114 ZOOLOGY. 



mountaius of southeru Oregon, and that it is called, in tlieii- language, (the Walla- Walla,) the 

 Loot-zah. 



An old trapper (M. Dofer) says that it is the "medicine wolf" of the Indians of the "Great 

 Plains," who believe that its cry brings trouble and bad luck. It lives in burrows, like other 

 foxes. — S. 



BASSARIS ASTUTA, Licht. 



Civet Cat; Raccoon Fox. 



Baied, Gen. Eep. Mammals, 1857, 1-17. 

 The ring-tailed bassaris, often called raccoon fox, is common in California, where the people 

 tame it. When domesticated it is said to kill rats and mice like a cat. I could get no distinct 

 account of its habits from the natives, as I could only communicate with them with difficulty. 

 In 1852 I found their skins quite common on the lower Klamath river, where they appeared to 

 be considerably valued by the Indians, and are made into "breech-clouts," &c., by them. — G. 



MUSTELA PENNANTII, Erxl. 

 Fisher; Black Cat. 



[See chap. 2, p. 92.] 



The skin of the fisher is much prized by the Klamaths for quivers. The length of the 

 body of the full-grown animal is about two feet long; form slender; fur black and rather fine; 

 claws much curved and white. 



Lewis and Clark say that the black fox, or fisher, (an animal jet black, except a white spot 

 on the breast,) "climbs trees after squirrels, raccoons," &c. — G. 



Found in the Cascade and Blue mountains. The Indians who hunt in those ranges are fond 

 of making quivers of the skins of this animal. — S. 



PUTORIUS RICHARDSONII, Bonap. 



Richardson's Weasel. 



Futorius RkhaTdsmii, Bp. in Rich. Zool. Beechey's Voyage, 1839, Mammalia, 10. — Baird, Gen. Kep. Mammals, 1857, 164. 



[See chap. 3, p. 93.] 

 The specimen of Richardson's weasel, sent by me from Fort Steilacoom to the Smithsonian 

 collection, and of which measurements are given in my partial report, (see chapter 2, page 

 93,) was obtained from Mr. Gibbs' farm, Chet-laJt, near Fort S. It was killed among some logs 

 and fallen trees on the 18th of August, 1854, and kindly sent to me by Mr. Gibbs. The 

 animal had a pungent, acrid, musky odor, the result of either the emission of some secretion of 

 the anal glands or from the discharge of urine during its death struggles. There is a slight 

 typographical error in the measurements given on page 93. The girth behind the shoulders 

 should read 3j inches instead of 3| inches. The chest, being readily compressible, would 

 allow its passage through any hole which would admit the creature's head. This I believe is 

 generally the case with all species of the genus. — S. 



PUTORIUS LONGICAUDA, Bonap. 



Baibd, Gen. Rep. Mammals, 1857, 169. 



[See chap. 2, p. 93.] 

 This weasel, mentioned by me in the partial report, (chapter 2, page 93,) was obtained in 

 Nebraska, on the valley of Milk river. In the incomplete report above mentioned some 



