MUSTELIDiE 247 



California Weasels are generally distributed over the valleys 

 and lower mountains of southern California, but are common in 

 few localities. They prey principally on mice, gophers and 

 ground squirrels, but also eat many other species of mammals and 

 birds. These Weasels readily enter the larger gopher burrows. 

 It is seldom that California Weasels destroy poultry, and they 

 should not be killed unless it is known that the individual is 

 guilty of harmful acts, as they are highly beneficial in killing 

 gophers and other harmful animals. Their bad reputation is 

 partly due to the ill repute of Weasels in general, and partly to 

 the fact that poultry killed by spotted skunks is often charged to 

 the Weasels. A female that I caught April i8th contained six 

 foetuses ; mammae four pairs. 



Putorius xanthogenys mundus Bangs. (Neat.) 



REDWOODS WEASEL. 



Similar to xanthogenys, but smaller and darker. 

 Type locality, Point Reyes, Marin County, California. 

 Coast region of northern California. Apparently rare; at 

 least very few specimens have been preserved. 



Putorius arizonensis Mearns. (Of Arizona.) 



MOUNTAIN WEASEL. 



Above raw umber or bistre darker on the head; terminal 

 fourth of tail black ; lower parts buff or ochraceous, including the 

 fore feet, inner side of fore and hind legs, and more or less of 

 the front part of the hind toes ; chin and lips white. 



Length about 380 mmi. (15 inches); tail vertebrae 140 

 (5.50) ; hind foot 43 (1.70). Female smaller. 



Mountain Weasels are found in the Sierra Nevada and 

 Rocky Mountains. I do not know of their occurrence in south- 

 ern or western California. I shot one at Goose Lake one fore- 

 noon as it was hunting among rocks at the base of a cliff. 



