252 MINK. 



glossy both on the body and the tail, and to a considerable extent 

 conceal the downy fur beneath. 



Under fur light brownish-yellow ; the longer hairs, and the surface of 

 the fur, are of a uniform brown or tawny colour, except the ears which 

 are a little lighter, and the sides of the face, under surface, tail, and poste- 

 rior part of the back, which are a little darker than the general tint, lower 

 jaw white. In most specimens there is a white spot under the throat, and 

 in all that we have seen, a longitudinal white stripe on the breast between 

 the fore-legs, much wider in some specmens than in others ; tail, darkest 

 toward the end ; for an inch or two from the tip it is often very dark- 

 brown or black. 



There are some striking and permanent varieties of the Mink, both in 

 size and colour. We possess a specimen from Canada, which is consid- 

 erably darker than those of the United States. Its tail is an inch longer 

 than usual, and the white markings on its throat and chest are much 

 narrower and less conspicuous than in most individuals of this species. 

 In other respects w^e can see no difference. 



In the Southern salt-water marshes this species is considerably larger 

 in size, the white markings on the chin and under surface are broader, 

 the hair is much coarser, the colour lighter, and the tail less bushy, than 

 in Northern specimens. Those, however, which we obtained on the head 

 waters of the Edisto river are as dark as specimens from Pennsylvania 

 and New- York. 



Along the mountain streams of the Northern and Middle States, we 

 have often met with Minks which were considerably smaller and darker 

 than those found on large water-courses or around mill-ponds. The size, 

 however, (and in this there was no uniformity,) and the colour, constituted 

 the only differences between the small and the large ones, that we could 

 perceive, and there were no specific characters that would warrant us in 

 designating the former as a new species. 



The upper figure on the plate represents this variety. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Length of head and body 13 inches. 



" tail (vertebras) ..... 7 do. 



" tail, to end of fur .... 8 do. 



Another specimen. 



Length from point of nose to root of tail . . 14 do. 



