114 
ZOOLOGY, 
mountains of southern Oregon, and that it is called, in their language, (the Walla- Walla,) the 
Loot-zah. 
An old trapper (M, Dofer) says that it is the "medicine wolf" of the Indians of the " Great 
Plains," who believe that its cry brings trouble and bad luck. It lives in burrows, like other 
foxes. — S. 
BASSARIS ASTUTA, Licht. 
Civet Cat; Raccoon Fox. 
Baird, Gen. Kep. Mammals, 1857, 147. 
The ring-tailed bassaris, often called raccoon fox, is common in California, where the people 
tame it. When domesticated it is said to kill rats and mice like a cat. I could get no distinct 
account of its habits from the natives, as I could only communicate with them with difficulty. 
In 1852 I found their skins quite common on the lower Klamath river, where they appeared to 
be considerably valued by the Indians, and are made into "breech-clouts," &c., by them. — G. 
MUSTELA PENNANTII, Erxl. 
Fisher; Black Cat. 
[See chap. 2, p, 92.] 
The skin of the fisher is much prized by the Klamaths for quivers. The length of the 
body of the full-grown animal is about two feet long; form slender; fur black and rather fine; 
claws much curved and white. 
Lewis and Clai'k say that the black fox, or fisher, (an animal jet black, except a white spot 
on the breast,) "climbs trees after squirrels, raccoons," &c. — G. 
Found in the Cascade and Blue mountains. The Indians who hunt in those ranges are fond 
of making quivers of the skins of this animal.— S. 
PUTORIUS RICHARDSONII, Bonap. 
Richardson's Weasel. 
Fuiorius Ekhardsonii, Bp. in Rich. Zool. Beechey's Voyage, 1839, Mammalia, 10. — Baird, Gen. Eep. Mammals, 1857, 164- 
[See chap. 3, p. 93.] 
The specimen of Richardson's weasel, sent by me from Fort Steilacoom to the Smithsonian 
collection, and of which measurements are given in my partial report, (see chapter 2, page 
93,) was obtained from Mr. Gibbs' farm, Chet-laJi, near Fort S. It was killed among some logs 
and fallen trees on the 18th of August, 1854, and kindly sent to me by Mr. Gibbs. The 
animal had a pungent, acrid, musky odor, the result of either the emission of some secretion of 
the anal glands or from the discharge of urine during its death struggles. There is a slight 
typographical error in the measurements given on page 93. The girth behind the shoulders 
should read 3| inches instead of 3| inches. The chest, being readily compressible, would 
allow its passage through any hole which would admit the creature's head. This I believe is 
generally the case with all species of the genus. — S. 
PUTORIUS LONGICAUDA, Bonap. 
Baird, Gen. Eep. Mammals, 1857, 169. 
[See chap. 2, p. 93.] 
This weasel, mentioned by me in the partial report, (chapter 2, page 93,) was obtained in 
Nebraska, on the valley of Milk river. In the incomplete report above mentioned some 
