MAMMALIAN FAUNA OF NORTH CARDIGANSHIUK. 333 



Aberystwyth Conference, 1911,' of the National Union of 

 Teachers, there is a note on these interesting animals by Pro- 

 fessor H. J. Fleure. He says : " The localities from which the 

 specimens come preclude, one would tliink, the hypothesis of its 

 being due to a single sport." He concludes that, " as all the 

 animals in a litter belonged to it " (the light variety), it proved 

 *' the light colour to be an innate character of some stability." 



Since Professor Fleure wrote the above note several fresh 

 records have to be chronicled, and they lend additional support 

 to his statement. In July, 1915, two young Polecats* from the 

 same litter were killed on Borth Bog. This case is a very 

 remarkable one, because, whereas one of the young animals 

 resembled in every respect the common dark Polecat, the otherf 

 one just as closely resembled the red-brown variety of this district 

 (see also list of species). It may be stated here that other speci- 

 mens of the light type were available for comparison at the 

 time. It is to be regretted that neither of the parents was seen, 

 but it is noteworthy that in the two offspring the colours show 

 no intermingling whatever. 



Since 1903 several of these light-coloured animals have been 

 taken, and nearly all of them were examined by the writer while 

 they were fresh. They were all killed on the Coastal Plateau 

 between the River Dovey and Tregaron. The majority of the 

 specimens were obtained near these two places, which are situated 

 in the north and south of the district respectively. The interval 

 between them, some eighteen miles, is bridged by one or two 

 records nearer Aberystwyth, which occupies a midway position 

 on the coast. 



The total number of the red-brown Polecats which have been 

 recorded is between twelve and fifteen. We may add 50 per 

 cent, for other animals of this colour which have been killed and 

 not recorded, remembering that this percentage is a high one for 

 North Cardiganshire, where the unusual is generally inquired 

 into. It will be gathered that the variety exists in small numbers, 

 or else is adept at concealment. The red-brown Polecat seems 

 to be confined to the district, and has not been recorded else- 

 where. 



* Now in the U.C.W. Zoological Collection. 



t This proves the red-brown colour to be a Mendelian character. 



