7786 Quadrupeds. 



of the ears and a stripe along the cheeks yellowish white. A broad 

 orange patch is visible on the throat in some ; in others this is nearly 

 pure white, and in many entirely wanting. Sometimes, bnt rarely, the 

 tip of the tail is white. Tail vertebrae about a third of the length of 

 the body, often longer; its outstretched hind feet reach nearly to the 

 end of the tail with the hairs. 



The Mustela araericana, as found in this district, is smaller than the 

 fisher, but larger than the ermine weasels : in its shape it is less 

 muscular, but more graceful than the former of these animals ; its 

 head is somewhat depressed, acute, and broader than might be looked 

 for in so lengthened a skull; the ears are slightly pointed and covered 

 densely on both sides with a short velvety fur, overlaid with coarser 

 hairs; the legs are robust, rather short, and clad with a closer and 

 stiffer hair than that on the body ; the claws are about half an inch 

 long, not very stout, but sharp, well curved and white in colour ; the 

 tail is considerably less than half the length of the body generally, 

 though it is sometimes longer ; it is well covered and tolerably bushy. 

 The feet are comparatively large, densely covered with short woolly 

 fur, mingled with stiffer hairs, which prevents the naked balls of the 

 toes from being visible in winter, though they are distinctly so when 

 the animal is in summer pelage. 



The winter fur of this species is full and soft, about an inch and a 

 half deep, with a number of coarse black hairs interspersed ; the tail 

 is densely covered with two kinds of hairs, similar to those on the back, 

 but coarser ; the hairs on the top are longest, measuring two inches 

 and a half, and giving the end a very bushy appearance. The fur is in 

 full coat from about the end of October until the beginning of May, 

 according to locality ; when in such a condition the cuticle is white, 

 clean and very thin. From the latter of these dates the skin acquires 

 a darker hue, which increases until the hair is renewed, and then 

 gradually lightens until the approach of winter, the fur remaining 

 good for some time before and after these changes. When casting its 

 hair the animal has far from a pleasing appearance, as the under fur 

 falls off, leaving a shabby covering of the long coarser hairs, which 

 have then assumed a rusty tint. The tail changes later than any other 

 part, and is still bushy in some miserable-looking summer specimens 

 now lying before me. After the fall of these long hairs, and towards 

 the end of summer, a fine and short fur pushes up ; when in this state 

 the pelage is very pretty, and bears a strong resemblance to a dark 

 mink in its winter coat : it gradually lengthens and thickens as winter 

 approaches, and may be considered prime after the first fall of snow. 



