CHAPTER III 



MUSTELINE— Continued : The Martens. 



The genus Mnstela — Generic cbaracterSj &c. — Analysis of North American 

 species — Mnstela pennanti, the Pekan or Pennant's Marten — Synonymy — 

 Habitat — Specific characters — Description of external characters — Dimen- 

 sions — Skull and vertebrte — General history, habits, and geographical dis- 

 tribution — Interpolated matter relating to exotic species of Mnstela — M. 

 martes — Synonymy — Description of its skull and teeth — M. foina — Syn- 

 onymy — Notes on its characters — M. z'lbeUina — Synonymy — Measurements 

 of skulls of the three species — Comparative diagnoses of M. martes, 

 americana, and foina — Mnstela amerieana, the American Sable or Marten — 

 Synonymy — Description and discussion of the species — Table of measure- 

 ments — Geographical variation in the skull — General history and habits 

 of the species. 



IZ!f this chapter are treated the genus Mnstela and the two 

 species by which it is represented in North America. Sev- 

 eral closely allied species of the Old World are also introduced, 

 as seemed to be required for the adequate discussion of their 

 intimate relationships. 



The Genus MUSTELA. (Linn.^ 1758, emend.) 



< Mustela, Linn. Syst. Is^at. i. loth ed. 1758, and of many authors, 



< Viverra, ShaiD, Gen. Zool. i. ISOO ; not of authors. 



< Gulo, H. Smith, (fide Gray); not of Storr. 

 = Martes, AtUhors, after Eay. 



> Pekania, J. E. Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1865, 107. (Type M. pennanti.) 



> Foina, J. E. Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1865, 107. (Type M. martes var. fagorum.) 



> Charronia, J. E. Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, 108. (Type M. flavigula Bodd.) 



Generic chars.— Dental formula : i. f^f ; c. J-^j ; pm. J^ ; m. |5| = 

 ~ = 38 (as in Gulo ; one more premolar,* above and below, on each side, 

 than in Pniorins). Sectorial tooth of lower jaw usually with an internal 

 cusp. Anteorbital foramen presenting vertically or somewhat downward as 

 well as forward (as in Pntorius ; rererse of Gnlo) ; canal-like, opening over 

 interspace between last and penultimate premolars (as in Gulo ; the open- 

 ing is over the last premolar in Pntorius). Skull much constricted at the 

 middle, the rostral portion relatively longer, more tapering than in Gulo or 



*^ As a not infrequent anomaly, the small anterior premolar which consti- 

 tutes the increment in the dental formula as compared with that of Pntorius 

 fails to develop. Thus it is wanting on the right side above in a skull, No. 

 7159, from Fort Good Hope, though present on the left side and on both sides 

 below. Similarly, an incisor occasionally aborts. 



59 



