Part 67

The above, then, explains why specimens which are colored like those of washingtoni are not referred to that race but instead to the race altifrontalis.

Of 23 adult skulls examined, 19 have the frontal sinuses malformed as the result of infestation by parasites.

Specimens examined.--Total number, 80, arranged within states by counties from north to south. Unless otherwise indicated specimens are in the United States National Museum.

=British Columbia.= Chilliwack, 1, Lihumption Park, 4750 ft., 2; Cultus Lake, 1.

=Oregon.= Clatsop County: Old Fort Clatsop, 1; Astoria, 1. Tillamook County: Tillamook, 12 (7, 2, 2, 1); Netarts, 1; Blaine, 16 (13, 1, 1, 1). Lane County: Reed, 1; Mercer, 1. Curry County: Langlois, 1.

=Washington.= Whatcom County: Nooksack River, 2000 ft., 14 mi. E Glacier, 1; Swamp Creek, 2050 ft., Nooksack River, 3; Lookout, 4800 ft., Mt. Baker, 2; Bellingham, 8; 5 mi. S Bellingham, 1. Skagit County: Rockport, 300 ft., 1. King County: Bothell, 2; N Seattle 1; Seattle, 1; Tye, 1, 2 mi. E Skykomish, 1; 7 mi. E Kent, 1; Auburn, 3. Pierce County: Tacoma, 1. Clallam County: Sequim, 1; Soleduc Riv., near [sic.] Sappho, 1; Happy Lake, 1; mouth of Boulder Creek, Elwha River, 560 ft., Olympic Mts., 1; Hume's Ranch, 1000 ft., Elwha River, 1; Bogachiel Riv., 1. Mason County: Lake Cushman, 2; 4 mi. N Shelton, 1. Thurston County: Olympia, 2; Tenino, 1. Pacific County: 2-1/2 mi. SE Chinook, 3.

=Mustela frenata oregonensis= (Merriam)

Long-tailed Weasel

Plates 19, 20, 21, 30, 34, 35 and 36

Putorius xanthogenys oregonensis Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, 11:25, June 30, 1896; Bangs, Proc. New England Zoöl. Club, 1:57, June 9, 1899.

Mustela xanthogenys oregonensis, Miller, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull., 79:99, December 31, 1912.

Mustela xanthogenys munda, Grinnell, Univ. California Publ. Zoöl., 40:102, September 26, 1933 (part).

Mustela frenata oregonensis, Hall, Carnegie Instit. Washington Publ. 473:107, November 20, 1936.

Type.--Male, subadult, skull and skin; no. 32019/43828, U. S. Nat. Mus., Biol. Surv. Coll.; Grants Pass, Rogue River Valley, Josephine County, Oregon; December 19, 1891; obtained by C. P. Streator; original no. 1404.

The skull (plates 19-21, 30) is complete and unbroken. P3 on the left side is missing. Otherwise the teeth all are present although worn probably as a result of gnawing at the trap which captured the specimen. The skin, in brown, winter pelage, is fairly well made.

Although the label on the skin and the label in the skull vial each give the sex of the specimen as female, and although Merriam (1896:25) regarded the specimen as a female, the present writer regards the specimen as a male.

It is as large as other undoubted males and larger than any known female of this subspecies. The labels with the skull and skin give the locality as "Rogue River Valley, Oregon." The listing here of the more restricted locality, Grants Pass, is made on the basis of Merriam's (1896:25) original description of the subspecies.

Range.--Transition and Canadian life-zones along coast of northern California and southern Oregon from Humboldt County, California, north through Curry County, Oregon, thence inland, west of the Cascades, north to the Columbia River. See figures 29 and 30 on pages 221 and 314.

Characters for ready recognition.--Differs from M. f. altifrontalis in presence of frontonasal white patch, lighter color above (tone 2 to 3 of Raw Umber, pl. 301, rather than tone 4 of Brownish Drab, pl. 302, Oberthür and Dauthenay), wider extent of light color of underparts which is extended distally beyond knee, and in females, longer tooth-row which amounts to more than 38 per cent of basilar length; from M. f. munda in shorter hind foot of males which is less than 50, and in both sexes, smaller, less rugose skull (see measurements and plates); from M. f. saturata in presence of frontonasal white patch, in having color of underparts extended uninterruptedly over ankle onto foot; from M. f. nevadensis in presence of frontonasal white patch, lack of light color of underparts on ventral face of tail, and longer skull, which relative to its length in males, is shallower through braincase; from M. f. effera in presence of frontonasal white patch, lack of light color of underparts on ventral face of tail, and larger skull with basilar length averaging more than 41.7 in males; from M. f. washingtoni in presence of frontonasal white patch, shorter skull in males, which in percentage of basilar length has, on the average, orbitonasal length amounting to less than 35, mastoid breadth more than 55, and zygomatic breadth more than 63; and in females larger skull with least width of palate more than length of P4, upper tooth-rows more than 38-1/2 per cent of basilar length, bullae larger and averaging more than 13.4 long.

