190S.] 



MAMMALS. 



231 



soutliTrard. Farther east, however, on the lower Athabaska and 

 Shire rivers, richardsoni does not show this tendency. 



Putorius cicognanii richardsoni (Bonaparte). Eichardson Weasel. 



This is the common weasel throughout the wooded portion of the 

 region, with the exception of the upper part of the Hudsonian zone, 

 which is occupied by P. arcticus. Our collection includes skins and 

 skulls from points on the Athabaska near Crooked Rapid and 60 

 miles above Grand Rapid ; from Fort Chipewyan : Fort Smith ; Fort 

 Resolution ; near Fort Providence ; Fort Simpson : and Fort Franklin ; 

 and odd skulls from various points on the Athabaska and Slave rivers. 

 Fort Rae and Big Island, Great Slave Lake, are represented by 

 specimens taken many years ago and now in the National Museum. 



In 1901, during our northward trip, we occasionally secured a 

 specimen along the route to Great Slave Lake, and while returning, 

 collected two on the Athabaska above Crooked Rapid, and one 60 

 miles above Grand Rapid. 



Early in July, 1903, I collected an adult female and several young- 

 ones at Fort Resolution. During my trip northward from Fort Rae 

 in August I failed to detect weasels, though the species undoubtedly 

 ranges throughout the region. During September, while traveling 

 along the southern shore of Great Bear Lake, I saw tracks on the 

 sandy beaches on several occasions. At Fort Franklin, the type 

 locality of P. nchardsoni^ I made special efforts to secure weasels, and 

 was rewarded by the capture of two adult males. The first one was 

 trapped in spruce woods on September 19. It was in nearly complete 

 winter pelage, retaining on the back only a few of the brown hairs 

 of the summer pelage. During the night of September 20, while en- 

 camped at the same place, I several times heard something moving 

 about the tent. In the morning I found that a rabbit which had been 

 left on the ground had been eaten about the back of the neck. My 

 Indian canoeman at once declared that it was the work of a weasel. 

 A close examination showed that pieces of refuse meat had been 

 dragged away along a narrow path, evidently the runway of some 

 small mammal, and a trap set here secured an adult male weasel dur- 

 ing the day. The animal had just commenced to turn white on the 

 tail, sides, legs, and feet. Though we trapped carefully during the 

 remainder of our stay no others were secured. 



AVhile ascending the Mackenzie in October I frequently saw weasel 

 tracks in the freshly fallen snow. At Fort Simpson tracks were occa- 

 sionally seen, and I obtained three specimens during the late autumn, 

 trapping them about the post buildings. A male taken on October 

 29 still retained on the back a few dark hairs of the summer pelage, 

 and the tail still showed a considerable amount of brown. The habit 



