. The popular natural history . Zoology. 82 THE STOAT, OR ERMINE. be designated, whether it be wearing its winter or summer dress—is not unlike that of the weasel, although the dark parts of the fur are not so ruddy nor the light portions of so pure a white as in that animal. The toes and the edges of the ears are also white. The change of colour which takes place during the colder months of the year is now ascertained, with tolerably accuracy, to be caused by an actual whitening of the fur, and not by the gradual substitution of white for dark hairs, as was for some time supposed to be the ca
. The popular natural history . Zoology. 82 THE STOAT, OR ERMINE. be designated, whether it be wearing its winter or summer dress—is not unlike that of the weasel, although the dark parts of the fur are not so ruddy nor the light portions of so pure a white as in that animal. The toes and the edges of the ears are also white. The change of colour which takes place during the colder months of the year is now ascertained, with tolerably accuracy, to be caused by an actual whitening of the fur, and not by the gradual substitution of white for dark hairs, as was for some time supposed to be the case. The hairs are not entirely white, even in their most completely blanched state, but partake of a very delicate cream-yellow, especially upon the under portions, while the slightly bushy tip of the tail retains its original black tinting, and presents a singular contrast to the remainder of the fur. In these comparatively temperate latitudes, the Stoat is never sufficiently blanched to render its fur of any commercial value. As may be supposed from the extreme delicacy of the skin in its wintry whiteness, the capture of the Stoat for the purpose of obtaining its fur is a matter of no small difficulty. The traps which are used for the purpose of destroying the Stoat are formed 'v ___ -^r-. STOAT OR ERMINE (Winter Diess). SO as to kill the animal by a sudden blow, without wounding the skin ; and many of the beautiful little creatures are taken in ordinary snares. In this country, where the lowest temperature is considerably above that of the ordinary wintry degrees, the Stoat is very uncertain in its change of fur, and seems to yield to or to resist the effects of the cold weather accord- ing to the individuality of the particular animal. The Stoat is considerably larger than the weasel, measuring rather more than fourteen inches in total length, of which the tail occupies rather more than four inches. There is, however, considerable difference in the size of various individ
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
