391 On some new Species and Subspecies of Mustelidse. 



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 the 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 southern 

 stoats. Southern examples may therefore be distinguished 

 subspecifically under the name of 



Putorius ermineus stabilis, subsp. n., 



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

 1895), from Blandford, 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 underf ur lighter 

 and near " isabella colour," usually concealed, but in speci- 

 mens in old faded coat showing through the thin outer hairs. 

 Under surface (except that of the tail) white, with 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 arcticus and true ermineus by the remark that the former, 

 " though specifically distinct, is strictly the American representative of 

 the Old-World erminea " (' North-American Fauna,' no. 11, p. 16, 1896). 

 Remembering-, then, what different conceptions are prevalent between 

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

 and subspecific names, that Baird's Putorius Kuneii {' Mammals of North 

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

 (Arikamtchitchi Island) is a small } r et " perfect miniature " of ermineus, 

 and that Dr. Alleu cannot rind any tangible characters whereby to separate 

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

 vol. xix. art. iv. pp. 174-176, March 31, 1903), we may look forward to 

 the strong possibility that botli Kaneii and arcticus with all its subforms 

 may eventually find their true status as subspecies of ermineus. 



