4-2 Mr. G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton on the 



The general size of the animal appears also to be larger in 

 the South, especially in those regions where the stoat 

 (P. ermineus^ Linn.) does not occur or is rare. Thus speci- 

 mens from Cairo and Malta are the largest, while those from 

 Sicily and Algeria, although larger than those of England, 

 are not quite equal to the former in size. On the other hand, 

 we have examples of a very small subspecies from Asia 

 Minor and the Caucasus. The changes in the line of demar- 

 cation are not so clearly connected witli the southern range of 

 the animal, since while specimens from Great Britain, North 

 France, North Italy, Haida in Bohemia, Burgheim in 

 Bavaria, Hungary, Malta, Cairo, Tangier, and Sardinia have 

 this line wavy and undulating, those from Seville, Sicily, 

 Algeria, and the Caucasus show an almost straight line like 

 that of the stoat. 



The colour of the upperside does not seem to lend itself so 

 readily to variation as do the characters alluded to above, but 

 it is markedly lighter in the eastern subspecies M. nivalis 

 Stoliczkanus, Blanford, of Yarkand, and a new subspecies, 

 M. n. pallidus, of Turkestan and Afghanistan. 



It is of great interest to thus find parallelled in a mammal 

 the well-known increase of richness in the colour of the 

 plumage of so many birds — such as, for instance, Parus 

 cceruleus, Linn., Hirundo rustica, Linn,, Ligurinus chloris 

 (Linn.), and Fringilla coelebs, Linn. — according as they range 

 southwards. 



The following forms are recognizable : — 



(I.) Putorius nivalis typicus, Linnseus, Syst. Nat. ed. xii. 

 p. 69 (1766). 



Type locality. LJpsala, Sweden. 



Pistinguisliing characteristic. Winter coat white. 



I have no series of northern weasels, but it is almost certain 

 that, in addition to the above, they will be found to present 

 other distinguishing characteristics. 



Distribution. Arctic and subarctic regions of Europe. 



(II.) Putorius nivalis vulgaris^ Erxleben, Syst. Keg. Animal, 

 p. 471 (1777). 



Puturius minutus*, Pomel, 'Cat. meth. et descript. eles Vert. Fuss, 

 decouvertes daus le Bassiu Hydrographique superieur de la Loire, et 

 surtoui dans la valine de son affluent principal, I'Allier,' p. 51 (Paris, 

 1853). — Type locality. Paris. 



Tyjye locality. Leipzig. 



* Should specimens from Gruat Britain and Western Europe be 

 distinguishable from tho-c of Central Europe, Pomel's name will be 

 applicable to the former. 



