BANGS: THE LAND MAMMALS OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 511 



The Newfoundland marten, Mattes atrata (Bangs) is decidedly a 

 scarce animal and is peculiar to the island. It is a rather small 

 species of very dark colors. In other places, Pine martens appear 

 wholly dependent upon the Red squirrel — their natural prey ; I have 

 no knowledge as to what the Marten subsists upon in Newfoundland 

 where there are no squirrels. It would hardly seem possible that it 

 could secure enough birds, or that it could catch the Vole as of course 

 the Weasel does. The fur of the Newfoundland marten is of very 

 fine quality and beautiful in color. 



The Newfoundland weasel, Mustela cicognanii mortigena, sub. sp. 

 nov. 



Type, skin and skull no. 3745, cf adult, coll. E. A. and O. Bangs. 

 M. C. Z. Bay St. George, Newfoundland, Sept. 27, 1895. Ernest 

 Doane. 



Characters: — Similar to Mustela cicognanii richardsonii (Bona- 

 parte) of interior Boreal America — Hudson's Bay to Alaska, but 

 color in summer pelage, deeper and richer, less yellowish brown ; feet 

 and hands with less white; tail decidedly shorter; skull and teeth 

 similar, I cannot distinguish the skulls of the two subspecies with 

 any certainty, size about the same. From M. cicognanii cicognanii 

 Bonaparte of eastern North America, Labrador to New England, 

 the present form differs by its much larger size, more robust skull, 

 and heavier dentition. 



Color: — Upper parts rich glossy brown, about Prout's brown. 

 The color is a very difficult one to define by name, on account of the 

 gloss of the fur; it is darker, less yellowish than in M. cicognanii 

 richardsonii, and distinctly paler than in M . cicognanii cicognanii. 

 Upper lip, and under parts yellowish white; toes, fingers, and inside 

 of legs and arms, white; tail black tipped. Winter pelage, wholly 

 yellowish white (sometimes dead white) all over, except black-tipped 

 tail. 



Measurements: — Type, no. 3745, adult cf (not old) total length, 

 322; tail vertebrae, 93; hind foot, 48. No. 1102 from Codroy 

 Newfoundland old adult 9, total length, 270; tail vertebrae, 80; 

 hind foot, 34. 



Averages of ten adult males from Newfoundland, total length, 

 329.6; tail vertebrae, 97.9; hind foot, 46. 



Averages of four adult males of M. cicognanii richardsonii from Mac- 

 kenzie and Athabasca, total length, 335; tail vertebrae, 104.75; hind 

 foot, 47. 



