PINE MARTEN. 



219 



the Sable : the existence of fur on the toes, which has been 

 adduced as a character of the Sable, probably depends on 

 climate, and it is mentioned by Pennant as having been 

 observed by him in the Common Marten. Never having 

 seen an undoubted whole specimen of the true Sable, we 

 are unable to offer any satisfactory addition to our know- 

 ledge on the more important characters of the two animals ; 

 but we have found, in the examination of numbers of the 

 finest Sable skins, that the yellow patch on the throat had 

 always an irregular outline, and that there were also small 

 spots of the same fine colour scattered on the sides of the 

 neck. This is a distribution of the colour which we have 

 never observed either on the Common or Pine Marten. 

 We offer the fact, however, merely as one which, combined 

 with other characters, may possibly aid in determining the 

 question when we have fuller information on the subject. 



Dimensions of the Pine Marten, as given by Blasius : — 



