28 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



and April, 1899, I sent specimens which had died to Mr. F. G. 

 Parsons, F.L.S., &c, of St. Thomas's Hospital, who was good 

 enough to take a great deal of trouble in the endeavour to arrive 

 at a conclusion as to their pedigree by dissection, but unfortunately 

 without any very definite result. So far as it goes, however, it is against 

 their hybrid origin. In September of the above year, Mr. Parsons 

 wrote : — " I have carefully examined the soft parts of several Stoats, 

 Polecats, and Ferrets, as well as your suspected hybrids. Unfortu- 

 nately the anatomy of these animals is so much alike that I have only 

 negative results. Once or twice I have thought that I had found a 

 definite anatomical difference, but on dissecting other animals of the 

 same species I have found that it was merely an individual variation. 

 The result of all this work so far is that I have acquired an accurate 

 knowledge of the anatomy of these Mustelidas, and am impressed with 

 the near relationship between the Stoats and Ferrets. In consequence 

 of this I am quite ready to believe that these animals might breed 

 together." Mr. Parsons goes on to say that he was in hopes that some 

 result might be obtained from tbe osteology, and was therefore having 

 skeletons prepared. In November of the same year Mr. Parsons 

 wrote : — " I have now had the bones of your specimens prepared, and 

 have carefully compared them. The hybrids you sent correspond in 

 every particular to Polecats, and have no Stoat-like characteristics. I 

 have taken the skull to Mr. Oldfield Thomas, .... who compared it 

 with a large collection, and was quite of my opinion. There is one 

 point in which the soft parts of Stoats and Polecats differed materially, 

 and that was in the proportionate length of the intestine to the body 

 length. In three Stoats the intestine was 3'5, 3*75, 3*4 times as long 

 as the body. In two Polecats it was 4*8 and 4*7 times as long. In one 

 Ferret it was 5-7 as long. In your hybrid (one was too decomposed) 

 it was 4'7, again corresponding closely with the Polecat. Of course 

 this does not disprove the fact that a Stoat may have had something 

 to do with their origin, only that no Stoat-like characters (as far as I 

 can tell) have been transmitted." A great number of people, including 

 some thoroughly "competent naturalists," have seen specimens in my 

 menagerie in the course of the last nine years, but I should not feel at 

 liberty to quote, even if I remembered accurately, the opinion of each ; 

 but I may say that I have received many most eulogistic " unsolicited 

 testimonials" concerning examples which I have sent away, while only 

 in four instances has any doubt been expressed as to their being really 

 of hybrid origin. If Mr. Eope, or any other brother " naturalist," 

 can find his way here (when the days are somewhat longer and more 

 genial), I shall be delighted to let them form their own opinions from 



