12 



[Martes foin a [Linnaeus). — The White-breasted Marten has been 

 constantly included in lists of Scottish Mammals, but there appears 

 to be no evidence of its ever having been found in any part of 

 Britain. The older writers trusted entirely to coloration, and 

 consequently confused any pale-breasted specimens with the com- 

 mon continental species. The two forms may be readily distin- 

 guished, however, by the colour of the under-fur, and by several 

 cranial and dental characters, of which the most striking are these : — 

 In M. foina the under-fur is greyish-white, and the last upper 

 molar is notched externally, whereas in M. sylvatica the under-fur 

 is reddish-grey, and the last upper molar is simply rounded ex- 

 ternally (cf. Alston, P. Z. S., 1879, pp. 468-474; Zoologist, 1879, 

 pp. 441-448).] 



12. Mustela vulgaris, Erxleben, 



Common Weasel. 



Scot., Whitrit, Quhittrit (from Scot., quhid, to move swiftly 1 ?) 

 Common to the next species. 



Gael., Neas, Nios (from Gael., nimli, poison?) Common to the 

 next species. 



Found throughout the mainland, although hardly so common in 

 most places as the next species. It is not a native, however, of 

 any of the islands, except Bute, where Mr. Colquhoun says it is 

 rare (S]Jort. Bays, p. 100). As will be seen presently, the state- 

 ments of Low and of Baikie and Heddle, as to the Common 

 Weasel having been introduced into Shetland, are erroneous. 



13. Mustela erminea, Linnaeus. 



Stoat or Ermine. 



Scot, and Gael. (See last species.) 



Generally a more plentiful species than the last in Scotland, and 

 found in most of the Inner Islands, being extremely common in 

 Skye, Mull, Bute, and Islay, but it is not found in Arran, the 

 Outer Hebrides or Orkney. From information supplied to me 

 by Mr. J. B. Tudor and Mr. Howard Saunders, it appears that 

 the "Weasels" of the Mainland of Shetland are really Stoats. 

 According to Low [Faun. Ore, p. 29) they were introduced 

 through malice, and the assertion of Baikie and Heddle (Hist. Nat. 

 Ore, p. 11), that they became extinct, is incorrect — they are still 

 over-abundant. 



