2 MB.. A. H. COCKS ON HYBRID STOATS AND FERRETS. [Jan. 17, 



largest being about 19 inches in length. The ovaries of the 

 females did not appear to be nearly ripe, and, according to native 

 reports, these fishes did not spawn until the wet season. Only 

 two of the whole number possessed external gills. Altogether, 

 examples of about twelve species had been procured, amongst 

 which were two of Mormyrus, a Malapterwus, several Siluroids, 

 and a Sword-fish, 8 feet 6 inches in length. 



Mud-fish {Protopterus) were stated by the natives to be abundant 

 in the adjoining swamp, but Mr. Budgett had not yet succeeded 

 in obtaining specimens. 



Mr. Budgett was also collecting Birds and Insects (principally 

 Orthoptera and Hemiptera). 



Mr. A. H. Cocks, F.Z.S., exhibited some living specimens of 

 supposed hybrids between the Stoat (Mustela enninea) and the 

 Perret (M. furo), and remarked that it was only on seeing the 

 first of his specimens that his scepticism as to the possibility of 

 such hybridity had been removed. Early in 1898 he had seen an 

 advertisement respecting some half-bred Stoats and Ferrets, and 

 had purchased three of them ; and was so satisfied as to their 

 genuineness, that he subsequently purchased the remainder of 

 the breeder's stock, making six specimens in all. One female 

 died from foot-rot ; the second became pregnant to a Polecat, 

 but miscarried almost at the last moment ; the third (exhibited) 

 was at the date of purchase said to be a week gone in young 

 to a male hybrid purchased at the same time, and in due course 

 produced a fine litter of 4 males and 1 female (one of the males 

 was also exhibited). The breeder (a railway signalman) had made 

 most positive and straightforward statements as to the animals 

 being the undoubted offspring of a male Stoat and female Ferret 

 (both white and da,rk), and Mr. Cocks had taken an opportunity 

 to interview him personally ; he stated that he had bred altogether 

 some six litters between Stoats and Ferrets, and considered such 

 cross, if anything, easier to breed than pure Ferrets. At the time 

 of Mr. Cocks's visit, a young Weasel was sharing a hutch with a 

 pair of Ferrets. 



The specimens, including the second generation, were exactly 

 alike, except the father of the second generation, which was some- 

 what paler but with identical markings, and was probably born 

 from a white Ferret. Ferrets of course varied very greatly in 

 the body-colour, but Mr. Cocks had never seen any Ferrets with 

 exactly the body-colour or texture of pelage as these, and this 

 improvement on the ordinary quality of a Ferret's pelt was seen 

 in Polecat and Ferret crosses. The following points also showed 

 a resemblance to Stoats :— bright yellow throats ; a small spot of 

 yellow on the (true) knee ; the distal portions of the feet were 

 white, the colour terminating abruptly ; the ears were broader than 

 a Ferret's, and much more so than a Polecat's ; the liioustachial 

 bristles were finer and more numerous than in a Polecat, but 



