MAMMALIA, 95 
respectively to the Wolves and Jackals of the Old World. Both groups occur on 
the Mexican plateau—distinct species of the latrans or Prairie Wolf type having 
been recorded from Tamaulipas, Durango, Puebla, etc., as far as Guatemala, and an 
unknown form is said to occur in Costa Rica. A second genus, Urocyon, commonly 
regarded as a Fox, extends from the Eastern States of North America, through 
Central America (Mexico, Yucatan, Guatemala), to Colombia in South America. 
There are reasons for thinking that Urocyon is more nearly allied to the South 
American group of Canide typitied by Cerdocyon thous than to Vulpes. If this be so, 
the genus constitutes an interesting geographical link between the Canide of North 
America and those of South America. In the iatter continent there is a very large 
number of species ranging from the extreme north to Cape Hern and the Falkland 
Islands. These are referable to several groups possibly of generic status; but none 
of these can be definitely affiliated with Canis or Vulpes or other genera inhabiting 
North America and the Old World. The apparent absence from the tropical countries 
and highlands of Central America of Canide related to the forest and Andean species 
of South America is a singular fact. 
Mustelide.—The dominant Central American Mustelids appear to be Skunks, which 
are represented by Mephitis ranging from Canada to Guatemala, Spilogale from the 
Southern United States through Mexico to Costa Rica, and Conepatus with much the 
same northern limits as Spiloga/e, but extending throughout South America to ‘Tierra 
del Fuego, mostly at high levels. Weasels (Mustela) range all over Europe, Central 
and Northern Asia, North America, and thence southwards through Central America 
into the northern countries of South America. The remaining terrestrial forms, the 
Tayra (Zayra = Galera) and the Grison (Grison = Galictis), are more southern in 
distribution. The former is found in Vera Cruz, Nicaragua, Panama, Guiana, Peru, 
Brazil, etc., and the latter in Honduras, Yucatan, Costa Rica, and thence southwards to 
Patagonia. Finally, Otters (Lutra) are represented in Cental America by two species, 
one described from Jalisco, the other from Nicaragua. This genus is practically 
cosmopolitan in the Old World, apart from Madagascar and the Australian Region, 
its exceptionally wide range being possibly connected with independence of 
terrestrial barriers resulting from its power of making its way by swimming along 
coast-lines. 
Felide.—Cats are abundant everywhere, and belong to many distinct groups, probably 
of generic value. ‘The short-tailed or Lynx-group, which is widely distributed over 
Northern Europe, Asia, and North America, enters Mexico (Tamaulipas, Sinaloa). The. 
Puma-group, which has no close kinship with Lions and Leopards of the Old World, 
ranges from the confines of Canada to Patagonia and occurs in Central America at both 
high and low levels from Mexico to Panama. The other species of this family— 
belonging to a variety of groups akin to the Jaguar (F. onca), Ocelot (#. pardalis), 
Eyra (Ff. eyra) groups, etc.—are related to the South American species of those 
