FUR BEARING MAMMALS. 49 



The colour of the sable varies from blackish-brown to chocolate and 

 even grey-brown. The under fur is usually grey. There is an orange- 

 yellow patch on the throat. The sable is found in Siberia and Man- 

 churia. The so-called Sze-chuan sable is really the pine-marten (M. 

 martes), which is also found in Manchuria. The maximum value of 

 a single sable skin is £25, while that of a marten seldom reaches £5. 



The next species of importance is the stoat or ermine {Mustela 

 erminea), which certainly used to inhabit North China, and probably 

 may still be found in some districts. These animals are so shy, and so 

 purely nocturnal in their habits that they may easily be in a district 

 without its being known to the inhabitants. The ermine is really little 

 more than a large weasel, and it is only valuable when in its winter coat. 

 The summer pelt is of a rich chocolate-brown with sulphur-yellow 

 underparts. The hair is not long, but is beautifully soft. 



I have recently secured a fine specimen of a stone or beech marten 

 (Martes joina), which has a very beautiful fur, almost rivalling that 

 of the sable. It is an inhabitant of the mountainous regions of North 

 Shansi, and is comparatively rare. The fur is of a fine grey-brown 

 colour on the outside, the under fur being almost white. The tail 

 is long and very bushy. There is a white patch on the throat, and 

 white tips to the ears. The Chinese name is Sao-shueh. 



The Chinese minks are not early so valuable as tlieir European and 

 North American cousins [Mustela lutreola and M. vison). Of these two 

 the latter is the more valuable. Minks are found in Tientsin, the local 

 species being known as M. davidiana. The Shansi and Shensi forms 

 are referrable to M. sibirica. In Shansi a very much smaller species 

 also exists, which is closely related to M. astuta. The latter 

 occurs in Western Kansu and in Thibet. Minks are always 

 more plentiful round marshes. Their skins are exported in great num- 

 bers under the name of weasel. The colour is a fine orange-buff in- 

 clined to chestnut. It is much lighter than that of the American 

 mink. 



In connection with this subject it would be as well to mention 

 a few other members of the weasel family found in North China, though 

 ttheir fur is of little value. Commonest of these is the yellow throated 

 marten (Martes flavigula bor calls). This is much the largest of the Chi- 

 nese weasels, exceeding a full grown cat in size. It has a very long tail. 

 In colour it is of a grey-brown above with black head, tail, legs and belly. 

 It has a large bright yellow patch on the throat, which in some specimens 

 continues in a yellow-grey band right round the neck. The fur is coarse 

 and not very long. Of a fierce and blood-thirsty disposition, this 

 s 7 



