442 On the Beech- Martens of the Palcearctic Region. 



Mustela mediterraneaf sp. n. 



which has the throat-patch * not pure white as in M. foina, 

 but tinged with yellow and nearly as bright as that of a 

 specimen of M. martes from Co. Kerry, Ireland (B. M. 

 coll. no. 94. 3. 27. 1), though not nearly so bright as is the 

 case with ordinary continental or British examples of the 

 same species, the richest in this respect being one from 

 Sardinia (B. M. coll. no. 95. 4. 16. 1). The general colour 

 of the fur is not dark brown as in M. foina^ but reddish 

 brown, redder than in M. leucolachncea^ but resembling the 

 colour of M. toufcettj from which species M. mediterranea may, 

 however, be readily distinguished by the far lighter, nearly 

 white, colour of the underfur. The colour of the tail is 

 slightly darker than that of the body ; it is less bushy than 

 that of M. toufcea and M. leucolachncea ^ but more so than in 

 M. foina. The texture of the fur is woolly. 



The <^^e is in the British Museum collection (no. 98. 3. 18. 1), 

 and was purchased by Mr. Abel Chapman in Andalucia, 

 where it was killed in the Sierra de Jerez. 



Mustela leucolachncea, Blanford 



{o2). cit. 1879), 



which has the throat-patch white, the colour of the fur sepia- 

 brown, very slightly redder than in M. foina ; the texture 

 of the fur woolly, and the underfur very light in colour. 



Mustela toufcea^ Hodgson 



(J. A. S. B. 1842, p. 281 ; Blyth, J. A. S. B. 1847, p. 353), 



which has the throat-patch slightly yellowish ; the texture 

 of the fur closer than in M. leucolachncea ; the underfur of the 

 same colour, reddish sepia-brown, as the longer hairs. 



Key to the Species. 



a'. Underfur lighter than the longer hairs. 



b'. Fur light reddish sepia M. mediterranea. 



h". Fur dark sepia. 



* The throat-patch in the specimens of M. mediterranea which I 

 have heen able to examine extends to the region between the fore legs, 

 and in some cases reaches them. I do not, however, re;:ard this character 

 as of any importance, since the extent of the throat-patch in the martens, 

 both of the present group and in the case of M. martes, seems to be very 

 variable. It iwaj or may not reach the legs, it may enclose islands of 

 the darker fur, or may surround a peninsula of dark fur running ante- 

 riorly up the breast from the belly. 



