166 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



along the higher parts of the Alleghenies in the East and the 

 Rocky and Sierra Nevada Mountains of western North 

 America. Like many carnivorous animals they occur in small 

 numbers relative to the abundance of the rodents and other 

 animals on which they prey and are given to traveling over 

 rather wide circuits in their search for food. 



In general appearance pine martens are about the size of a 

 large slender squirrel, with a rather short cylindrical and well- 

 furred tail, short legs, and erect, rather prominent ears. 

 Males are larger than females and when adult develop more 

 prominent median crests on the skull. The general coloring is 

 yellowish to light brown on the head and forepart of the body, 

 darkening to a warm brown posteriorly and on the tail and 

 legs. The under side is cinnamon, darkening posteriorly, and 

 often with a tinge of brighter ochraceous-orange on the chest. 

 Adult males weigh about 2.5 pounds, females about a quarter 

 less. Total length, about 25 inches, of which the tail is 7 or 8 

 inches. 



Over their wide range across the northern part of the conti- 

 nent pine martens show a slight degree of geographic variation, 

 both in shades of color and in details of the skull and teeth. 

 These have been made a basis for recognizing at least two 

 species, the typical eastern marten and the darker\animal of 

 the Northwest coast, each with sundry races. While at; present 

 it seems still uncertain whether only a single species is Actually 

 represented, with more or less well-marked subspecies, these 

 may be listed with their type localities in accordance with 

 current usage, as follows : 



Maries americana americana (Turton). EASTERN PINE MARTEN 



Mustela americanus Turton, Turton's ed. of Linnaeus's Systema Naturae, vol. 1, 

 p. 60, 1806 (eastern North America). 



Maries americana abieticola (Preble). KEEWATIN MARTEN 



Mustela americana abieticola Preble, North Amer. Fauna, no. 22, p. 68, Oct. 31, 

 1902 (Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, Canada). 



Maries americana abietinoides Gray. NORTHWESTERN MARTEN 



Maries americana var. abietinoides Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1865, p. 106 

 (Rocky Mountains between Kicking Horse Pass and Columbia River). 



Maries americana actuosa (Osgood). ALASKAN PINE MARTEN 



Mustela americana actuosa Osgood, North Amer. Fauna, no. 19, p. 43, 1900 (Fort 

 Yukon, Alaska). 



Maries americana atrata (Bangs). NEWFOUNDLAND MARTEN 



Mustela atrata Bangs, Amer. Nat., vol. 31, p. 162, Feb., 1897 (Bay St. George, 

 Newfoundland). 



