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Wfli'l'E WEASEL. 
the species existing in Asia, Europe atid America, to be identical. At 
a somewhat later period, however, naturalists, discovering on patient and 
close investigation that nearly all our species of quadrupeds as well as 
birds differed from the closely allied species on the eastern continent, 
began to doubt the identity of the Ermine existing in Europe and Ameri- 
ca. We have been unable to ascertain whether these doubts origi- 
nated from any difference in specimens from these countries, or from a 
belief that so small an animal could scarcely be found on both con- 
tinents, and thus prove an exception to a general rule. We admit that 
were an animal restricted to the temperate climates on either continent, 
and not found in the polar regions, there would be a strong pre.sump- 
tive argument against the identity of closely allied species existing in 
Europe and America. The Ermine of the eastern continent is known 
to exist where the two continents nearly approach each other, perhaps 
occasionally have been united by a solid bridge of ice, and probably 
may be so again during some of the coldest seasons of the polar winters 
and being capable of travelling on the snow, and resisting the severest 
cold, this animal is fully able to cross from one continent to the 
other, like the white bear, or Arctic fox, species which are admitted as 
identical on both continents. Our species, moreover, is known to exist 
equally far north, and has been traced nearer to the poles than even the 
musk-ox. 
We observed, in the Museum of the Zoological Society, that the speci- 
men brought by Richardson was regarded as a new species by C. L 
Bonaparte, Esq., (now Prince of Musignano.) 
In the recent work of Dr. Dekay, we perceive it has been described 
as a new species, under the name of Putorius Noveboracensis. In a spirit 
of great fairness and candour, however, he states : “ I have never seen 
the true Ermine in its summer dress, and only know it from Pennant’s 
description ; ears edged with white ; head, back, sides and legs, pale taw- 
ny brown ; under side of the body white ; lower part of the tail brown, end 
black.” The only point of difference, then, is in the ears edged with 
white. Pennant’s specimen unquestionably was obtained at the period 
of time when the animal had only partially changed colour, as in all 
these cases the specimens before us, both from Europe and America, have 
their cars edged with white. We have compared a great number of spe- 
cimens from both continents, and have several of each lying before us ; the 
edges of the ears in summer colour are all brown, and neither in size, den 
tition, nor colour, can we observe a shade of difference. 
