Surber (1932:49) has referred to additional specimens of this weasel in the University of Minnesota Museum as from Winona, Hennepin and Isanti counties of that state.
At Elk River, Minnesota, B. Bailey (1929:156) found this species to be about half as abundant as Mustela cicognanii and that it is "more often found in the open timber and about the dry ridges and fields." Of seventeen adult or subadult skulls of this race from Minnesota, ten have obvious marks of infestation of the frontal sinuses. In no skull, however, has the infestation resulted in so much malformation, as occurs in noveboracensis.
Specimens examined.—Total number, 76, arranged alphabetically by states and from north to south by counties in each state.
Iowa. Lyon County: Granite, 1[65]. Howard County: Chester, 6[12]. Winneshiek County: Decorah, 1[12]; 8 mi. NE Ossian, 1[76]. Allamakee County: Lansing, 2[12]. Clay County: Island, 1[76]; Webb, 1[2]. Palo Alto County: Ruthven, 1[76]; no locality more definite than county, 1[76]. Calhoun County: Manson, 1[65]. Webster County: Barnum, 1[65]; Moorland, 1[65]; no locality more definite than county, 1[65]. Boone County: Pilot Mound, 3[12]; Amaqua Township, Sec. 19, 1[65]. Story County: Ames, 1[65].
Minnesota. Kittson County, 1[2]. Roseau County: 2-1/2 mi. SW Roseau, Jadis Township, 1[14]. Itasca County: T. 61N, R. 26W, 1[102]. Clay County: Moorhead, 2[9]. Atkin County: Atkin, 1[50]. Otter Tail County: Lake Lizzie, 1[9]; Parkers Prairie, 1[57]. Grant County: 3 mi. NW Barrett, 1[76]. Benton (now Mille Lacs?) County: Princeton, 1[91]. Sherburne County: Elk River, 14 (6[59], 4[14], 3[91], 1[74]). Hennepin County: Fort Snelling, 6 (5[2], 1[91]). Carver? County: Chaska, 1[60]. Lac qui Parle County: Madison, 5 (3[91], 2[1]); no locality more definite than county, 2 (1[68], 1[75]). Yellow Medicine County: Wood Lake, 1[2]. Blue Earth County: Rapidan, 1[64]. County in question: Moore Lake, 1[91].
Nebraska. Cuming County: Beemer, 5[91].
North Dakota. Cass County: Fargo, 1[91]; Casselton, 1[91]. Dickey County: Oakes, 1[91].
South Dakota. Roberts County, 1[102]. Marshall County: Fort Sisseton, 1[91]. Douglas County: Armour, 1[14]. Clay County, 1[102].
Mustela frenata longicauda Bonaparte
Long-tailed Weasel
Plates 16, 17, 18, 31, 32 and 33
Mustela longicauda Bonaparte, Charlesworth's Mag. Nat. Hist., 2:38, 1838.
Putorius longicauda, Baird, Mamm. N. Amer., p. 169, 1858; Coues, Fur-bearing animals, p. 136, 1877; Bangs, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 10:7, figs. 1, 1a of pls. 1, 2 and 3, February 25, 1896; Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, 11:19, pl. 3, figs. 3, 3a, 4, 4a, pl. 5, figs. 1, 1a, text figs. 7-9, June 30, 1896.
Mustela longicauda longicauda, Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 49:166, January 8, 1927.
Mustela frenata longicauda, Hall, Carnegie Instit. Washington Publ. 473:105, November 20, 1936; Hall, Canadian Field-Nat., 52:108, October, 1938.
Mustela frenata, Sowls, Journ. Mamm., 29:126, May 14, 1948.
Type.—Possibly not in existence. No. 43.3.3.3 [from Carlton House, Saskatchewan] in the British Museum of Natural History has been regarded by several zoölogists as the type. It is a subadult female, skull and skin, from North America. See the account of M. erminea cicognanii for reasons for and reasons against regarding this specimen as the holotype.
