298 700L0Qi, 



[Putorius erniinea) is a little larger than the least weasel, 

 being 8-10 inches long; it is very fierce, and attacks ki'ger 

 animals; it can be utilized as a ferret. Tlie ermine, like ibo 

 northern hare, arctic fox, Hudson's Bay lemming, and other 

 animals, turns white in winter. This is nsually attributed to 

 cold weatlu^r, but Dr. Merriam thinks the change of color, 

 whicli occurs sudilcnly, is due tosnow. If it were due to tem- 

 peratiu'e why should not all animals which are active in win- 

 ter clumge color; and if to snow, why should not the mink 

 change color as well as the ermine ? Still it may in those 

 animals which do change, liave in the beginning turned 

 white as the result of the glare of the snow on the eye 

 and nervous system, the habit becoming inherited. Fishes 

 and other animals change their color to white as the result 

 of a change in the color of their surroundings. The 

 change m such cases is due to the influence of light or 

 darkness on the pigment or coloring matter of the skin or 

 featliers or hair. A sudden fall of snow early in winter 

 may cause an ermine to turn white within forty-eight 

 hours, while for some unknown reason other animals, such 

 as the mink, which are active- through the winter, do not 

 cluuige; in early spring tlie ciiange of color to the brown 

 summer coat nuiy also, as Di'. Mei'i'iam thinks, be due to 

 the disappearance of the snow. It appears also that in 

 Virginia and South Carolina, where there is either none or 

 "■ittle snow, thougli the cold may a.t times be severe, that 

 the ermine reiiuiins brown through the whole year. 



The mink {Pufon'iis viso/i), lai'ger than the weasel, being 

 15-18 inches in length, is amphibious, swimming and diving 

 after fish, wliile like the ermine it raids the ]ioultry-yard. It 

 emits a fetid and nauseating fluid fiom two glands situated 

 at the liase of the tail. It litters eaily in May in nests 

 jilaced in burrows or hollow logs, and well lined with 

 feathers, and sometimes, says Merriam, with the fitr of 

 the fonuile. It does in.>t turn white in winter, 



TUo dog f'MwUy {('(III i(he) is represented by the fox, wolf, 

 anil dog. The gray I'ox [Unx'iion Vinji iiiniiiis), the com- 



