great continents except 

 Australia ; it is also noted that none of them inhabit 

 Madagascar. With very few exceptions members of the 

 Weasel family are fierce and blood-thirsty; cases are re- 

 corded where they have followed rodents twice as large 

 as themselves into their own burrows, and destroyed 

 them there. 



The first and most important group of the Weasel fam- 

 ily is the Marten group; consisting of the Pine Marten, 

 the Stone Marten, the Japanese Marten, the Indian 

 Marten, the American Marten (H. B. Sable), the 

 Sable, the Fisher, the Mink and the Kolinsky. In the 

 second, or Weasel group, are included the Common 

 Weasel, the Tayra, the Grison, and the Stoat or Ermine. 

 The Polecats, Ferrets and Skunks constitute the third or 

 Polecat Group. Under their own names, the Otter, the 



