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recognized species of American Ermines, P. noveboracensis, De Kay, P. 

 richardsoni, Bonaparte {=agilu Aud. & Bach.), and P. cicognani of Bona- 

 parte (= fuscus A. & B.), concludes that the American Ermines are of 

 two forms in size alone, and these grade insensibly into each other ; also, 

 that no question of coloration, stoutness of body, shape of ear, furriness of 

 feet, character of pelage, can be considered with reference to specific va- 

 riation, these details depending on fortuitous circumstances of sex, age, 

 season and locality, as merely normal individual variability; moreover' 

 that within certain defined limits neither the length of the animal, of 

 the tail absolutely or relatively to the body, npr length of the black por- 

 tion absolutely or relatively to length of tail, have any value in specific 

 diagnosis. 



Description of External Characters.— The extreme length, cylindrical 

 body, shortness of the limbs, exceptionally long neck, suggests a group 

 of carnivores, fitly called "vermiform"; these features, taken with the 

 low forehead, flat, triangular head, bent forward upon the uplifted and 

 outstretched neck, and small, penetrating eyes full of cunning, suggests 

 the serpent almost as fully as they do the quadruped. 



The greatest circumference of the body is little more than half its 

 length ; the head is shorter than the neck, bulged at the sides by the 

 masses of temporal and masseteric muscles ; the head, across the ears, is 

 two-thirds its length ; the small eyei, glittering with changing hues, are 

 midway of the nose and ear ; the nostrils are small and circular ; the gape of 

 the tbin-lipped mouth extends to below the eyes ; the earg are high above 

 the fur, rounded, furred inside and out ; the whiskers are few, the longest 

 exceeding the head ; a few siender bristles grow over the eye and on the 

 cheek. The limbs are stout, tapering to the wrist and ankle ; the digits 

 are all clawed, the claws sharp, slightly curved, and moderately stout, 

 adapted for climbing, but not efiective in the chase; the feet are densely 

 furred or not, according to the season and latitude ; the foot is so densely 

 hairy, in boreal specimens, that, as in the Hare, or Ptarmigan, the palmar 

 tubercles are invisible ; the pads are ten on each foot, under each toe are 

 (5), four palmar (9), and one at the wrist (10) ; these may be readily 

 seen in summer or southern specimens. The extremely variable tail is 

 furred throughout, and has a terminal pencil of black hairs. 



As to its fur, like that of its group, it increases in softness, fineness, 

 and density toward the north, and in winter in all latitudes. In the 

 summer, and southward, it is thinner, stiffer, and harsh from admixture 

 of long, bristly hairs. In its summer dress, the Ermine illustrates the 

 ' bicolor " pattern, the upper parts ranging from a uniform dull yellow- 



