MAM3IALS MARTIN AE MUSTELA PENNANTII. 149 



MUSTELA, Linn. 



Mtistela, LINN. "Systema Naturae, I, 1735." 



Teeth 38. Molars one above, two below ; premolars, four above and below, on each side. Lower sectorial tooth with a small 

 internal tubercle. Body slender ; tail rather long. 



This genus embraces the martens in distinction from the weasels ; species usually of large 

 size, arboreal habits, and (some of them at least) yielding furs of great value. They are scat 

 tered over many regions of the globe, only two of them belonging to the continent of North 

 America. One of these, M. pennantii, is the largest of the known species ; the other, M. 

 americana, is a near representative of the pine marten of Europe, and in some of its varieties 

 of the sable, M. zibellina, of the old world. 



The dental formula of this genus is incisors, jj^j ; canines, ^ ; premolars, ^ ; molars ^ ^ 

 = 38. 



MUSTELA PENNANTII, Erxl. 



Fisher; Black Cat. 



Mustela pennantii, ERXLEBEN, Syst. An. 1777, 479. (Based on Fisher of Pennant. 



J. SABINE in Franklin's Narr. 1st Journey, 1823, 651. 



GRIFFITH'S Cuv. V, 1827, 125. 



FISCHER, Syn. Mamm. 1829, 217. 



GODMAN, Am. N. H. I, 1831, 203. 

 Mustela canadensis, SCHREBER, Saugt. Ill, 1778, 492 ; tab. cxxxiv. (Pekan of Buffon.) 



BODDAERT, El. Anim. I, 1784, 86. 



GMELIN, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 95. 



KUHL, Beitrage, 1820, 74. 



DESMAREST, Mamm. I, 1820, 183. (Pekan.) 



HARLAN, Fauna Americana, 1825, 65. 



RICHARDSON, F. B. A. 1, 1829, 52. IB. Zool. Beechey Voyage, 1839. 



MARTIN, Pr. Zool. Soc. Lond. I, 1833, 97. (Anatomy.) 



WAGNER, Suppl. Schreb. II, 1841, 223. 



DEKAT. N. Y. Zool. I, 1842, 31 ; pi. xiii, f. 1. (Skull.) 



AUD. & BACH. N. A. Quad. I, 1849, 307 ; pi. xli. 



GIEBEL, Saugt. 1855, 773. 

 Mustela melanorhyncha, BODDAERT, Elen. Anim. I, 1784, 88. (Fisher of Pennant) 



ZIMMERMAK.V, in Penn. Arkt. Zool. I, 1787, 85. 



Viverra piscator, SHAW, Gen. Zool. Mamm. I, 1800, 414. (Fisher of Pennant) 

 Vwerra canadensis, SHAW, Gen. Zool. Mamm. I, 1800, 429. (Pekan of Pennant.) 

 Mustela nigra, TURTON'S Linnaeus, I, 1806, 60. 

 Mustela godmani, FISCHER, Syn. Mamm. 1829, 217. 

 Le Pekan, BUFFON, Hist. Nat. XIII, 1765, 306 ; tab. xlii. 

 Pekan weasel, PENNANT, Hist. Quad. 1781, No. 202 IB. Arctic Zoology, I, 1784, 78. (Appears to be an original 



description from the specimen of Brisson and Buffon.) 

 The risher, PENNANT, Syn. Quad. 1771, 223. IB. Hist. Quad. 1781, 328. IB. Arctic Zoology I, 1784, 82. 



g p . C H Legs, belly, tail, and hinder part of back, black; the back with an increasing proportion of grayish white to the 



head. Length, over two feet. Vertebrae of tail exceeding twelve inches. 



The general appearance of this animal is more fox-like than musteline, in its long head, 



