Bangs.] 588 [May 15, 
series of mink. No. 2752 has tlie white exteiidiiig all along the 
under parts from the chin to the vent in a stripe of varying 
width, and the front feet are white. 
No. 2758 has no white anywhere except a very small spot on 
each side of the lower jaw. Between these two extremes therc^ 
is every degree of difference. The whole series was taken in 
January. At this season our northern mink (1*. mson) has 
passed its prime. The finest and darkest furs are from ani- 
mals killed between the middle of October and the middle of 
December, but even in midsummer the northern mink is darkei- 
and redder than Pntorius vulgivagus is in January, and with a 
good series of the two species the difference in color is very 
apparent but almost impossible to describe. The general color 
is not so red and dark but has a look as if it had been brought 
down by the mixing in of clay color. 
The fur is lustrous and thick, and although not of the beautiful 
chocolate-brown shades of the northern mink, is of a color very 
pleasing. 
Some individuals in the series of P. vulgivaf/UH are very old, 
No. 2752 being the oldest mink I ever examined. 
I have always had difficulty in getting old examples of P. 
vison for the reason, I suppose, that they are caught off for fur 
before they attain a great age. 
As it is important to compare skulls of the same age 1 have 
for this reason taken for the type a rather young adult of about 
the same age as most of the adults of Putorius vison in the col- 
lection of E. A. and O. Bangs. 
The accompanying tables of measurements show P. vulgi- 
vagus to be very nearly the same size as P. vison but averaging 
a trifle smaller. On the other hand the skull of P. vulgivagua 
is larger than that of P. vison. Great care has been taken in 
picking the individuals of P. vison from which the measure- 
ments are made to have them as near the same age as the series 
of P. vulgivagus. •F'or this reason I only give measurements of 
five skulls of each, as I am unable to match the very old exam- 
ples of /-*. vulgivagus with «kulls of P. vison of corresponding 
age. The five skulls of each agree in age in pairs in the two 
tables in the order in which thev come. 
