391 On some new Species and Subspecies of Mastern]a3. 



Lastly, I find that true P. ermineus of Scandinavia * may 

 be distinguished from its southern representatives, such as 

 those of Britain, by the fact that it has the underside of the 

 tail (except the distal part occupied by tlie terminal pencil) 

 of the same colour as the underside generally, whereas in 

 British stoats the tail (except in cases of winter whitening) 

 is unicoloured all round. A second, and, to my mind (since 

 it is of deep physiological significance), far more important 

 distinction is the absence of winter whitening in soutiiern 

 stoats. Southern examples may therefore be distinguished 

 subspecifically under the name of 



Putorius ermineus stahilis, subsp. n., 



with no. 98. 5. 13. 2 (a female, dated the 18th of February, 

 1895), from Blandfbrd, Dorset, presented by Mr. J. C. Mansel- 

 Pleydell, as the type. 



I add a description of the British stoat, not taken from the 

 type, but from a series : — 



Coloration. Entire upper surface of both sexes (except the 

 end of the tail) in summer with the long outer hairs between 

 " mummy brown " and " mars brown, ^^ the underfur lighter 

 and near '' Isabella colour/"" usually concealed, but in speci- 

 mens in old faded caat showing through the tliin outer hairs. 

 Under surface (except that of the tail) white, wi'h a strong 

 wash of yellow which about reaches "primrose-yellow^' in 

 extreme, but by no means rare, cases at all seasons, the white 

 colour extending to the upper lips and the inner surfaces of 

 all four legs to the ankles and wrists, but not to the tail. 

 Line of demarcation definite and decided, the brown colour 

 not encroaching upon the underside. Tail with the hairs 



* The nomenclature of the northern stoats must be regarded as en- 

 tirely provisional. Dr. Merriam clearly emphasizes the close relationship 

 between his arcticiis and true erminezis by the remark that the former, 

 " though specifically distinct, is strictly the American representative of 

 the Uld-World enninea " (' North-American Fauna,' no. 11, p. 16, 1896J. 

 Kemembering-, then, what different conceptions are prevalent between 

 naturalists of the Old and New World in regard to the uses of spjcific 

 and subspecihc names, that Baird's Putorius Knneii [' JNIamaials of North 

 America &c.,' pp. 172-3, 1859) of Chukchi-Land and Bering's (Straits 

 (Arikamtchitchi Island) is a small yet " perfect miniature " of ermineus, 

 and that Dr. Allen cannot Hud any tangible characters whereby to separate 

 stoats from North-eastern Siberia and Europe (Bull. Amer. Mas. N. Hist, 

 vol. xix. art. iv. pp. 174-17(5, March 81, iDOuj, we may look forward to 

 the strong possibility that botli Kdiieii and arcticus with all its subforuis 

 may eventually tind their true status as subspecies o^ ermi/ieffs. 