No. 43.3.3.3 from the collection of Dr. John Richardson is in the white winter coat and now (Sept. 24, 1937) is prepared as a study skin. Evidences of its once having been mounted are: holes in the soles of the hind feet for supporting-wires, large straight wire in the tail, folds in the skin of the now backward-projecting hind feet, and unevenness of the skin on the back resulting from straightening out the specimen. The tip of the tail and some skin from the middle of the belly are missing. Otherwise the skin is intact. The skull is that of an animal in its first year, lacks the zygomatic arch on each side, but otherwise is complete and unbroken. The teeth all are present and entire except that p2 on the right side is missing from its alveolus.
Range.—Transition and Upper Sonoran life-zones of the Great Plains, southward from central Alberta, Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba through eastern Montana, the Dakotas and Nebraska into southeastern Wyoming, northeastern Colorado and western Kansas. See figure [29] on page [221].
Characters for ready recognition.—Differs from M. f. primulina in near (h) Clay Color rather than Brussels Brown of upper parts, least width of color of underparts more than 40 per cent of greatest width of color of upper parts, color of underparts extended onto hind foot rather than stopped short of ankle, zygomatic breadth more than 28.8 in adult males and more than 24.1 in adult females; from M. f. spadix in lighter color being near (h) Clay Color, in males by deeper occiput in which the depth of the skull, exclusive of the sagittal crest and taken at the anterior border of the basioccipital amounts to more than 59 per cent of the mastoid breadth; from M. f. oribasus in near (h) Clay Color rather than near (14n) Brussels Brown color of the upper parts and in males by deeper occiput in which the depth of the skull, exclusive of the sagittal crest and taken at the anterior border of the basioccipital, amounts to more than 59 per cent of the mastoid breadth; from M. f. alleni in larger size, adult males having a total length of more than 400 millimeters, hind foot more than 45, basilar length more than 43.5, and females having a total length of more than 375 and basilar length not less than 40.0; from M. f. nevadensis in near (h) Clay Color rather than near (14n to 1) Brussels Brown of upper parts, basilar length more than 40 in females and averaging more than 45 in males; from M. f. neomexicana by near (h) Clay Color rather than Buckthorn Brown color of upper parts, absence of white and Argus Brown facial markings, and length of tooth-rows amounting to more than 37 per cent of basilar length.
Description.—Size.—Male: Five adults from Alberta yield average and extreme measurements as follows: Total length, 438 (418-473); length of tail, 158 (140-193); length of hind foot, 50 (46-54). Tail averages 56 per cent as long as head and body. Length of hind foot averaging more than basal length. Corresponding measurements of five adults and subadults from North Dakota are as follows: 465 (445-516); 164 (150-179); 51 (50-54). Tail averages 55 per cent as long as head and body.
Female: Six adults (Alberta, 4; Saskatchewan, 1; Manitoba, 1) yield average and extreme measurements as follows: Total length, 401 (383-425); length of tail, 145 (141-159); length of hind foot, 43 (41-44). Tail averages 57 per cent as long as head and body. Length of hind foot more or less than (approximately equal to) basal length.
The average differences in external measurements of the two sexes are: Total length, 37; length of tail, 13; length of hind foot, 7. General comparisons indicate that the Alberta-taken males may not attain so large a size as those from some other areas. Thus the differences in external measurements might be some greater elsewhere, say, in North Dakota.
Externals.—Longest facial vibrissae black, brown or white (often all three colors in same specimen) and extending beyond ear; carpal vibrissae same color as underparts and extending to apical pad of fifth digit; hairiness of foot-soles (in summer pelage) only slightly greater than shown in figure [20].
