1902.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILAUELPHIA. 44'-] 



SYNOPSIS OF THE AMERICAN MARTENS. 

 BY SAMUEL N. RHOADS. 



Tlie results summarized iu the followiug paper arc based on a 

 rather extended examination of skins and skulls of Mudela 

 americana from representative localities throughout its wide range, 

 from the northern United States to the treeless regions of the Arctic 

 zone. This study was primarily begun to determine the status of 

 the southeastern marten, in connection with my recent work on the 

 mammals of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It has resulted in 

 classing the southeastern animal as the most depauperate and light- 

 colored representative of the group, and belonging more strictly to 

 the type which Turton named from pale examples probably obtained 

 from southeastern or central Canada. For purposes of nomencla- 

 ture I have restricted typical americana to this region, making the 

 east and west coast forms and the northern race, described by later 

 authors, of subspecific value. Owing to the wide variation of 

 color in this animal — skins from such widely separated habitats as 

 the Pacific and Atlantic coasts at the same latitude being often 

 foimd alike, and apparent dark or light races well known to the fur 

 trade coming from isolated localities not correlated with fauual and 

 floral environment in the zoogeographic sense — I have made such 

 characters of subsidiary value to those of size and relative propor- 

 tion in body, tail and foot measurements, in the character of pelage, 

 and, above all, to cranial characters. As the latter have been 

 largely made the basis of the examinations of Brandt, Baird, 

 Gray, Cones and Allen, the chief monographers of the group, my 

 own remarks will be the more pertinent from this standpoint. 



The number of American specimens of skins and skulls ujiou 

 which I have based these studies has been much larger than ever 

 before brought together. They may be roughly listed as follows : 

 Pennsylvania and jNIaine, 15; Quebec, 1; Ontario, 8; Xorth 

 Labrador, 4; New Brunswick, 33; Colorado, 6; Mackenzie prov. , 

 N. W.T. = Great Slave lake to ^Mackenzie bay, 26; Alaska, 7; 

 British Columbia, Rocky mountains, 2; Cascade mountains, 

 Washington, 30. For the use of this fine series I am indebted to 



