THE PINE MARTEN. 
235 
an entire year. He describes them as resembling the 
Martens in their form and habit of body : the one being 
throughout the winter of an ashy black, cinereous on 
the chin, and yellowish round the ears ; the other 
smaller, and of a yellowish brown, becoming somewhat 
paler on the chin and ears. On the approach of spring 
the former animal became yellowish brown, and the 
latter pale yellow. A figure of the darker coloured 
specimen accompanies the paper, and well deserves the 
epithet pessima" applied to it by Pallas. It affords 
no assistance in the discrimination of the species ; but 
has nevertheless been copied in the Encyclopedic Me- 
thodique and many other works, as the truest and most 
authentic figure of the Sable extant. 
In fact, were it not for the authority of the great 
zoologist to whom we have next to turn our attention, 
we should scarcely hesitate in discarding the Sable from 
the list of genuine species, and considering it as a mere 
variety of the Pine Marten, produced by climate and 
other concomitant circumstances. But the deliberate 
judgment of such a man as Pallas, founded on a com- 
parison of specimens both living and dead, carries with 
it too much weight to be shaken by any but the most 
positive evidence. In the absence of unquestionable 
proof to the contrary, we must necessarily take for 
granted the correctness of his decision, and regard the 
Siberian Sable as distinguished from the European and 
Asiatic Martens by the characters which he has pointed 
out ; although these characters are not altogether in 
accordance with the statements of previous zoologists, 
and do not appear to have fallen under the notice of 
any subsequent observer. 
The general description of the Sable given by Pallas 
is accompanied by a comparison of its several parts 
with those of a Pine Marten found in the same forest, 
