|
ERMINE , an alternative name for the stoat (Putorius ermineus), apparently applicable in its proper sense only when the See also:animal is in its See also:- WHITE
- WHITE, ANDREW DICKSON (1832– )
- WHITE, GILBERT (1720–1793)
- WHITE, HENRY KIRKE (1785-1806)
- WHITE, HUGH LAWSON (1773-1840)
- WHITE, JOSEPH BLANCO (1775-1841)
- WHITE, RICHARD GRANT (1822-1885)
- WHITE, ROBERT (1645-1704)
- WHITE, SIR GEORGE STUART (1835– )
- WHITE, SIR THOMAS (1492-1567)
- WHITE, SIR WILLIAM ARTHUR (1824--1891)
- WHITE, SIR WILLIAM HENRY (1845– )
- WHITE, THOMAS (1628-1698)
- WHITE, THOMAS (c. 1550-1624)
white See also:winter coat. This animal See also:measures See also:loin. in length exclusive of the tail, which is about 4 in. See also:long, and becomes bushy towards the point. The See also:fur in summer is reddish See also:- BROWN
- BROWN, CHARLES BROCKDEN (1771-181o)
- BROWN, FORD MADOX (1821-1893)
- BROWN, FRANCIS (1849- )
- BROWN, GEORGE (1818-188o)
- BROWN, HENRY KIRKE (1814-1886)
- BROWN, JACOB (1775–1828)
- BROWN, JOHN (1715–1766)
- BROWN, JOHN (1722-1787)
- BROWN, JOHN (1735–1788)
- BROWN, JOHN (1784–1858)
- BROWN, JOHN (1800-1859)
- BROWN, JOHN (1810—1882)
- BROWN, JOHN GEORGE (1831— )
- BROWN, ROBERT (1773-1858)
- BROWN, SAMUEL MORISON (1817—1856)
- BROWN, SIR GEORGE (1790-1865)
- BROWN, SIR JOHN (1816-1896)
- BROWN, SIR WILLIAM, BART
- BROWN, THOMAS (1663-1704)
- BROWN, THOMAS (1778-1820)
- BROWN, THOMAS EDWARD (1830-1897)
- BROWN, WILLIAM LAURENCE (1755–1830)
brown above and white beneath, changing in the winter of See also:northern latitudes to snowy whiteness, except at the tip of the tail, which at all seasons is See also:black. In Scottish specimens this See also:change in winter is See also:complete, but in those found in the See also:southern districts of See also:England it is usually only partial, the ermine presenting during winter a piebald See also:appearance. The white See also:colour is evidently protective, enabling the animals to elude the observations of their enemies, and to steal unobserved on their See also:prey. It also retains See also:heat better
than a dark covering,
and may thus serve to
maintain an equable
temperature at all See also:sea-
% sons within the See also:body.
The colour change seems
to be due to phagocytes
devouring the pigment-
= bodies of the See also:hair, and
not to a See also:moult.
The See also:species is a native --= -_ of the temperate and
Ermine or Stoat (Putorius ermineus), subarctic zones of the
Old See also:World, and is repre-
sented in See also:America by a See also:form which can ,carcely be regarded as specifically distinct. It inhabits thickets and stony places, and frequently makes use of the deserted burrows of" moles and other underground mammals. Exceedingly sanguinary in disposition, and agile in its movements, it feeds principally on rats, See also:water-rats and rabbits, which it pursues with pertinacity and boldness, hence the name stoat, signifying bold, by which it is commonly known. It takes readily to water, and will even climb trees in pursuit of prey. It is. particularly destructive to poultry and See also:game, and has often been known to attack See also:hares, fixing itself to the See also:throat of its victim, and defying all the efforts of the latter to disengage it. The See also:female brings forth five See also:young ones about the beginning of summer. The winter coat of the ermine forms one of the most valuable of commercial furs, and is imported in enormous quantities from See also:Norway, See also:Sweden, See also:Russia and See also:Siberia. It is largely used for muffs and tippets, and as a trimming for See also:state See also:robes, the See also:jet black points of the tails being inserted at See also:regular intervals as an See also:ornament. In the reign of See also:Edward III. the wearing of ermine was restricted to members of the royal See also:family; but it now enters into almost all state robes, the See also:rank and position of the wearer being in many cases indicated by the presence or See also:absence, and the disposition, of the black spots.
End of Article: ERMINE
Additional information and Comments
There are no comments yet for this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.
Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.
|
del.icio.us it!