MAMMALS—MARTINAE—MUSTELA AMERICANA. 155 
Comparison of skulls of — 
Mustela Martes, European. (Sweden.) Mustela Americana. American. (Essex county, N. Y.) 
Width of muzzle behind canines— 
Half the width’ of cranium’ ....-----.-..°--.-- Not half the width of cranium_..... .........--------.-- 
Sides of muzzle— 
Nearkwipprallele=-3 sees ashe Sesh s5 Taperinpy -42 os. l ble ho late a =e el See ote etree 
Greatest contraction of frontal bone— ( 
Nearly in the middle of the skull-..----------- Considerably moreianterior @222b 2-52.25. 2S 225. Seco 
Orbital processes of frontal— 
Nearly midway between the greatest contraction ; Much nearer the former --..-.-------------------------- 
of frontal bone and the suture of the malar 
bone with the frontal in the edge of the orbit. 
Temporal ridges— 
Soon approximating and running close together, | Not approaching rapidly_-.-...-..----------------------- 
nearly parallel. 
Greatest breadth of head— 
Decidedly more than half the length....---..--- Aboutvhalf the'lengthe2o.--.22222U262-225 ae ea te 
Posterior upper molar, measured across the constricted portion-— 
More than half the greatest diameter of crown --| Just half the greatest diameter of crown, or less ----------- 
Inner spur of penultimate upper molar— 
PIVRERT C2 ne RPT @> Goce GEL SR UPON ELEY See TI DN CRT ses es | a mal ee al eee 
Section of crown of penultimate upper molar— 
Sub-triangular, the transverse diameter about | Sides parallel; the transverse diameter one-half the longi- 
two-thirds the longitudinal. tudinal. 
ee eee sudan Gara sh wate ese Sh sane wot oe caer Head more slender, elongated ; muzzle tapering ---.------. 
Since the preceding article was written, I have received an elaborate paper by Dr. Brandt, the 
eminent Russian zoologist,! in which he enters into a detailed comparison of the Mustela ameri- 
cana with the Asiatic sable, Mustela zibellina, and comes to the conclusion that they both belong 
to the same species, being merely continental varieties. He describes and figures many perma- 
nent varieties of the Asiatic European sable, and finds that the American is an intermediate 
connecting link between some of the others. With several American skins from the northwest 
coast, as far south as the Columbia river, before him, a careful comparison with the rich series 
in the St. Petersburgh museum, brings him (page 17) to the following conclusions : 
In all the American sables he had seen, the head is uncommonly light colored, with the 
exception of the upper part of the muzzle, which is more or less of a light grayish brown color, 
sprinkled or mixed with white; the head is brownish white. 
The tail is of much the same length with the Asiatic sable, but less bushy, and browner ; 
not so black at the end. The long hairs are more blackish brown than brownish black. The 
fur of the body is less dense. 
He concludes with saying: ‘‘ As I can find no difference oetween the Asiatic and American 
> Beitrige zur nihern Kenntniss der Siugethiere Russlands, von J. F. Brandt. 4to: St. Petersburg, 1855. Erste Abtheilung 
Selbststindige Mittheilungen iiber den dussern Bau des Zobels (Mustela zibellina var. asiatica und americana,) im Vergleich mit 
dem des Baum-und Steinmarders (Mustela martes and foina). 
