VOL. XIV, PP. 99-104 JULY 19, 1901 



\ 



PROCEEDINGS 



or THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



SIX NEW MAMMALS FROM COZUMEL 

 ISLAND, YUCATAN. 



BY C. HART MKRRIAM. 



Early in April, 11)01, E. W. Nelson and E. A. Goldman, 

 while engaged in field work in Yucatan under the auspices of 

 the Biological Survey of the IT. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 visited the island of Co/umel and spent two weeks in collecting 

 mammals and birds. During this period they secured 190 spec 

 imens of birds and 51 specimens of mammals. The mammals 

 comprise 1 six species, all of which are new. They consist of a 

 Raccoon, a Nasua, an Opossum, a Peccary, a Rice Rat, and a 

 AVhite-footed Mouse. With the single exception of the Opos 

 sum, all are strikingly distinct from their nearest relatives on 

 the mainland. This is the more surprising in view of the fact 

 that Co/umel is distant only 10 miles from the adjacent shores 

 of Yucatan. The Opossum, Rice Rat, and Mouse are larger 

 than the nearest related forms on the mainland; the Rac 

 coon, Nasua, and Peccary so nMich smaller that they may al 

 most be Spoken of as pygmies. 



The only mammal heard of which was not secured is a small 

 Gray Fox (fVoo/o//) reported by the natives as rather rare, but 

 more common on the eastern and southern parts of the island. 

 From the accounts it agrees with the Raccoon, Nasua, and Pec 

 cary in being much smaller than the mainland species. 



17 BIOL. Soc. WASH. VOL. XIV, 190L (99) 



