MAMMALIA. Aq 
uttering a very shrill passionate cry, and emitting the strong musky smell which I 
formerly noticed. No threats or teasing could induce him to retire to the sleeping 
place, and whenever he did so of his own accord, the slightest rubbing on the bars 
was sufficient to bring him out to the attack of his tormentors. He soon took food 
from the hand, but not until he had first used every exertion to reach and bite the 
fingers which conveyed it. This boldness gave me great hopes of being able to 
keep my little captive alive through the winter, but he was killed by an accident.” 
According to Indian report, the ermine brings forth ten or twelve young at a 
time. In the time of Charlevoix, ermine-skins formed part of the menues pelletries 
exported from Canada; but their value at present is so little, that they do not 
repay the Hudson’s Bay Company the expense of collecting ; hence very few are 
brought to England from that quarter. 
DESCRIPTION. 
The ermine has a convex nose and forehead, a long slender body, and long cylindrical tail, 
with short and rather stout limbs. Its ears are low and rounded, and go more than half 
round the auditory opening. They are proportionably higher than the ears of the common 
weasel. In the winter time the fur in some specimens is of a pure white colour throughout, 
except on the end of the tail, which, together with a few of the anterior whiskers, are black. 
In other specimens there is a bright primrose-yellow tinge on the belly, the posterior part of 
the back, or the tail. The feet in the winter are clothed with hair on the soles, which projects 
so as to conceal the claws. In the summer the soles are nearly naked, and the fur on the 
upper parts resembles that of the common weasel in colour. 
DIMENSIONS 
Of a specimen killed at Fort Franklin, Great Bear Lake. 
; _Inches. _ Lines, Inches. Lines. 
Length of headandbody . » . Ii 0 Length of head 5 : . 2 3 
Sole tail (vertebra) - 4 0 Height of ear . : . oY ap) 3k 
= 5, including fur . 5 0 Distance between orbit and end of nose 0 6 
In the neighbourhood of Carlton House there is a variety of a larger size, having a longer 
tail and longer fore-claws. 
DIMENSIONS, ‘ 
Inches. ‘Lines. 
Length of head and_body 4 é f 12 0 
5 tail (vertebrae) . » : : 5 A 
99 >> including fur * ¢ 6 6 
