MAMMALS MARTIN AE MUSTELA AMERICANA. 



155 



Comparison of skulls of 



Since the preceding article was written, I have received an elaborate paper hy Dr. Brandt, the 

 eminent Kussian zoologist, 1 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 IT) 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 



1 Beitrage zur nahern Kenntniss der Saugethiere Russlands, von J. F. Brandt. 4to : St. Petersburg, 1855. Erste Abtheilung 

 Selbststandige Mittheilungen uber den aussern Bau des Zobels (Mustela zibellina var. asialica und americana,) im Verglcich mit 

 dom des Baum-und Steinmarders (Mustela martes and foind). 



