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Show 1877.] THE M A M M A L S O F ASIA M I N O R . 275 on a hill-side near Anascha, in the Taurus, at an elevation of about 4000 feet, is pure white, excepting a patch on the top of the head and a few hairs on the extreme tip of the tail. From the surprise evinced by the natives it appeared that such examples are very uncommon ; but Menetries records that " M . le Docteur Conradi en tua une variete blanche pres des eaux du Caucase en Janvier." Our specimen is large, with a proportionally long tail, as in the Italian race separated as If. boccamela. [? MUSTELA SARMATICA, Pall. Ainsworth says that " a Mustela, perhaps M. sarmatica, is found on the plains ;" and Kotschy speaks of having seen " Viverra sarmatica," but did not obtain specimens. Danford saw various Weasels without being able to identify them with certainty.] 16. *LUTRA VULGARIS, Erxl. Su-itti (water-beast), Kundush. Not uncommon, especially on the trout-streams of the Taurus. Specimens procured on the Cydnus differ iuno way from the ordinary English animal, except in being perhaps slightly lighter in colour. In the Caucasus Menetries suspected the existence of a second species, of which the fur was said to be lighter in colour and more valuable than that of the Common Otter. The " Grey Beaver, or Kondooz," which Mr. Curzou mentions as inhabiting Armenia, is evidently merely the Otter. 17. *URSUS ARCTOS, Linn. Aiyee. Generally common among the mountainous coast-districts, especially in thickly wooded regions bordering on the Black Sea. Great numbers of skins are exported from Ineboli. Not having been able to obtain a specimen on the southern side, we can make no precise statement as to the occurrence of the ordinary Brown Bear in that part of the country. The natives say that there are both brown and grey Bears, the latter being sometimes almost white. One seen near Mersina was very dark in colour; the wetness of the day, however, may have had something to do with this. Should both forms be here found together, there will be strong reason for regarding the following as merely a climatic variety of U. arctos. 18. URSUS SYRIACUS, Ehrenb. Aiyee. Common in the south-east. A specimen brought to us at Gozna, near Mersina, which had been shot a few days before our arrival, had the colouring characteristic of the Syrian form. [PHOCA, sp. 1 A Seal observed off the island of Rhodes was doubtless either P. monachus, Herm., or Ph. vitulina, Linn.] 19. Sus SCROFA, Linn. Domooz, Yaban domooz (wild pig). Very common throughout the country wherever a sufficient cover of forest-bush or reed is to be found. 18* |