398 



CAENIVORA 



mainland of Scotland, when the status of the Scotch animal is 

 more clearly understood. 



1. Islay, Scotland. H. Morrison (c & p). 7. 10. 9. 1. 



(Type of subspecies.) 

 6, 2 ?. Islay, Scotland. H. Morrison (c & p). 11. 1. 3. 196-198. 



MUSTELA HIBERNICA Thomas and Barrett-Hamilton. 



1895. Putorius hibernicus Thomas and Barrett-Hamilton, The Zoologist, 



3rd ser., xix, p. 125, April, 1895 (Ireland). 

 1895. Putorius hibernicus Thomas, The Zoologist, 3rd ser., xrx, p. 226, 



June, 1895 (Isle of Man). 

 1900. [Mustela] hibernica Schulze, Zeitschr. fiir Naturwissensch., lxxiii, 



p. 221. 

 ' 1910. Putorius (Ictis) hibernicus Trouessart, Faune Mamm. d'Europe, p. 80. 



Type locality. — Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, Ireland. 



Geographical distribution. — Ireland and the Isle of Man. 



Diagnosis. — Like Mustela erminea but slightly smaller (hind 

 foot in adult male rarely attaining 50 mm. ; condylobasal length 

 of skull in adult male, 44 to 50 mm.) ; ear and upper lip without 

 whitish edging ; brown of sides of body usually encroaching on 

 yellowish or whitish of underparts, frequently so much so as 

 to extend completely across throat and middle of belly, the 

 line of demarcation, except in rare instances, very irregular. 



External characters. — The general external characters, includ- 

 ing the proportion of tail to head and body, and the long, 

 full pencil, are as in Mustela erminea ; mammae usually more 

 numerous : a 2 — 2, » 3 — 3 or 4 — 4 = 10 or 12. 



Colour. — Except in the rare instances in which a partial or 

 complete white coat is assumed in winter, the actual colour is 

 very constant throughout the year, and such variation as there 

 is appears to be due chiefly to the greater or less abundance of 

 the long hairs on back. These hairs are a dark glossy brown 

 very nearly the bistre of Ridgway. The hairs of the dense 

 underfur are smoke-grey at base, changing to a yellowish broccoli- 

 brown distally. From the varying combinations of these elements 

 different shades of brown result which range from a yellowish 

 bistre toward isabella-colour, the bistre usually more pure along 

 median dorsal region and on head, the isabella-colour on sides, 

 legs and tail. Upper lip and entire ear concolor with dark 

 area. No dark spot behind angle of mouth. Feet usually dark 

 but frequently varied with whitish, this colour appearing at tips 

 of toes and spreading upwards. Tail without evident lighter 

 area on under side. Underparts varying from a creamy white 

 to a pale straw-yellow. The line of demarcation between the 

 dark and light areas is very variable in both form and position. 

 In the extreme development of the light area the line of demarca- 

 tion extends along sides in the same position as in Mustela 

 erminea, except that it passes somewhat further below ear and 

 eye and ends at or just above angle of mouth. In the extreme 



