The Annals 



of 



Scottish Natural History 



No. 46] 1903 [APRIL 



COLOUR VARIATIONS IN SOLWAY MAMMALS. 

 By ROBERT SERVICE, M.B.O.U. 



PLATE I. 



THE following notes are drawn almost entirely from my 

 own experience. The subject is a valuable one, and has 

 a very large relation to some high problems in natural 

 evolution. 



Of the permanence of some of the described variations 

 there remains no doubt in my mind. For instance, the 

 Black Variety of the Water Vole occurs so persistently in 

 certain localities, and is so comparatively numerous in 

 individuals, that if isolation could be given them, a sufficiently 

 permanent " species " would soon be established. 



Similarly, the same remark may be made in relation to 

 the Yellow Moles, and to that particularly interesting variety 

 of the same animals, patched or striped, with orange buff on 

 the middle of the abdomen. 



The belief of all mole catchers here, that these two 

 variations " run " in certain mole families is very well 

 founded. Of course, the extraordinary range of colour 

 variation that has resulted from the domestication of the 

 House Mouse and Rabbit is too well known to be more than 

 alluded to. 



46 B 



