184 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 



THE GRISON. 



The Grison (Galictis-vittata), has its habitat in Cen- 

 tral and South America, and Mexico. It is about the size 

 of a Marten, and is black in color except on the top of the 

 head, back and tail, where the long hair is bluish grey. 

 The sharp contrast between the grey crown and black 

 face gives this animal a vicious look in keeping with its 

 savage disposition. It lives in hollow trees, holes in the 

 ground, and clefts in the rock. It feeds on small mam- 

 mals and birds. Like the other "Weasels it destroys the 

 poultry in settled districts. The odor it emits is, if pos- 

 sible, more nauseating than that of the skunk. 



Allemand's Grison (Galictis-allemandi), a larger and 

 lees common species of this genus, has the same range as 

 the above. The skins of these animals have no commercial 

 value, and they are only noticed here because of their 

 connection with the Weasel family. 



ERMINE. 



The most important member of the Weasel group is the 

 Stoat or Ermine\ (Mustela-erminea), sometimes called the 

 greater Weasel. The fur of common Weasels is often sold as 

 Ermine, but the winter dress of the Stoat is the only true 

 Ermine. rThe Stoat though closely allied to the common 

 Weasel and of similar habits is its superior in size, and in 

 the purity and depth of its fur; another distinguishing 

 feature is the black tip on its tail which never changes 

 color even when the rest of the fur turns white. 



The habitat of the Stoat, like that of the common 

 Weasel, is spread over a large portion of the globe; the 

 finest representatives of the species being found in 

 Siberia, British North America and Alaska. In the higher 

 latitudes it invariably assumes the white winter dress 

 which characterizes the Ermine. This change also takes 

 place in winter in the highlands of Scotland, and the 

 United States as far south as Pennsylvania, New York 

 and Massachusetts. Partly white specimens have even 

 been taken at times in Virginia but in the milder climates 



