Long-Tailed Weasel 
195 
doubt catch a few small birds. As they seldom, if ever, come 
about habitations to destroy poultry, these ferrets are really 
of considerable benefit to man. They are, however, seldom 
abundant in any locality. We know little about their 
breeding habits; one man told me that the most he had ever 
seen were nine; this seemed to have been a family, either 
one adult and eight young, or two adults and seven young. 
This species has the curious history of having been lost to 
science for many years, as after its description by Audubon 
and Bachman no more specimens were seen by naturalists 
until a few years ago, and many doubts were raised as to 
whether such an animal actually existed. 
Putorius longicauda (Lat. longus, long + cauda, tail). 
Long-Tailed Weasel. 
Mustela longicauda Bonaparte, Charlesworth's Mag. Nat. Hist., 
ii., p. 38 (1838). 
Type locality. — Carlton House, on North Saskatchewan River, 
Saskatchewan, Canada. 
Measurements. — Of male: Total length, 17.75; tail vert., 6.75; 
hind foot, 2.0. Female, total length, 15.25; tail vert., 5.75; hind 
foot, 1.75. 
Description. — (From a specimen taken at Lay, Routt County, 
June 1 7th) : Summer pelage : Upper parts a rather pale clear 
brown somewhat darker on head; tail above and below like body, 
with black tip; chin white; under parts light buffy yellow, with a 
slight orange tinge ; this color is also on upper side of fore feet, inner 
side of hind feet, and upper side of hind toes; soles of hind feet 
brownish. 
The winter pelage is pure white all over, with black tip to tail. 
According to Bangs, there is no yellowish tinge to the winter coat; 
I have seen no winter specimens, but think it not unlikely there 
may be a yellowish tinge to the under parts in winter in some 
specimens. 
The skull is large and broad, with well developed postorbital 
processes, and a very pronounced postorbital constriction. The 
brain case has a markedly triangular shape. The sagittal and lamb- 
doidal crests are quite well developed. Zygomata spread quite 
widely and highly arched. Bullae large, rounded, and about twice 
as long as wide. 
