428 



OARNIVOEA 



Genus VORMELA W. Blasius. 



1857. Fcstorius Blasius, Saugethiere Deutsohlands, p. 219 (part). 

 1884. Vormela W. Blasius, Bericht der Naturforseh. Gesellsoh. in Bemberg, 

 xni, p. 9. 



Type species. — Mustela sarmatica Pallas = M. peregusna 

 Gueldenstaedt. 



Geographical distribution. — From south-eastern Europe to 

 central China. 



Characters. — Skull narrow, somewhat flattened (depth of 

 brain-case a little more than half mastoid breadth), the dorsal 

 profile slightly arched posteriorly, rather strongly bent down 

 from orbital region forward, the zygomatic arches not specially 

 widened, and postorbital region not unusually narrowed (distance 

 from point of greatest narrowing to zygoma less than breadth of 

 postorbital constriction) : rostrum rather short and broad, its 

 width about equal to that of interorbital constriction, the 

 distance from anterior rim of orbit to gnathion equal to one-half 

 length of brain-case ; auditory bulla moderately inflated, oval or 

 sub-triangular in outline, the meatus with a tubular rim, the 

 anterior extremity of bulla in contact with hamular and nearly 

 or quite reaching level of foramen ovale ; dental formula : 

 i jfc?, c ti, pm jtjj, to t| = 34 ; teeth relatively somewhat larger 

 than in Mustela, the canines, especially those of upper jaw, 

 relatively higher than in any of the other European Mustelidx ; 

 upper carnassial robust, the width of its cutting portion about 

 half length, the anterior cusp so developed that its greatest 

 height is nearly three-quarters length of outer border of 

 tooth ; posterior cusp greatly reduced, appearing as a mere 

 thickening of posterior margin of crown ; inner lobe of carnassial 

 much wider than in Mustela, its posterior border extending about 

 to middle of crown ; upper molar elongate-pyriform, the outer 

 portion only a little narrower than inner, the median constriction 

 slight, the axis of crown strongly oblique to median line ; the 

 protocone, paracone and hypocone small but distinct, the metacone 

 barely indicated ; lower carnassial essentially as in Maries, the 

 metaconid small though evident, but posterior heel smaller, its 

 area less than half that of cutting portion of crown ; external 

 form polecat-like ; fur rather soft and dense, varied with black, 

 brown, and whitish or yellowish ; tail about half as long as 

 body, bushy. 



Remarks. — This strikingly characterized genus is readily 

 distinguished from Mustela, apart from its peculiar external 

 appearance, by the structure of the lower carnassial and by the 

 relationships of the hamular, auditory bulla and foramen ovale. 

 Two species are known, one of which ranges as far west as 

 eastern Hungary. 



