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Show 468 MR. E. R. ALSTON ON THE BRITISH MARTENS. [J 2. On the Specific Identity of the British Martens. By E D W A R D R. ALSTON, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. [Received May 20, 1879.] Two European species of Martens have been generally recognized by naturalists since the days of Albertus Magnus and Agricola, although some writers, including Linnaeus himself, regarded them as identical. It is only of late years, however, that their specific distinctness has been finally proved ; and before considering the question of the identity of the British Martens, it will be well to point out the true synonymy and diagnostic characters of the species in question, concerning which some confusion still appears to exist. Several systematic writers, especially in Germany and America, have assigned the Linnaean title Mustela to the Martens instead of to the more truly typical Weasels, on the ground that this had been done by Cuvier. But the names Putorius and Mustela were only employed by the great French zoologist to mark sous-genres, and were not used binomially to indicate distinct genera l. The first definite separation was made three years later by Nilsson, who gave the generic title of 3Iartes to the present group2; and thus both priority and propriety sanction the restriction of the name 31ustela to the true Weasels and Ermines. There has also been some difference of opinion as to the specific name which should properly be given to the Mustela martes of Linnaeus. Many writers have employed abietum, apparently on the ground that it was used as a varietal name by Linnaeus himself. This, however, is not the case : the varieties abietum and fagorum were not accepted by him; he merely says that such a distinction was recognized by the peasants 3. Moreover, if abietum be used, the universally known name offoina for the allied species would have to be withdrawn in favour of fagorum. The earliest equivalent to Mustela martes appears undoubtedly to be Nilsson's Martes sylvatica ; and the synonymy of the two species should therefore stand thus:- I. MARTES SYLVATICA. Mustela martes, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. (12th ed.), i. p. 67 (1766). Martes sylvatica, Nilsson, Faun. Skand. (1st. ed.) i. p. 41 (1820). vulgaris, Griffith, Cuvier's An. Kingd. v. p. 123 (1827). abietum, Fleming, Brit. Animals, p. 14, ex Ray (1828). sylvestris, Nilsson, Faun. Skand. (2d ed.) i. p. 171, ex Gesner (1847). 1 'Regno Animal' (lre eU, 1817), i. pp. 147,199. 2 Skand. Fauna (1st ed. 1820), i. p. 41. The genus Martes has been quoted by Lilljeborg and some others as instituted by "Gr. Cuvier, 1797;" this error appears to have originated in a misunderstanding of the Freuch plural Martes in tbe ' Tableau Elementaire.' " Varietas duplex rusticis: Fagorum gutture albo ; Abietum gutture flavo." Syst. Nat. (12th ed.) i. p. 67. |