Part 38

Finally, the type specimen of _munda_ is a "runt," smaller than any other male seen. This specimen, purchased by E. A. and O. Bangs from C. A. Allen, who collected and sold specimens widely, was labeled as from Point Reyes. So far as this place-name is concerned, it might refer to: (1) The point of land by that name which projects out into the Pacific Ocean, (2) an abandoned ranch house bearing that name at the head of Drakes Bay, 6 miles north and 3-3/4 miles east of the actual point, or (3) the railway station by the same name at the head of Tomales Bay, 12 miles east and 4-3/4 miles north of the actual point. Allen, himself, lived near San Geronimo (then Nicasio) about nine miles southeast of the Point Reyes railway station. All these places are in Marin County, but differ markedly as regards climate and flora. The first two are treeless, windswept and have much fog, whereas Point Reyes Station is more often sunny, and is situated in a shallow valley, inland, where the open grass-covered west-facing slopes meet the east-facing wooded ones. From which one of these three places the type specimen came, I do not know. The same may be said of the three female specimens labeled Point Reyes; two of these are in the United States National Museum and one in the Field Museum.

The specimens in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoölogy from 5 and 6 miles west of Inverness and those from near the same place in the collection of John Cushing come from within a couple of miles or less of the Point Reyes represented by the abandoned ranch house. These specimens, as remarked above, agree with those from Point Arena in large size, reduced facial markings and wide skull. These are points of difference from the smaller variant suspected of being a recognizable subspecies. It is the smaller variant which the type specimen approaches in size, and with which it agrees in relatively well-developed white facial markings. This suggests that the type specimen came from Point Reyes Station rather than from either of the two other places bearing the name "Point Reyes," from one of which, as just stated, the variant of large size is known. The three females labeled "Point Reyes" also have well-developed white facial markings and are of lesser size than the female of similar age from Point Arena, Mendocino County. The presumption is that these three females also came from Point Reyes Station.

The smaller, inland variant seems to agree in size, cranial characters, and coloration with _M. f. nigriauris_ to the southward of San Francisco Bay, but lacks the black on the head which characterizes _nigriauris_. The larger variant, on which the description here used for _munda_ is based, comprises animals which differ from _nigriauris_ in larger size, darker color, reduced white facial markings, and larger, relatively wider skull. Both of the variants mentioned above are sharply distinct from _nigriauris_ on the basis of coloration of the inside of the ear which is blackish in nigriauris like the dark facial markings, and in _munda_ is colored like the back. _M. f. munda_ lacks the dark facial markings; an occasional specimen has at most, a trace of the markings but this does not extend back so far as the ears. This difference, blackish versus non-blackish face, persists eastward of San Francisco Bay to at least as far as the Carquinez Straits, where a specimen of _munda_ is available from 4 miles north of Vallejo and one of _nigriauris_ from Glen Frazer Station on the south shore opposite Vallejo.

Intergradation with _M. f. nevadensis_ and possibly with _M. f. saturata_ is indicated by specimens from South Yolla Bolly Mountain, Trinity County. In them the external measurements and measurements of the skull are intermediate. Also the white frontal spot is much reduced in size. The white bars in front of the ears are absent in three specimens, and weakly developed in the other two. The relative proportions of the skulls as a whole are nearer those of _nevadensis_ or _saturata_ than _munda_. The skull of one of the three adult males and the skull of the adult female suggests _M. f. oregonensis_ in certain features; for example, the dorsal outline of the skull in longitudinal axis is slightly convex as it is in _oregonensis_.

None of the specimens shows malformation of the frontal sinuses such as results from infestation by parasites.

_Specimens examined._--Total number, 37, arranged by counties from north to south. Unless otherwise indicated specimens are in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoölogy.

