318 MISS D. M. A. BATE ON THE | Nov. 14, 
tendency towards a sandy colouring ; this is especially noticeable 
in a skin from Zoulla (B.M. 69.10.24.9.), in which the trans- 
verse dorsal bars are much broken up, causing a somewhat 
‘“‘ spotty ” appearance. 
In the specimens from Crete the proximal portion of the fur is 
decidedly dark over almost the entire body ; this feature is hardly 
noticeable in those from Abyssinia, and is not so strongly marked 
in the examples examined from Egypt. The increased richness 
in colour of the Cretan race is no doubt chiefly due to climatic 
influences : a still further divergence in this particular direction 
is exemplified by the wild cat, /. 0. sarda Lataste, from the more 
westerly island of Sardinia. 
Hybrids between /. 0. agrius and the domestic cat of the island 
appear to be not uncommon, and this can easily be accounted for 
by the fact that formerly small villages were often totally deserted 
for a considerable time, or possibly entirely, during the insur- 
rections which occur so frequently in Crete, when the cats, as 
well as the villagers, are forced to take to a life in the hills. 
Skins of these hybrids, which are generally of large size like the 
true wild race, may often be seen hanging up in the bazaars at 
Khania and Candia, 
fF. 0. agrius was recorded by Raulin* as F’. catus. 
7. MELES MELES MEDITERRANEUS Barr.-Ham. * 
Only two immature specimens of this Badger were obtained ; 
these came from an earth in a rocky mound, on the crown of 
which is perched one of the several monasteries of the Lassethe 
Plain. 
The local name for the Badger is “ Arkalos” (épxados); it is 
plentiful in the island, and is killed in some numbers by the 
natives, the richer of whom use the skins for saddle-cloths and 
for making into purses &e. 
8. MusrELA FOINA BUNITES{, subsp. n. 
Five skins of the Cretan Beech-Marten were obtained, and 
have been carefully compared with those of MW. f. lewcolachnea 
Blanf., from Turkestan, with which two specimens from Crete, 
already in the British Museum collection, were formerly iden- 
tified§. However, the examples from these two localities are 
found to differ considerably and to be easily distinguishable ; 
therefore it is proposed that the island form be known by the 
above-given subspecifie name. 
In length and woolliness of coat J. f. bunites is intermediate 
between the typical M. foina and M. f. lewcolachnea, though in 
general appearance it most closely resembles the latter. From 
this it differs in its much duller and more uniform colouring, 
* Op. cit. vol. ii. p. 1038. 
y+ Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 7, vol. iv. pp. 383-4. 
£ From Bovrirns, a dweller on hills. 
§ Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 7, vol. iv. Nov. 1899, p. 313. 