Color.—Winter pelage all white except tip of tail. Summer pelage with upper parts near (h) Clay Color or near tone 3 and 4 of Snuff Brown of Oberthür and Dauthenay, pl. 303. Chin and upper lips white. Remainder of underparts ranging from near (a) Olive Ocher to near (16´) Ochraceous Buff. Upper parts of uniform color except for occasional darkening of head in front of ears. Color of underparts extends distally on posterior sides of forelegs over toes onto antipalmar faces of feet and wrists, on medial sides of hind limbs to ankles over antiplantar faces of toes and distomedial third of each tarsus, and over proximal fourth to third of under side of tail. Least width of color of underparts averaging, in a series of 10 males from Alberta, 58 (45-60) per cent of greatest width of color of upper parts. Corresponding figures for 10 females from the same place are 57 (50-74). Black tip of tail in same series of males, most of which are in full summer pelage, averaging 43 (35-60) mm. long. Thus, averaging shorter than hind foot and 27 per cent of length of tail-vertebrae.
As compared with M. f. neomexicana, longicauda lacks the white facial markings, black ears, black forehead and nose, but otherwise is similarly colored. As compared with M. f. nevadensis, M. f. oribasus and M. f. spadix, each of color pattern similar to longicauda, selected differences of longicauda are its much lighter color, especially of the upper parts, with less conspicuous darkening on the nose. From M. f. primulina, longicauda differs in lighter color of upper parts, reddish rather than yellowish underparts, and light rather than dark-colored hind feet.
Skull and teeth.—Male (based on 5 adults from Alberta): See measurements and plates [16]-[18]; weight, 4.7 (4.6-4.9) grams; basilar length, 46.0 (44.7-46.8); zygomatic breadth more than distance between condylar foramen and M1 or than between anterior palatine foramen and anterior margin of tympanic bulla; mastoid breadth more than postpalatal length; postorbital breadth less than length of upper premolars and more than width of basioccipital measured from medial margin of one foramen lacerum posterior to its opposite; interorbital breadth greater than distance between foramen opticum and anterior margin of tympanic bulla; breadth of rostrum more or less (usually less) than length of tympanic bulla; least width of palate less than greatest length of P4; anterior margin of tympanic bulla as far posterior to foramen ovale as width of 3 to 4 (including I3) upper incisors; height of tympanic bulla more than distance from its anterior margin to foramen ovale; length of tympanic bulla more than length of lower molar and premolar tooth-row and longer or shorter than rostrum; anterior margin of masseteric fossa below talonid of m1 or anterior half of m2.
Female (based on 5 adults: Alberta, 3; N. D., 1; Sask., 1.): See measurements and plates [31]-[33]; weight, 3.1 (2.8-3.5) grams; basilar length, 42.3 (40.0-43.7); zygomatic breadth more or less (approximately equal to) than distance between condylar foramen and M1 or that between anterior palatine foramen and anterior margin of tympanic bulla; postorbital breadth less than length of upper premolars and more or less than width of basioccipital measured from medial margin of one foramen lacerum posterior to its opposite; least width of palate not more than greatest length of P4; tympanic bulla as far posterior to foramen ovale as width of 3 to 4 (including I3) upper incisors; height of tympanic bulla not less than distance from its anterior margin to foramen ovale; length of tympanic bulla more than length of lower molar and premolar tooth-rows and longer or shorter than rostrum.
The skull of the female averages 34 per cent lighter than that of the male.
Comparisons of the skull with those of M. f. primulina, M. f. spadix, M. f. oribasus, M. f. alleni, M. f. nevadensis, and M. f. neomexicana are made in accounts of those subspecies.
Remarks.—Richardson's (1829:47) account on which Bonaparte may be said to have based his name, records measurements in inches and lines which I transpose into millimeters as follows: Total length, 440 mm.; length of head and body, 305; length of tail (vertebrae), 135; length of tail (including fur), 164 mm. Specimen no. 43.3.3.3 in the British Museum, which has by some persons been regarded as the type, yields measurements as follows: Total length, 408 (which allows for 15 mm. loss of the fleshy part of the end of the tail); length of head and body, 272; length of tail (vertebrae), 136 (= 121 + 15); length of tail (including fur), 162 (142 + 20 mm. that appears to have been lost). Richardson's specimen would appear to have been of unusual proportions and to have been larger than no. 43.3.3.3. Some reasons for and reasons against regarding this specimen as the holotype are given in the account of M. erminea cicognanii.