178 MAMMALIA. VERJE. Weafels. 



ed; the legs are fliort. — The Count de Bufron, though he gives this animal from the life, does not 

 inform us of its colour or manners: The belly, lower part of the neck, and' a fpot behind the eye,, 

 feem, from the figure, to be whitifh or grey. Though Mr Pennant makes two diftincT: fpecies of 

 this and the American Fitchet, Hift. of quad. n. 194. I am inclined to think that both defcriptions. 

 refer to the fame animal. — T. 



350 10. Sable. — 6» Mujlela Zibellina. g+ 



Of a dark tawny brown or blackifh colour, with a very white fore-head, and cinereous 

 throat. Schreber, iii. 478. t. cxxxvi. Pallas, fpicil. zool. xiv. 54. t. 3. f. 2. 



Muftela, or Weafel, of a dark tawny colour, with a grey throat. BrhT. quad, 180. — Sobela, Zo- 

 bela, or Zibellina. Gefn. quad. 768. Aldrov. dig. 335. Jonft. quad. 156. J. G. Gmelin, nov. com. 

 Petrop. v. 338. t. 6. — Sable. Sm.Buff.' vii. 309. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 201. ArcT:. zool. n. 30.. 



351 /§. White Sable. — M. Zibellina alba. 



Of a fnowy white colour.. Strahlenberg, hift. ruff. 442.. Penn. hift. of quad. p. 322. 



Inhabits the northern parts of Afia and America, Siberia, Kamtfchatka, and the Kurile iflands, . 

 and formerly in Lapland ; being found in Afia as low as 5 8°, and in America even to 40 of latitude." 

 — This fpecies is much infefted by wild- eats : It preys on fmaller animals of the Weafal tribe, fquir- 

 rels, and hares ; during winter on birds, efpecially partridges ; and in winter eats hurtle-berries, 

 crane-berries, and the berries of the fervice tree, or mountain-afh ; it fleeps in the day time, going, 

 about only in the night ; procreates in January, and brings forth, about the end of March, from three 

 to. five young. ones. This animal. has a great refemblance to the Martin; from which k difiers in hz- 

 ving a longer head, longer ears, furrounded by a yellow margin,, longer- and more elegant fur, the 

 feet more thickly clothed with hair, and the tail is fhorter than the hind legs when extended, while 

 that of the Martin is much longer. The colour of the hair is cinereous at the bottom, and black at 

 the tips ; the chin is cinereous, fometimes white, yellowifh, or fpotted ; the mouth is garnifhed wkh 

 long whifkers ; the feet are large, with white claws. In fprihg, after fhedding the coat, the fur is. 

 fometimes of a tawny caft, and fometimes varies to fhowy whitenefs. The blackeft are reputed the 

 beft, and fometimes fell^ even in Siberia, from one to ten pounds Sterling each. The white variety 

 is very rare ; and fome, as rarely, are found which have a collar of white or yellow fpots round the 

 neck. The Sable is probably the Zafc^iox, or Satherius, of Ariftotle, Hift. an. lib. viii. c. 5. ; which, 

 he clafies with the animals that are converfant among waters ; fuch as the Beaver and Otter.. 



352 11. American Sable. — M. Zibellina ameriaana: 



Of a light tawny colour, with whitifh head and ears. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 201. .p. 



Inhabits North America, efpecially in Canada.^-Is twenty inches in length, from nofe to rump ; 

 the trunk of the tail is five inches long, but to the end of the hairs eight ; the ears are more pointed 

 than the former ; the feet are very large, of a brown colour, and hairy both above and below, having 

 rive toes with white claws on each. 



J,2. 



