104 University of California Publications in Zoology [Vol.10 



too, are uniform brown, with no trace of gray on the head, but 

 the pelage is darker and much more glossy than the summer 

 specimens. Long outer hairs dark brown, about mummy brown ; 

 under fur paler, about raw umber; tail black. There are 

 numerous white hairs scattered over the entire skin. The throat 

 patch is of about the same color as in tbe summer skins. 



There are at hand, of interest in this connection, two speci- 

 mens of Mustela from southeastern Alaska, recently donated to 

 the Museum by Mr. Allen E. Hasselborg, of Juneau, Alaska. 

 These are an adult female, skin and skull, taken on Admiralty 

 [sland, Alaska, December 12, 1910 (no. 12674), and an adult 

 male, skull only, also from Admiralty Island, December 15, 1910 

 (no. 12675). These, together with a skull from Kuiu Island, 

 Alaska (no. 8814), I have provisionally referred to .1/. nesophila 

 (see Swarth, 1911a. p. 139). 



These three skulls are much like those from Vancouver Island, 

 but somewhat larger, with smaller and less inflated audital 

 bullae, anil with appreciably Larger last upper molar, thus closely 

 resembling the description and figure of .'/. nesophila (Osgood, 

 19(11. p. 33, pi. 5). The one skin from Admiralty Island is quite 

 different from any of the Vancouver Island specimens. It is of 

 about the same shade of brown, but the whole body, except along 

 the median line of the hack, is strongly suffused with orange-red 

 i somewhat darker than Chinese orange), giving a very rich effect 

 — a character, however, that, according to Merriam (1890, p. 27). 

 is sometimes present in caurina. Feet, legs, and tail, are lustrous 

 black. The head is abruptly grayish, drab on the chin and lower 

 jaw, broccoli brown, mixed with white hairs, above; tip of muzzle 

 darker; inner surface of ears white. A large spot of orange- 

 rufous on the throat and breast. 



Nesophila was based on cranial characters only, no skins 

 having been seen by the describer, hut. taking this Alaska speci- 

 men as a representative of the species, it may be readily dis- 

 tinguished from the more southern form (caurina) by its gray 

 head, and from the more northern one (americana) by its 

 intensely dark coloration otherwise. 