=California.= _Trinity County_: S. Yolla Bolly Mt., 3[91]; 1/2 mi. S S. Yolla Bolly Mt., 1. _Tehama County_: 2 mi. S S. Yolla Bolly Mt., 1. _Mendocino County_: 6 mi. N Laytonville, 1; Mt. Sanhedrin, 1[87]; Ft. Bragg, 1; Gualala, 1; Point Arena, 5. _Sonoma County_: 2 mi. S and 1 mi. E Stewarts Point, 1; 3 mi. S Stewarts Point P. O., 1; Freestone, 1. _Napa County_: 6 mi. SSW, Napa, 1; 4 mi. N Vallejo, 1. County in question: San Pablo Bay, 1[91]. _Marin County_: 6 mi. W Inverness, 2; 5 mi. W Inverness, 2(1[28]); Point Reyes, 4 (2[91] 1[60], 1[75]); Nicasio, 2 (1[60], 1[75]); Kehoes Ranch, Pierce Point, 1[28]; Drakes Bay, 1[28]; Tomales Point, about 1/2 mi. SW White Gulch, 1; Point Reyes School, 3-3/4 mi. W Inverness, 1; 15 mi. (by road) N San Rafael, 1[52]; Hurley Ranch, 2 mi. W Tomales, 1. No locality more definite than California, 1[7].

=Mustela frenata xanthogenys= Gray

Long-tailed Weasel

Plates 21, 22, 23, 28, 30, 34, 35 and 36

_Mustela xanthogenys_ Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 11:118, 1843.

_Putorius (Gale) brasiliensis frenatus_, Coues, Fur-bearing animals, p. 142, 1877 (part).

_Putorius xanthogenys_, Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, 11:25, June 30, 1896; Bangs, Proc. New England Zoöl. Club, 1:56, June 9, 1899.

_Mustela xanthogenys xanthogenys_, Miller, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull., 79:99, December 31, 1912.

_Mustela frenata xanthogenys_, Hall, Carnegie Instit. Washington Publ. 473:107, November 20, 1936.

_Type._--Male, adult, skull and skin; skull no. 197a-43.6.4.55, skin no. 234a-42.11.21.4, British Museum (Nat. Hist.); from the bank of Sacramento River below mouth of Feather River, or from north shore of San Francisco Bay, California; taken in "1837 or 1838"; presented by Captain Edward Belcher.

The skull (plate 28) lacks the occiput, the right mandible posterior to m1, and the right pterygoid; the right zygomatic arch is fractured. The teeth are not greatly worn. The skin was originally mounted for exhibition (R. I. Pocock in Litt.) but in 1937 when I saw the skin, it was prepared as a conventional study skin. The skin is in fairly good condition; some hair is missing on the hind quarters and the skin of the tail is torn at one place.

_Range._--Altitudinally, less than 600 feet (Fair Oaks); Lower Sonoran and Upper Sonoran life-zones of all but southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, and probably Sacramento Valley, California. See figures 29 and 30 on pages 221 and 314.

_Characters for ready recognition._--Differs from _M. f. nevadensis_ by presence of light facial markings and Buckthorn Brown rather than near (14_n_ to _l_) Brussels Brown color of upper parts; from _M. f. munda_ by Buckthorn Brown rather than near (_l_) Sudan Brown, or near (_l_) Antique Brown color of upper parts and lesser size, in adult males basilar length less than 45 and hind foot less than 47; from _M. f. nigriauris_ by lighter color in same way as from _munda_ and also by having inside of ears same color as back rather than much darker than back; from _M. f. pulchra_ in hind foot of males less than 46 and narrower skull, in males having breadth of rostrum less than 13.9 and mastoid breadth less than 26.0, see comparison of skulls in the account of _pulchra_.

_Description._--_Size._--Male: Three adults, from Fresno, Selma and Los Banos, measure, respectively as follows: Total length, 425, 417, 450; length of tail, 152, 154, 180; length of hind foot,--, 43, 44. Tail averages 61 per cent as long as head and body. Length of hind foot less than basal length.

Female: Adults from Selma, Los Banos, and 4 mi. SW Turlock, measure respectively as follows: Total length, 357, 365, 395; length of tail, 133, 132, 145; length of hind foot, 40, 38, 41. Tail averages 58 per cent as long as head and body. Length of hind foot less than basal length.

The average differences in external measurements between the two sexes, as represented by these six specimens, are: Total length, 65; length of tail, 25; length of hind foot, 3.5. One adult male weighs 274 grams and 2 adult females 182 and 214 grams.

_Externals._--As described in _Mustela frenata nigriauris_.

