MAMMALS-MARTIN AE-MUSTELA AMERICANA. 
155 
Comparison of skulls of — 
Mustela Maries. European. 
(Sweden.) 
Mustela Americana. 
American. 
(Essex county, N. T.) 
Width of muzzle behind canines — 
Half the width'of cranium_ 
Sides of muzzle — 
Nearly parallel___ 
Greatest contraction of frontal lone — 
Nearly in the middle of the skull. 
Orbital processes of frontal — 
Nearly midway between the greatest contraction 
of frontal bone and the suture of the malar 
bone with the frontal in the edge of the orbit. 
Temporal ridges — 
Soon approximating and running close together, 
nearly parallel. 
Greatest breadth of head — 
Decidedly more than half the length.. 
Posterior upper molar, measured across the constricted portion — 
More than half the greatest diameter of crown .. 
Inner spur of penultimate upper molar— 
Much larger than in the American 
Section of crown of penultimate upper molar — 
Sub-triangular, the transverse diameter about 
two-thirds the longitudinal. 
Not half the width of cranium_ 
Tapering... 
Considerably more anterior_ 
Much nearer the former... 
Not approaching rapidly.... 
About half the length__ 
Just half the greatest diameter of crown, or less 
Sides parallel; the transverse diameter one-half the longi¬ 
tudinal. 
Head more slender, elongated ; muzzle tapering__ 
Since the preceding article was written, I have received an elaborate paper by Dr. Brandt, the 
eminent Russian zoologist, 1 in which he enters into a detailed comparison of the Mustela ameri- 
cana with the Asiatic sable, Mustela zibellina, and comes to tbe conclusion that they both belong 
to the same species, being merely continental varieties. He describes and figures many perma¬ 
nent varieties of the Asiatic European sable, and finds that the American is an intermediate 
connecting link between some of the others. With several American skins from the northwest 
coast, as far south as the Columbia river, before him, a careful comparison with the rich series 
in the St. Petersburgh museum, brings him (page 17) to the following conclusions: 
In all the American sables he had seen, the head is uncommonly light colored, with the 
exception of the upper part of the muzzle, which is more or less of a light grayish brown color, 
sprinkled or mixed with white ; the head is brownish white. 
The tail is of much the same length with the Asiatic sable, but less bushy, and browner ; 
not so black at the end. The long hairs are more blackish brown than brownish black. The 
fur of the body is less dense. 
He concludes with saying : u As I can find no difference oetween the Asiatic and American 
1 Beitrage zur nahern Kenntniss der Saugethiere Russian (Is, von J. F. Brandt. 4to : St. Petersburg, 1855. Erste Abtheilung 
Selbststandige Mittheilungen liber den aussern Bau des Zobels (Mustela zibellina var. asiaiica und americana,) im Verglcich mit 
doni des Baum-und Steinmarders (Mustela martes and foina). 
