2676 Yorkshire Naturalists' Club. 



Mr. Graham exhibited a nest and three eggs, which he believed to be those of 

 the siskin, and which were obtained near Haxby. The nesting of this bird in Eng- 

 land is an extremely rare occurrence. He also exhibited a wild duck, which was 

 evidently a hybrid between the mallard and the pintail, obtained on the estate of H. 

 Preston, Esq., at Moreby, near this city. He placed on the table, at the same time, 

 a light brown variety of the blackbird, which he had preserved for the Rev. J. Preston, 

 of Askham. 



An account was then read by Dr. Morris of a very extraordinary animal, which 

 was caught in a trap, a few days back, at Moreby, and which had been sent by Mr. 

 Preston to Mr. Graham for preservation. This curious animal presented the general 

 appearance of one of the Mustelida? or weasel family, but possessed feet which were 

 very long, bare of fur, and completely webbed, like an otter. Dr. Morris considered 

 the various probabilities of its being a mere variety of one of the weasels ; of its 

 being an entirely new animal ; and of its being a hybrid between two of the Mus- 

 telidai. Dr. Morris's opinion was in favour of the last supposition, and he referred to 

 the union of the otter and foumart. He had examined the fur of the animal with 

 the microscope, and found it to agree much more nearly with the down of the foumart 

 than with that of either the stoat or marten, which were the only ones of the Muste- 

 lidae that he had had an opportunity of examining. The following is a description 

 of the animal, which was a young male, probably about half grown : — 



Body elongate, vermiform, but fuller than that of the stoat. Feet rather long, 

 quite bare of fur, and completely webbed down to the claws, which are sharp but ra- 

 ther short. Ears large and spreading, quite bare, and with a large, bare, oval, 

 reddish patch in front on the side of the head. Margins of the ears brown (white in 

 the stoat, foumart and marten). Tail with short fur at the root, but nearly bare after 

 the first two inches, rather flattened and tapering to a fine point. Teats three on 

 each side. Fur of only one kind, namely the under fur or down, and entirely without 

 the usual long hair, which is so conspicuous in all the Mustelidae : it was, however, 

 thick and compact, though very short, being about as long as that of the mole, and 

 much of the same texture. Colour above, reddish fawn. Belly pale yellow, with a 

 reddish yellow band down the centre, very conspicuous, and giving a branch down 

 the inside of each leg. The weight was eleven ounces, but when fresh it would pro- 

 bably have weighed quite twelve ounces. The following are its admeasurements in 

 inches and lines. 



in. lin. 



Length of head and body 10 6 



Head 2 6 



Tail 4 6 



Middle toe and claw 1 



Ear n 6 



Ear across ,, 10 



Width of head 1 3 



This account excited much interest among the members, and a conversation followed 

 in which most of those present joined. The meeting broke up shortly after ten 

 o'clock. 



