MAMMALIA. TERM. Weafels. 1S1 



Inhabits Siberia.— This animal is nearly of the fame fize with the laft, being about twelve inches 

 long from nofe to rump, and the tail fix: In manners it refembles the Sable, and in general appear- 

 ance comes neareft to the Ermine, but has longer legs and a longer tail : The tail is very full of hair, 

 and of a deeper colour than the reft of the body; the fur is in general long and loofc; the face is 

 black, the noftrils are furrounded with whitifh, and fpotted about the eyes; the throat is fometimes 

 fpotted with white. The chief refidence of this animal is from the Altaic mountains to the river 

 Amur and lake Baikal : It lives moftly in the forefts, but is fo greedy that it will even venture into 

 the huts of the peafants, to devour their meat and butter. 



17. Ermine. — 11. Mujltla Erminea. 10. 



The tail is tipt with black. Faun. Suec. 17. Houttuyn, nat. iii. 206. t. 14. f. 5. 



Muftela, or Weafel, which is white in winter, being in fummer of a reddilh colour on the upper 

 parts of the body, the belly white, and the point of the tail black. Briff. quad. 176. 



Of this fpecies the two following varieties are diftinguifhed by Dr Gmelin and other authors, 

 though the difference feems chiefly to depend on climate and the feafon of the year ; the Stoat of a 

 pale tawny brown, or reddilh yellow, colour in fummer, becoming the white Ermine of winter in cold- 

 countries. 



a. Stoat. — M. Erminea aejl'rva. 

 Has a reddifh tinge 5 and the tail is tipt with black. Schreber, iii. 496. t. cxxxvii. A. 



Rofelet. Sm. Buff. iv. 262. pi. lxxix. — Stoat. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 193. Arct. zool. n. 26V 

 Brit. zool. i. 84. — Wiefel. Ridinger, jagdb. thier. t. 19.. 



/3. White Ermine. — M: Erminea hyherna. 



Of a white colour, with a blackifh tip to the tail. Aldrov. dig. 310. Schreber, iii. 490. 

 t. cxxxvii. B. 



Muftela Candida, White Weafel, Animalermineum, or Ermine. Raj. quad. 19S. — Hermine, or 

 Ermine. Sm. Buff. iv. 262. pi. lxxvii. f. 2. Penn. hift. of quad.. n. 193. /3. Beit. zool. i. 84. — 

 Hermelin. S. G; Gmelin, It. ii. 192. t. 23. 



Inhabits the north of Europe, Afia, and America, and as far as the northern parts of Perfla and'. 

 China. — Lives in heaps of ftones, on. the banks of rivers, in the hollows of trees, and particularly in- 

 fcrefts, efpecially thofe of beach, preying on fquirrels and lemmings. In manners and food it refem- 

 bles the Common Weafel, but does not frequent houfes ; haunting chiefly in woods and hedges, efpe- 

 cially fuch as border on brooks or rivulets. In general appearance it comes very near to the Martin, . 

 but is fhorter in the body, being fcarcely ten inches long from nofe to rump, and the tail about five 

 and a half; the hair is likewife fhorter and lefs fhining than in that animal. In, the northern regions, , 

 the fur of the Ermine becomes entirely white during winter, except the outer half of the tail, which; 

 remains black. The fkin is reckoned valuable, and fells in Siberia from two to three pounds Sterling 

 a hundred ; but in ancient times it was in much greater requeft than now. In fummer, the upper.- 

 part of the body is of a pale tawny brown colour; the edges of the ears 3 and ends of the toes, are- 



yellowiilii 



