46 THE TAIGA, OR CONIFEROUS 



warmer parts of its range. The polecats, of which one 

 (if. eversmannia) occurs in Siberia, the common weasel 

 {M. vulgaris), found both in Northern Asia and in 

 Northern America, and the stoat or ermine {M. erminea) 

 as already indicated, are not definitely forest animals, 

 though they are found there as well as elsewhere. The 

 mink {M. vison) of North America, and the Siberian 

 form (M. siberica) haunt streams and lakes, and are 

 forest animals to the extent that localities suitable to 

 their habits often occur within forest areas. 



On the other hand, the wolverene (Gulo luscus), 

 a fierce and voracious carnivore, is chiefly found within 

 the forest, where it preys upon all manner of small 

 mammals and birds, and even attacks weakly or 

 disabled deer. 



The common badger {Meles taxus) is found in the 

 Siberian forests, and, though a burrowing form, occurs 

 chiefly in woods. On the other hand, the American 

 form (Taxidea americana) is chiefly a prairie mammal, 

 and feeds largely upon the prairie marmots (see p. 64). 



Passing now to the birds, we find that the forest is 

 rich in specially adaptfed forms, and that in addition 

 there are largfe numbers of migrants who spend part of 

 their time there. The forest gives relative security 

 during the dangerous period when brooding is taking 

 place and the young are being reared. The absence or 

 paucity of snakes in the northern forest also, and the 

 complete absence of monkeys as well as of the many 

 carnivorous or egg-eating animals which haunt tropical 

 forests, increase the value of the northern forest from 

 the birds' standpoint, and help to account for the 

 number of species found there in summer time. Among 

 forms which are especially abundant in northern 

 forests, or especially adapted to life there, we may 



