On the Beech-Marten and Badger of Crete. 383 



Collected 26th January, 1899, by Geo. K. and Stella M. 

 Cherrie. Five specimens examined. 



T should have considered this fine animal as a distinct 

 species from that of the Upper Madura were it not that 

 Natterer's second specimen, from the Rio Negro, is, as I am 

 kindly informed by Dr. Lorenz, more or less intermediate in 

 character, as in locality, between the two. 



XLIV. — Note on the Beech-Marten and Badger of Grete. 

 By G. E. n. Barrett-HamiltOxNT. 



During the recent troubles at Crete H.M.S. ' Fearless ' has 

 been frequently stationed at the island, and I am indebted to 

 her paymaster, Mr. H. O. Jones, R.N., for the opportunity of 

 examining- several skins of mammals obtained there. Among 

 these two beech-martens and a badger are of special interest. 



The two skins of the beech-martens sent by Mr. Jones do 

 not belong to the typical Musfela foina, Erxleb., of Europe, 

 but are indistinguishable from Miistela foina leucolachnceji., 

 Blanford, of which the Brilisli Museum possesses specimens 

 from Hazara in Afghanistan and Veinoe in Turkestan. The 

 present locality therefore is a rather unexpected extension of 

 the range of this subspecies. 



The badger is very perceptibly lighter in coloration than 

 those of Britain, but not so light as Meles canescens, Blanford, 

 especially in the markings of the head. In this respect it 

 agrees with two specimens from Seville, Spain, for which the 

 British Museum is indebted to the late Lord Lilford, so that 

 these Mediterranean badgers are interestingly intermediate 

 between those of Persia and of Europe generally. . I propose 

 to regard this moderately light Mediterranean form as a sub- 

 species under the name of mediterraneus, and to reduce 

 Blanford's Meles canescens to subspecific rank. Of these two 

 subspecies the following specimens are included in the British 

 Museum collection : — 



Meles meles canescens, Blanford*, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 1875, xvi. p. 310, No. 74. 11. 21. 1, Abadah, Persia, 

 1870; No. 97. 10. 3. 53, ? juv., W. T. Blanford, Tarte 

 Koule, Ferghana, Persia, altitude 13,300 feet. 



* " M. affinis M. taxo, sed mini>r, canescenti-griseo, haud fusco, denti- 

 bus posticis angustioribus. Hab. iu Persia circum Isfahan &c." 



2G* 



