WEASELS. 



"SAUCY and as quarrelsome as a weasel." SHAKE SPEARK. 



WEASELS do not appear to be common 

 with us, or iii fact anywhere. This 

 winter morning I saw one dodging in and out a 

 pile of snow-covered brush. All his upper parts 

 were nearly as white as the snow, his thighs and 

 under portions a sulphury-yellowish, the tip of 

 his tail jet-black. This is the ermine weasel, 

 Putorius erminea. We are credited by writers 

 with another species, Putorius vulgarly about 

 the same size, with a shorter tail, no sulphur- 

 yellowish, no black on the tip of the tail. If 

 we have this latter species it must be much 

 rarer than the former, which I will proceed to 

 discuss. This white dress is the weasel's winter 

 coat, as most people know, but it is not generally 

 observed that his under parts are always white 

 or yellowish-white. In the warm season he is a 

 mahogany brown on the back and sides. This 

 change of color is worth consideration. There 

 can be no question but the change is a decided 