_Color._--Spot between eyes, band confluent with color of underparts on each side of head extending anterodorsally anterior to each ear, and posterior half to third of each upper lip white, or whitish tinged with some shade of yellowish; chin and lower lip white; dark spot posterior to each angle of mouth of varying size but uniformly present; tip of tail black; remainder of upper parts Buckthorn Brown of Ridgway or a trifle browner than tone 4 of Brown Pink of Oberthür and Dauthenay, pl. 297. Upper parts of uniform color except for slight darkening of head-markings anterior to ears. Underparts Ochraceous-Buff to Warm Buff. Color of underparts extends distally on posterior sides of forelegs over toes onto antipalmar faces of feet and wrists, on medial sides of hind limbs over antiplantar faces of toes and sometimes tarsal region. Least width of color of underparts averaging, in 9 specimens from Fresno, Selma and Los Banos, 54 (32-74) per cent of greatest width of color of upper parts. Black tip of tail in three males (one subadult and 3 adults) averages 55 (50-60) mm. long. Thus longer than hind foot and averaging 34 per cent of length of tail-vertebrae.

_Skull and teeth._--Male (based on 2 adults from Fresno and one from Selma): See measurements and plates 21-23, 30. As described in _M. f. nigriauris_ except that: Weight 3.8 grams; basilar length, 43.7 (43.4-43.9); least width of palate more or less than lateral length of P4; length of tympanic bulla more than length of lower molar and premolar tooth-rows.

Female (no. 2626 W. E. Snyder, from Selma): See measurements and plates 34-36. As described in _M. f. nigriauris_ except that: Weight, 2.5 grams; basilar length, 39.4.

The skull of the female is 34 per cent lighter than the average for the three males.

Compared with skulls of _nevadensis_ from the Sierra Nevada, those of the two adult males from Fresno differ as follows: M1 wider (transversely); tympanic bullae narrower; preorbital part of skull smaller. Comparison with _pulchra_ is made in the account of that subspecies. Compared with skulls of adult males of _nigriauris_, from Santa Clara County, the two skulls from Fresno are generally smaller and in basilar length, length of tooth-rows and measurements of the teeth fall below the minimum for _nigriauris_. Relative proportions of the skulls are approximately the same. Comparison with _munda_ reveals essentially the same differences as does comparison with _nigriauris_ except that the difference in size is greater.

_Remarks._--The name _Mustela xanthogenys_ Gray was long applied to all the weasels of the interior valleys of California and of the coast of that state south of San Francisco Bay. Gray, when he named the species and when referring to it in later accounts, never defined the locality whence the specimen came more definitely than "California." In 1896, Merriam (1896:25) gave the type locality as "Southern California, probably vicinity of San Diego" and later writers have not contradicted him. The type specimen was obtained in the course of the voyage of the British ship Sulphur, under command of Sir Edward Belcher. Examination of Belcher's (1843, vol. 1, p. 129) narrative of the voyage indicates the following places in California at which the specimen of weasel, described by Gray, could have been obtained: Fort Ross, Bodega, vicinity of San Francisco Bay and up Sacramento River to the mouth of the Feather River, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Buenaventura, San Pedro, San Juan, and San Diego.

Reginald I. Pocock has kindly compared the type specimen in the British Museum with several specimens sent for that purpose. In the first place, comparison of skulls shows that the type specimen is a member of one of the races north of San Diego. In the second place, comparison of skins shows that the inside of the ears are not blackish but similar in color to the back. In fact, Pocock writes under date of February 12, 1929, regarding the type specimen, that "It is practically uniformly colored from the snout to the base of the tail, there being scarcely a trace of the darkening of the head, or muzzle, observable in your specimens [those sent for comparison]." This character of coloration of the ear excludes all the weasels of the Coast region of California from San Francisco Bay southward, namely, _M. f. latirostra_ and _M. f. nigriauris_. My own examination of this type specimen at a date later than that on which Pocock compared it satisfies me as to the accuracy of his statement above.

