VOL. XI, PP. 185-187 JULY 1, 1897 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW BASSARISCUS FROM LOWER 



CALIFORNIA, WITH REMARKS ON 



' BASSARIS RAPTOrR' BAIRD. 



BY C. HART MERRIAM. 



Among the mammals obtained on Espiritu Santo Island by 

 Mr. J. E. McLellan, in August, 1895, are three specimens of Bas- 

 sariscus belonging to an apparently undescribed species. The 

 animal is decidedly smaller and grayer than B. astutus flavus 

 Rhoads, its nearest known relative, and differs also in cranial 

 and dental characters. It lives among the rocks near the beach, 

 and is said to feed on crabs. 



Bassariscus saxicola sp. nov. 



Type from Espiritu Santo Island, Lower California. No. 79031, 9 1 ( !> 

 U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Coll. Collected August 19, 1895, by 

 J. Ellis McLellan. Original No. 1438. 



General characters. Similar to B. astutus flavus, but smaller and grayer; 

 tail more slender, with the black rings relatively broader. 



Color. Type specimen in summer pelage: Upper parts drab-brown, 

 abundantly mixed along the back with black-tipped hairs ; under parts 

 pale ochraceous buffy; tail with 8 or 9 black rings, incomplete on under 

 side ; under side with 8 white triangles (the uppermost not well defined); 

 ear : basal, f dark ; .apical, ^ whitish ; top of head grizzled ; sides of face 

 marked by a dark patch between eyes and nose (including whiskers), and 

 a larger, grizzled patch between eye and ear ; cheek below eye and patch 

 over posterior orf of eye buffy. 



Cranial and dental characters. Skull similar to that of B. astutus flavus, 

 but smaller ; rostrum narrower; temporal impressions much nearer to 

 gether ; audital bullse fuller anteriorly, their bases more abruptly rounded 

 antero-externally ; anterior nares reaching farther back superiorly ; fron- 



44 BIOL. Soc. WASH., VOL. XI, 1897 (185) 



