246 



IfATUEAL HISIOET COLLE0TIOl!fS IN ALASKA. 



About the Yukon mouth they take on their winter fur early in October, sometimes before the 

 first snow, and retain it until the last of May or first of June. There is no market for skins of 

 the Ermine, and in consequence they are not trapped except in small numbers. 



PuTOEius VULGAEIS Liuu. Least Weasel (Bsk. TiiM-i-yuh). 



A specimen of this weasel in the winter coat was obtained on the Upper Yukon in December, 

 1878. A second individual in summer pelage was captured at Saint Michaels May 25, 1880. A 

 third specimen, captured October 15, was in winter pelage. 



List of specimens. 



Biographical notes. — The Weasel has essentially the same distribution in Alaska as its larger 

 relative. It is much less common than the Ermine and its skins are more highly prized by the 

 Eskimo, among whom it is used as a fetich and is also one of their totemic animals. A skin was 

 brought me from the Upper Yukon by Mr. McQuesten; others were obtained at Saint Michaels, 

 and I saw skins from the Kuskoquim Eiver and from the Kotzebue Sound district and from other 

 localities. 



They were seen in use as fetiches among the Eskimo of widely-separated localities and speak- 

 ing different dialects. The people of the Kaviak Peninsula prize them so highly for this purjiose 

 that they frequently pay the value of a marten-skin for one. The boys and young men wear them 

 in their belts in order to become successful hunters, and they are considered to be of great use to 

 the persons who wear them thus. 



The quickness and boldness of this animal are remarkable. The only tim e I ever saw one of 

 these weasels alive was one morning late in May, near Saint Michaels. I was goose-hunting at 

 *he time and first saw it close to the tent. The ground was still covered here and there with 

 patches of snow and the Weasel was searching among the dwarf willow stems about a snow- 

 drift, evidently looking for mice. It darted here and there among the willow stems so rapidly 

 that I lost track of it several times. At short intervals it would dart upon the snow and stare at 

 me a moment with its bead-like black eyes and then go on with its search although I was but a 

 few feet away all of the time. My Eskimo hunter came and stood by me, watching its movements 

 with great interest, until I finally went to the tent and got a charge of fine shot and added the 

 little hunter to my collection. It was in full summer pelage. 



PxTTOEius visoN (Schreber). Mink (Esk. I-mufu-myti-tiU). 



The series of skulls obtained indicate that the Mink attains constantly a very large size m 

 Alaska. Among the twenty-six skulls there are but three whose length falls below 66""^, one 

 whose length is 75"="", and .five, 74""". Among 64 skulls in the National Museum all whose length 

 exceeds eG""" (viz., 13) are from Alaska. Several adult skulls, from the Saranac Lake, New York 

 (which are at least yearlings), are but 55""" long. 