Accordingly, the name _xanthogenys_ would seem to apply to one of the two subspecies here called _munda_ and _xanthogenys_. Perusal of Belcher's narrative of the voyage (_loc. cit._) shows that little, if any, opportunity was afforded to obtain vertebrate specimens at Fort Ross or Bodega, both localities within the range of the subspecies here called _munda_. Furthermore, the type specimen is smaller than individuals of _munda_ from 5 to 6 miles west of Inverness and from Point Arena with which the animals from Fort Ross and Bodega would be expected to agree in size. Weasels from along the north shore of San Francisco Bay are smaller than those on the coast north of the bay. Possibly the type specimen of _xanthogenys_ came from the north side of San Francisco Bay but probably it came from the bank of the Sacramento River and almost certainly not farther up stream from San Francisco Bay than the junction of the Sacramento and Feather rivers. The statement of Belcher (1843, vol. 1, p. 129), regarding the trip up the Sacramento River as far as Point Victoria, lat. 38°46´47" north, and return to San Francisco Bay, that "Cuyote or jackal--fox, racoon, land otter, weasel, and squirrel were obtained" lends strong probability to the idea that this type specimen was taken along the Sacramento River, possibly in the vicinity of the existing city of Sacramento. Unfortunately no specimens are available from the Sacramento Valley. If some were available, a comparison of them and specimens of _munda_ from along the north side of San Francisco Bay and Carquinez Straits with the type specimen of _xanthogenys_ should determine the correct application of the name. For the present it seems best to retain the name _munda_ and apply the name _xanthogenys_ to the weasels inhabiting the northern part of the San Joaquin Valley and presumably the southern part of the Sacramento Valley.

Efforts to obtain specimens of weasels from the Sacramento Valley have been in vain. A juvenal specimen taken five miles south of Fair Oaks, Sacramento County, by Mr. John Fitzgerald, Jr., in December, 1927, was examined at his home and found to agree in coloration with specimens from farther south. Geographically, this specimen probably is more nearly a topotype than any other examined.

Most of the specimens examined are immature and adequate adult cranial material has not been seen. Two adults, one of each sex, from Los Banos have skulls of large size which agree with those of _nigriauris_. The same is true of one adult and one young female from 4 miles southwest of Turlock, which, unlike the animals from Los Banos, show a darkening of the head extending in reduced degree even to the inside of the ears, as in _nigriauris_. The slightly darker than average (for _xanthogenys_) color on the back may indicate intergradation with _nevadensis_. Intergradation with _M. f. nevadensis_ is shown by specimens, from the southern part of the Sierra Nevada, mentioned in the account of _nevadensis_.

None of the skulls shows malformation of the frontal sinuses such as result from infestation by parasites.

_Specimens examined._--Total number 30, arranged by counties from north to south.

=California.= _Sacramento County_: Bank of Sacramento River, 1[7]; 5 mi. S Fair Oaks, 1[29]. _San Joaquin County_: 4 mi. W Stockton, 1[74]. _Merced County_: Tegner School, 4 mi. SW Turlock, 2; Los Banos, 4 (2[74], 1[91] 1[87]). _Fresno County_: Mendota, 1[74]; Biola, 1[30]; Clovis, 1[55]; Fresno, 5 (1[74], 1[91], 2[55], 1[1]); 5 mi. W Fresno, 1[14]; Selma, 3 (2[50], 1[104]); 4 mi. NW Sanger, 1[55]; 5 mi. S Selma, 1[62]. _Tulare County_: Monson, 1[74]; 1-1/2 mi. N Goshen, 1[74]; Milo, 1[91]; 2 mi. N Tipton, 1[74]; Poplar, 2[53]. No locality more definite than California, 1[4].

=Mustela frenata nigriauris= Hall

Long-tailed Weasel

Plates 22, 23, 24, 34, 35, 36 and 41

_Mustela frenata nigriauris_ Hall, Carnegie Instit. Washington Publ. 473:95, November 20, 1936.

_Putorius xanthogenys_, Baird, Mamm. N. Amer., 1858, p. 176 (part).

_Mustela xanthogenys_ Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 14(ser. 4):375, 1874 (part?).

_Putorius (Gale) brasiliensis frenatus_, Coues, Fur-bearing animals, p. 142, 1877 (part).

_Putorius xanthogenys xanthogenys_, Grinnel, Proc. California Acad. Sciences, fourth series, 3:292, August 28, 1913.

_Mustela xanthogenys xanthogenys_, Miller, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull., 79:99, December 31, 1912; Grinnell, Univ. California Publ. Zoöl., 40:102, September 26, 1933.

_Type._--Male, adult, skeleton and skin; no. 32820, Mus. Vert. Zoöl.; Half Moon Bay, San Mateo County, California; received at Museum of Vertebrate Zoölogy, May 4, 1922, through A. L. Hagedoorn, after having been in captivity a few days where death occurred owing to injuries received in trap; original no. 1590.

