The National tribune., 1890-09-25

the cranial surface but slightly marked with
those b0ny processes which always accompany
the attachment Of massive muscles, such as are
found among several mustelid9 heretofore de-
scribed.
u LESGTH THE ERMISEs HEAD AND BODY
average about nine OF ten inches and its tail YER
tebra three and half or four inches more. This
latter member is busly all the year round, and
always tipped with black During Summer
Etoats arc bi-colored, being Of dull mahogany
tint on the apper part Of the body, and pale
suiphury yellow below" This yellOwish hue
occasionally appears in streaks when the Win
ter coat has been assumed, and the creature is
entirely white. with the exception Of the end
Of the tail Ermines typily IN their external
appearance =" a group o. caTniy0Tous mammals
called rermifortn." because the hight is greatly
exceeded By the length their limbs IN all in
stances being very short, aud also because their
1.-The aad EiHUous motions resemble the charac-
tcFislic movements % worms. IL is 10 the great
extension o. the neck that this bodily elOnga-
tlOn j. chiefly due. There is also but little diff
ference either in shape or size, between that
region aud the trunk. slight abdominal
pf0t8bcrance impairs the otherwise cylindrical
outline Of the cTmine's lO4m. lis head is de-
pressed. but tie apparent breadth i exhibits
must be regarded as mainly dependent upon
considerable development OF tie Jaw muscles
since Tie bra.n-casc itself has bat little eTpan-
sion. Inc eyes are placed midway between The
nose AID ears, the last named being high aud
Tonnded: the former organs are small, and the
orbits themselves correspond with the generally
smooth ard slight b0Hy structure OF the eX-
teTuai table Of its skull; but they glitter"
says C0Wes. with changing hues, and contrib.
ute, with the low forehead aud protrnding
canine teeth, 70 peculiarly sinister and fero-
cl0us pHgslogu0fay." All ermlnes have wide
Mouths bare n0sc-pads with q nedian iurrOw
but -
@bisklEs. and their fore and hind limbs are in
completely separated from the body above the
second joiBt. From TINS point they taper
dOsUgaTds. giving 70 feet which are really
broad al illusory appearance Of slenderness.
THE LksT-NAHKD NEHBERs
sre likewise depressed; their third and fourth
oigits are much the longest, and the thumb is
considerably shortened. Being a climbing an
iLaal, ifs claws are long. curved aud sharp
though not retractile. Whether the soics aud
pEiHs are lgrred. aud 10 what extent. depends
greatly upon season aud Latitude; sometimes
they are covered. but IN warm weather or
Eouthern regions the oIgltal pads remain yisi-
bic.
il a series Of specimens from Siberia. British
America, Northern aud Central Europe and the
Sew England and Western States and Terri
tories were laid before as, we should find that
they presented conspicuous differences in color
and us distribution, aud in general and re-
FiOEal dimensions, together with other quite
apparent though minor diycTgencieg. That
DOac Of these afford an adequate basis for the
establishment Of species, aud that, when the
specimens are sufficiently numerous, they will
constitute an ascending or descending scale.
according to the way they are looked at, in
which, however there IL 10 break or interval,
DE- also the case. for it may be regarded a. prov
ep, that there is but one specific aud crcum-
poleT form Of ermiue whose variations are
merely casual. Periodical blanching or the
whitening Of Its coat IA Winter, j. q PhcnOm-
eHoA which. on account Of its economical i'm.
pOrtance. has naturally attracted much atten.
ton. i BE- this Whlieuess that makes the pelt
Of the imperial ermine 90 valuable. Scientific
interest Is confined 10 the change itgelf and the
manner ia @kich IT OccuTA Various expana-
tons u TIE way Ia which this alteration in
color takes place have been offered. Some have
Gaggezte! That 10 was analogous with thai
ordinarily wrought by age IL the human hair
Others regarded u ss al almost immediate
Transformation, associated with shedding tht
ent!rc coat, and still others supposed IL 20 hap
pen moro slowly. The only certain account
d taat given by DR. C0ucs, aud he may be said
70 have contributed the explanation 10 natura
history 10 tie gUise Of demonstrated fact Afte
discussing the hypothesis above specified, b.
Observes s1at the question PRACTICAL Y narrow
70 TINS; is the change cOIncidcnt with the re
neWa 81 the coat or is u independent Of this
O may il occur both ways? Simple facts o
observation not open 10 question
prove the last statement IL Ia
requisite temperature be experienced.
AT THE PERIODS or THE RENEWAL
Of Lhe coat the new hairs will come cut Of al
opposite color, il not, they vii! appear Of til
Same color; aud afterward change" That Is
81 eTm!ue need not necessarily become whit
IN Autumn, aud very frequently does not d
e., bat ii the climate is then severe enough
the hair comes out white, and il not darI
above and yeliowish-whi,e below; and thcs
tiDts fade aud the fur beaches subsequently
u the weather grows very cold. The purpos
achieved by the transformation OF a bi-coloret
animal iuto a cc.0riess Que is obvious. i
greatly contributes 10 tue preservation Of TIA,
race in two ways, both Of which arc OF the ut
nost Importance. Ia the hgst place, durin;
thai long peTiOd when the surface OF Tia,