384 ■ CAENIVORA 



Brown of sides noticeably encroaching on 

 yellowish or whitish of underparts, 

 the line of demarcation irregular 



(Malta, Azores) M. africana, 412. 



Brown of sides not encroachingon yellowish 

 or whitish of underparts, the line of 



demarcation straight (Crete) M. galinthias, p. 414. 



Size less than in the stoats, condylobasal 

 length of skull in adult male, 37 to 

 47 mm. ; mandible in adult male not 

 more than 24 mm., its depth at front 

 of carnassial less than 4 - 5 mm. (true 



Weasels) M. nivalis, p 401. 



Winter pelage often white ; size small, hind 

 foot of males, 29 to 34 mm. (Northern 



and central Europe) M. n. nivalis, p. 402. 



Winter pelage very rarely white ; size 



medium or large, hind foot of males 



usually 32 to 41 mm. (Mediterranean 



region). 



Skull of adult male not infrequently 



44 to 46' 6 mm. in condylobasal 



length ; hind foot of adult male 34 to 



41 mm. ; colour rather dark (Central 



Mediterranean region) M. n. botxamda, p. 405. 



Skull of adult male seldom if ever exceed- 

 ing 44 mm. in condylobasal length ; 

 hind foot of adult male 30 to 37 

 mm. ; colour rather light (Iberian 

 Peninsula) M. n. iberica, p. 407. 



Sub-genus MUSTELA Linnseus. 



1758. Mustela Linnseus, Syst. Nat., i, 10th ed., p. 45 (Type by tautonymy 



M. erminea Linnseus). 

 1829. Arctogale Kaup, Entw.-Gesch. u. Natiirl. Syst. Europ. Thierw., i, 



p. 30 (erminea). 

 1829. Ictis Kaup, Entw.-Gesch. u. Natiirl. Syst. Europ. Thierw., i, p. 35 



(vulgaris = nivalis). Not of Schinz, 1824-1828. 

 1841. Gale Wagner, Schreber's Saugthiere, Suppl., n, p. 234 (vulgaris = 



nivalis). 

 1857. Fcetorius Blasius, Saugethiere Deutschlands, p. 219 (part). 

 1865. Neogale Gray, Proc. Zooi. Soc, London, p. 114 (brasiliensis, aureo- 



ventris and xanthogenys). 

 1871. Mustelina, Bogdanow, Tpjx OOm. Ectcctb. Ka3ancit. ymiBepc. I, Mem. i, 



p. 167. 

 1899. Eumustela Acloque, Paune de France, Mammiferes, p. 62 (vulgaris 



and erminea). 

 1911. Mustela Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 138, April, 1911. 



Type species. — Mustela erminea Linnseus. 



Geographical distribution. — Northern hemisphere, south in the 

 Old World to northern Africa, and in the New "World to the 

 Andes ; in Europe west to Ireland. 



Characters. — Form very slender ; tail not bushy ; fur not 

 modified for aquatic life ; skull without noticeably projecting 

 mastoid processes ; auditory bullse not triangular, the inner and 

 outer borders nearly parallel ; posterior border of pin 3 shearing 