The skull has each of the zygomatic arches and the anterior end of the nasals broken through. The only part missing is the central two millimeters of the left zygomatic arch. The teeth all are present and entire. The skeleton appears to be complete except for the bones of the feet, which are preserved within the skin. The skin is well made and in good condition.

_Range._--Altitudinally, sea level to more than 4000 feet; Sonoran and Transition life-zones of Coast Range and coast of California from San Francisco Bay south to Point Conception, Santa Barbara County, California. See figures 29 and 30 on pages 221 and 314.

_Characters for ready recognition._--Differs from _M. f. munda_, _xanthogenys_, and _pulchra_ by having inside of ears darker than back rather than same color as back, and from _xanthogenys_ and _pulchra_ in near (_l_) Antique Brown color of upper parts rather than Buckthorn Brown or near (16 _j_) Buckthorn Brown to near (_h_) Yellow Ocher respectively; from _M. f. latirostra_ by postorbital breadth, of adult males and females, less, rather than more, than width of basioccipital measured from medial margin of one foramen lacerum posterior to its opposite.

_Description._--_Size._--Male: Five adults from Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, yield average and extreme measurements as follows: Total length, 447 (412-465); length of tail, 167 (147-175); length of hind foot, 46 (45-47). Corresponding measurements of four adults from San Francisco are: 412 (394-435); 153 (145-160); 43.5 (41-46). Corresponding measurements of five adults and subadults from Berkeley, Alameda County, are: 419 (390-448); 148 (135-160); 44 (42-47). Tail averages 59 per cent as long as head and body in series from Palo Alto and in one from San Francisco. The average of 55 for the Berkeley series probably reflects a lesser average age. Length of hind foot less than basal length. The type specimen measures, 415, 150, 43. It is smaller than the mean.

Female: A subadult from Palo Alto measures: Total length, 368; length of tail, 126; length of hind foot, 39. An adult and two subadults from Berkeley measure, respectively, as follows: Total length, 347, 365, 340; length of tail, 134, 123, 125; length of hind foot, 37, 38.4, 36.5. In these four females the tail averages 55 per cent as long as head and body. Length of hind foot less than basal length.

The average differences in external measurements of the two sexes, as represented by specimens from Berkeley, Alameda County, are: Total length, 68; length of tail, 21; length of hind foot, 7. Eight adult males weigh 249 (217-335) grams and one adult female 123 grams.

_Externals._--Longest facial vibrissae brownish like dark color of head and extending beyond ear; carpal vibrissae mostly color of underparts and extending to apical pad of fifth digit; hairiness of foot-soles slightly more than shown in figure 20.

_Color._--Spot between eyes, band, confluent with color of underparts, on each side of head extending anterodorsally anterior to ear, and posterior third of each upper lip tinged with color of underparts or, less often, pure white; chin and lower lips white; remainder of sides and top of head posteriorly to, or a little behind, a line connecting posterior margins of ears, blackish; inside of pinna of ear, and sometimes outside of pinna, blackish; dark spot posterior to each angle of mouth present on each side in three-fourths of specimens; tip of tail black; remainder of upper parts near (_l_) Antique Brown, and with more yellow than tone 3 of Raw Umber of Oberthür and Dauthenay, pl. 301. Often with more blackish and red in winter. Underparts near (_a_ to _c_) Ochraceous-Buff or Ochraceous-Salmon. Ochraceous-Salmon in some juveniles. Color of underparts extends distally on posterior sides of forelegs over toes onto antipalmar faces of feet and wrists, and on medial sides of hind limbs over antiplantar faces of toes. Least width of color of underparts averaging, in 17 adult males (Berkeley, 5; San Francisco, 5; Palo Alto, 7), 55 (40-73) per cent of greatest width of color of upper parts. Black tip of tail in same series of males averaging 51 (35-60) mm., thus averaging longer than hind foot and 33 per cent of length of tail (Palo Alto and San Francisco, 31 per cent; Berkeley, 35 per cent). In 8 adult females, least color of underparts amounts to 55 (47-62) per cent of greatest width of color of upper parts. Black tip of tail averages 41.5 (28-50) mm., thus averaging longer than hind foot and 32 per cent of length of tail-vertebrae.