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PUTORIUS AGILIS.-Aud. and Bach. 
Little Nimble Weasel. 
PLATE C XL .—Male and Female. Winter Pelage. 
P. Magnitudine intermedius P. pusillum inter et P . fuscum ; cauda longa, 
auriculis prominulis, testate supra dilute fuscus, subtus albus, hyeme corporo 
to to caudaque niveis, cauda apice nigro. 
CHARACTERS. 
Intermediate in size between P . pusillus and P . fuscus ; tail , long , ears , 
•prominent. Colour , in summer , light brown above, white beneath ; in winter , 
body and tail, pure white, except the tip of the latter, which is broadly tipped 
with black. 
DESCRIPTION. 
This hitherto undescribed species is light, slender, and graceful, with 
well proportioned limbs, giving evidence of activity and sprightliness ; it 
may be termed a miniature of the ermine ; it stands proportionately higher 
on its legs, and although the smaller animal of the two, has the most pro- 
minent ears ; the hair is softer and shorter, both in summer and Avinter, 
than in either the ermine or Brown Weasel (P. fuscus) ; whiskers, numerous 
but rather short. Head, moderate ; skull, broad ; nose, short and rather 
pointed ; feet, small ; nails, partially concealed by the hair on the feet ; 
tail, long, covered with fur to within one and three quarters of an inch ol 
the end, where it terminates in long straight smooth hairs. 
COLOUR. 
In summer : Head, ears, neck, outer surface of thighs, all the upper por- 
tions of the back, and the tail on both surfaces to near the tip, light brown, 
which is the colour of the hair from the roots to the tips ; end of the tail, 
black ; chin, throat, chest, belly, and inner side of thighs, white ; the 
brown colour extends far down on the sides and flanks, leaving a rather 
narrow stripe of white beneath, Avhich is broadest on the neck , the line 
of demarcation between the upper and under colours on the sides is dis- 
