1896.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 199 



The Pine Marten, Mustela americana, does not seem to have been 

 noted farther south than central Pennsylvania in the Allegheny 

 Range, no records for Tennessee or N. Carolina being extant, to my 

 knowledge. 



Genus MEPHITIS Cuvier. 



35. Mephitis mephitica elongata Bangs. Carolina Skunk. 



Reported to be rare in the Mississippi lowlands. I rarely detected 

 the signs of this animal in Tennessee, though every one seems to be 

 acquainted with the animal in all localities visited except, perhaps, 

 on the summits of highest mountains. 



Mr. Bangs has separated^^ the skunk of the East Canadian fauna 

 from the southern animal, giving the latter a new subspecific name, 

 as above. 



Family URSID-aJ. 

 Genus URSTJS Linnseus. 



36. TJrsus americanus Pallas. American Black Bear. 



Bears are now very scarce, even in the wildest territory of the 

 State, but formerly this species was wonderfully plentiful in the cane- 

 brakess of West Tennessee. It is difficult to credit the straight for- 

 ward anecdotes narrated by David Crockett of his experiences with 

 this game in the bottoms of Obion County. On one occasion he 

 killed four bears in one day and 105 in less than one year. 



The hunters at Reelfoot Lake, think they are all killed off and 

 say that none have been shot for several years. Mr. Miles writes 

 that " A bear was killed in the west border of Haywood County 

 in 1865 — the last one I think — though in Lauderdale County, one 

 is occasionally killed now." 



Dr. Merriam found bears in the Great Smoky Mountains in 1887, 

 but I was told that none have been seen on Roan Mountain for 

 several years. On the Cumberland plateau they seem to have been 

 practically exterminated. 



Family CKTSTDM. 

 Genus TJROCYON Baird. 



37. Urocyoncinereoargenteus (Miill.). Gray Fox. 



Found all over the State but said to be supplanted by the Red 

 Fox in western portions, where it is less common than formerly. It 



13 



Proc. Bost. Soc. N. Hist., 1895, pp. 1-7. 