Description.--Size.--Male: Five males (3 adults and 2 subadults from Eureka, Ferndale, and Carlotta, California) yield average and extreme measurements as follows: Total length, 392 (347-430); length of tail, 138 (110-160); length of hind foot, 46 (43-50). Tail averages 54 (46-61) per cent as long as head and body. Length of hind foot more or less than basal length. The type specimen, and an adult from Goldbeach measure, respectively, as follows: Total length, 412, 386; length of tail, 155, 137; length of hind foot, 44, 46.

Female: Three adults (2 from Fortuna and 1 from Carlotta, California) yield average and extreme measurements as follows: Total length, 367 (360-374); length of tail, 130 (123-134); length of hind foot, 40 (39-40). Tail averages 55 (52-57) per cent as long as head and body. Length of hind foot less than basal length. A subadult from Goldbeach, an adult from 13 mi. SW Grants Pass, and an adult from Medford, measure, respectively, as follows: Total length, 316, 344, 294; length of tail, 114, 120, 122; length of hind foot, 36, 40, 38.

The average differences in external measurements of the two sexes in the vicinity of Carlotta, are: Total length, 25; length of tail, 8; length of hind foot, 6. Corresponding differences, at Goldbeach, are: 70, 23, 10. Probably the females at Fortuna reflect the large size of munda more than do the males at Carlotta and the differences between the measurements of the two sexes probably, therefore, are actually more than are indicated by the figures above.

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, as shown in figure 20.

Color.--Upper parts, in summer, near (16 l) Brussels Brown or tone 2 of Raw Umber of Oberthür and Dauthenay, pl. 301, to slightly darker than tone 3 of same plate. Darker on nose and top of head, usually with frontonasal white patch but lacking white bar in front of each ear, except in the type and 2 specimens from Salem. Chin, lower lips, angle of mouth, and usually posterior seventh of upper lip white. Remainder of underparts Pale Orange-Yellow. In winter usually lighter above with underparts Warm Buff to Straw Yellow. Tip of tail at all times black. Color of underparts extends distally on posterior sides of forelegs over toes onto antipalmar faces of feet and wrists, on medial side of hind leg, typically over ankle in extremely narrow line which widens out over distal phalanges of antiplantar faces of toes but sometimes interrupted at ankle. Least width of color of underparts averaging, in twenty available specimens, 39 (27-54) per cent of greatest width of color of upper parts. Black tip of tail in five adults averaging 50 (43-60) mm. long; thus averaging longer than hind foot and 33 per cent of length of tail-vertebrae.

Skull and teeth.--Male (based on 4 adults and subadults from Eureka, Requa, Goldbeach, and Grant Pass): See measurements and plates 19-21, 30. As described in Mustela frenata nevadensis except that: Weight, 3.5 (3.5-4.1) grams; basilar length, 42.9 (41.8-44.0); least width of palate more or less than medial length of P4.

Female (based on 2 adults, one from Carlotta and one from 13 mi. SW Grants Pass): See measurements and plates 34-36. As described in Mustela frenata nevadensis except that: Weight, 2.4 (2.2-2.6) grams; basilar length, 37.7 and 39.5; zygomatic breadth less than distance between condylar foramen and M1 and less than distance between anterior palatine foramen and anterior margin of tympanic bulla. See under "Remarks" for additional data on variation in size of skulls of females.

The skulls of the female averages 31 per cent lighter than that of the average male.

Because there is much geographic variation between specimens here referred to oregonensis, the person who is guided by the present account should keep in mind that results, here reported, of comparisons of the skull with those of other races, were obtained by employing specimens of oregonensis from Carlotta and Eureka, California. These specimens from California are judged to have more of the characters of the subspecies munda than do specimens of oregonensis from more northern localities.