1879.] MR. E. R. ALSTON ON THE BRITISH MARTENS. 469 



II. Martes foina. 



Mustela foina, Erxleben, Syst. Reg. An. p. 458 (1777) 1 

 Martes foina, Nilsson, Faun. Skand. (1st ed.) i. p. 38 (1 8*0) 

 fagorum, Fleming, Brit. Animals, p. 14, ex Ray (1828). 

 The cranial and dental characters by which Martes syhatica 

 and M foina may be recognized were first pointed out by Dr R 

 Hensel in 1853 2 , further elaborated by Blasius in 1857 s and re- 

 cently revised by Dr. Elliott Cones in comparison with their Ame- 

 rican congeners \ At various times I have carefully compared the 

 descriptions of these writers with a great number of skulls ■ and 

 although many of the distinctions which they have pointed oJt are 

 merely comparative, and though some of them prove to be inconstant 

 when a large series of specimens are examined, yet I have never 

 found the slightest difficulty in separating the species by the follow- 

 ing external and internal characters : 



Martes syhatica. Outer fur rich dark brown, under-fur reddish 



grey, with clear reddish-yellow tips ; breast-spot usually yellow 



varying from bright orange to pale cream-colour or yellowish white! 



Breadth of the skull (see fig 2, p. 471) across the zygomatic arches 



rather more than half the length ; the arches highest posteriorly 



whence they s ope rather suddenly downwards and forwards. Sides 



of muzzle nearly parallel ; anterior opening of uares oval ; postorbital 



process about equidistant between the frontal constriction and the 



anterior root of the zygoma. Palate comparatively narrow, with a 



distinct azygos process on its posterior margin. Upper premolars 



placed regularly in the line of the series; the fourth as long as the 



upper molar is broad, its inner cusp large and placed nearly at 



right angles to the axis of the tooth. Upper molar broader than 



long, its flattened inner portion considerably longer and larger than 



the outer part; in the latter the external tubercle fills the space 



be ween the anterior and posterior tubercles, so that the external 



outline ot the tooth is simply convex, not emarginated. First lower 



molar with a slightly developed inner tubercle at the base of the main 



cusp. 



Martes foina. Outer fur dull greyish brown, under-fur greyish 

 white; breast-spotsmallerthaniniH.^/va^c^purewhite. Breadthof 

 ?h» 8 f " f fn S "i' P- 470 > across the zygomatic arches much more 

 than half the length; the arches regularly curved, broadestand highest 

 near their middle Sides of muzzle slightly converging; anterior open- 

 ing of nares broader than m M. syhatica, heart-shaped ; postorbital 

 process nearer to the frontal constriction than to the anterior root of the 

 zygoma. Palate comparatively broad, truncated posteriorly. UnDer 

 premolars crowded, and often placed diagonally, their anterior extre- 

 mities being directed inwards ; the fourth considerably longer than 



1 Dr. Elliott Coues, in his ' Fur-bearino- Animals' Cv. V7\ ^„ -nr r ■ 

 instituted b y "White, Phil Trans. \^T^^%^Z^%^ 



- Arch. f. Naturg. xis. i. pp. 17-22, pi. ii. 



3 Siiugeth. Deutschl, pp. 211-219.' 



4 Fur-bearing Animals, pp. 74-80, pis. iii., iv 



