178 THE ZOOLOGIST 



nivea, cauda etiam alba sed pilis tantum paucissimis extimis nigricantibus, 

 nee toto caudse apice nigris ; corpus dimidio minus est Erminea." 



In this country the expression corpore albo would not apply to our 

 Weasel, which does not turn white in winter, though albino specimens 

 are sometimes met with ; but assuming that it does turn white occa- 

 sionally in Scandinavia, there is still the difficulty of the black hairs 

 in the tip of the tail, which would not be found in this animal at any 

 season of the year, but are at all seasons characteristic of the Stoat. As 

 regards the question of size, it is well known that with Weasels and Stoats 

 the female is invariably smaller than the male. The conclusion then at 

 which we arrive is that the Mustela nivalis of Linnaeus is not our common 

 Weasel, but a female Stoat in winter garb. We are not told on what 

 evidence it appears that the name nivalis " was given to a specimen found 

 running about on the snow." We find no mention of this either in the 

 1 Systema Naturae ' (I. c.) or in the ' Fauna Suecica.' From what is there 

 stated we infer that the term nivalis means " snowy white," and was 

 deemed by Linnaeus to be a good specific name for an animal which he 

 described as nivea. 



Whether the Common Weasel should^ be transferred from the genus 

 Mustela, in which Linnaeus placed it, to the genus Putorius, is a doubtful 

 question, the discussion of which must be reserved for some future 

 occasion. — Ed.] 



OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS IN MID- WALES. 



By J. H. Saltek. 

 (University College, Aberystwyth.) 



(Continued from p. 143.) 

 AcCTPITRES. 



Barn Owl, Strix flammed. Not at all numerous. 



Long-eared Owl, Asio otus. Fairly common, especially in 

 the Nanteos woods. 



Short-eared Owl, A. accipitrinus. Occurs most commonly 

 on Borth and Tregaron peat-bogs. About 1874 Capt. G. W. 

 Cosens found several pairs breeding near Sir Pryse Pryse's 

 lakes, and recorded the fact at the time in a letter to the ' Field.' 



Tawny Owl, Syrnium aluco. The most common and gene- 

 rally distributed of the Owls. While a friend of ours was 

 examining a nest of young near Rhayader, one of the old birds 

 flew against his back " as if a cricket-ball had struck him." Capt. 

 Cosens disturbed one from a rabbit-burrow on putting in a ferret. 



