1897.] MU. E. C. TAXLOK ON MUSTELA STJBPALMATA. 601 



Two specimens that died on their way to London were captured in 

 Cairo. The natives say that it is most useful to them in destroying 

 the rats and mice with which their houses are infested, and it seems 

 to me probable that its services in this respect may account for the 

 difficulty that is experienced in getting them either to captiu'e it 

 or kni it. 



"Hemprich and Ehrenberg, in their description of it (Symb. 

 Phys., Mamm. sig. K), under the specific term Mustela suhpalmata, 

 also state ' that it frequents houses, attracted to them by the 

 presence of rats and mice. The term suhpalmata has reference to 

 the rather marked palmation of the digits ; but how it compares in 

 this respect with Putorius hoccmnela I cannot at present say. I 

 have never met with the Weasel in my wanderings in Egypt, 

 and I have never learned of any one who has. The natives say 

 that they only see it at night. The material at present existing in 

 London is not sufficient to enable the question of ther elation in 

 which the Egyptian Weasel stands to Putorius boccamela, Bechstein, 

 and P. africanus, Desm., to be settled. The six specimens that have 

 come under my observation are unquestionably of one species and 

 are examples of M. suhpalmata, Hempr. & Ehrenb., but whether 

 this species differs from P. boccamela has yet to be ascertained. I 

 therefore prefer to speak of the Egyptian Weasel tentatively as 

 M. suhpalmata, Hempr. & Ehrenb. I hope, however, soon to 

 obtain additional materials for the solution of this question. 



" I have the pleasure to submit a coloured drawing made from life 

 of the largest specimen in the Society's Gardens, as this is the first 

 time that this most interesting animal has been seen alive out of 

 its own country. 



" It is thus a most valuable addition to the Gardens, and we are 

 much indebted to Mr. Birdwood, our Corresponding Member in 

 Egypt, for the three specimens. 



" The drawing has been made by Mr. P. J. Smit for my work on 

 the Mammals of Egypt, now in progress." 



Mr. E. Cavendish Taylor, E.Z.S., exhibited a skin of the Egyptian 

 Weasel (Mustela suhpahnata), on which he made the following 

 remarks : — " This Weasel was obtained by me at Cairo about the 

 end of January 1896. It was caught close to Cairo by an Arab, 

 who sold it alive to Mr. Bramly, the then Curator of the Cairo 

 Zoological Gardens. On the first day of its arrival at the Gardens 

 it killed and ate a rat, but unfortunately died the next day. 

 Mr. Bramly kindly sent me the dead body to my hotel, and I made 

 of it the skin I now exhibit. The animal is a male, very large in 

 size, with the tail very long and the throat very yellow. These 

 characters are, I beheve, constant in the Egyptian Weasel. In 

 one respect I have been more fortunate than Dr. Anderson, for I 

 have once met with the Weasel alive in Egypt. I well remember 



1 " Quarta Mustelinorum forma Mmtela vulgari admodum affiuia est. In 

 itinere Mtistelm subpalmaiee nomine eam distinximus, digiti enim membrana 

 latius coniuncti erant, statura minor. In domibus segyptiacis Oahir£e et Alex- 

 andriaj murium vulgaris socius." 



