MUSTELA 381 



large (condylobasal length of skull in adult male not reaching 

 80 mm,), rostral portion of skull not so broad, and pale throat- 

 patch so much encroached on by brown of surrounding parts, 

 that it is occasionally absent. 



Colour. — The colour is lighter and more yellowish (less drab) 

 than in Martes folna foina, as the long hairs continue a clear 

 wood-brown to tips, producing a general effect more nearly a 

 light isabella-colour than drab. The difference is, however, not 

 very great. Tail and feet essentially as in M. f. foina, though 

 not so dark. Throat-patch gi'eatly reduced, absent in one of the 

 seven skins,* and in its most extreme development represented 

 by a mere horseshoe-shaped mark, one extremity of which lies in 

 front of each fore leg, while the anterior portion broadens out 

 to form an irregular patch covering entire throat immediately 

 behind interramial region. 



Sliidl and teeth. — The skull and teeth resemble those of 

 Martoi foina except for their uniformly smaller size and the 

 relatively somewhat less breadth of the rostrum. 



Measurements. — External measurements of type (young-adult 

 male) : head and body, 403 ; tail, 255 ; hind foot, 79 ; ear from 

 meatus, 39. For cranial and dental measurements see Tables, 

 pp. 377, 379. 



Specimens examined. — Seven, all from Crete. 



6, 2. Kanea, Crete. Miss D. Bate (c). 5. 12. 2. 18-20. 



1. Katharo. Miss D. Bate (c). 5. 12. 2. 21. 

 6. Kontopalo. Miss D. Bate (c). 5. 12. 2. 22. 



{Type of species.) 

 skull. Crete. Miss D. Bate (c). 5. 12. 2. 37. 



2. Crete. H. 0. Jones, R.N. (c). 99. 6. 13. 2-3. 



Genus MUSTELA Linnaeus. 



(Synonymy under sub-genera.) 



Type species. — Mustela erminea Linn<ieus. 



Geographical distrihution. — Northern hemisphere from the 

 Arctic coast south in the Old World to northern Africa and the 

 Malay Archipelago, and in America to the Andes ; in Europe 

 east to Ireland. 



Characters. — Skull in general resembling that of Martes, but 

 rostrum so shortened that distance from orbit to gnathion is less 

 than width of rostrum between anteorbital foramina ; auditory 

 bulla without meatal tube, its outline variable but never flask- 

 shaped ; paroccipital process small and flattened, closely applied to 

 posterior margin of bulla ; dental formula : i — ^, c — , pm ^~ 



* A small tuft of white hair persists behind each angle of mouth, and 

 another in front of each fore leg, the largest of .these about 15 mm. in 

 diameter. 



