4 Howell Generic Names of North American /Skunks. 



must be remembered that it is not necessary to show that his 

 figure is a correct representation of a Spilogale: the question 

 is simply, could it have been based on anything else? Had he 

 seen one of the large skunks, it is hardly conceivable that he 

 would have represented an animal with two divergent stripes as 

 having five parallel ones. 



The large skunks of the highlands of Carolina are extremely 

 variable in color, some being almost entirely white on the upper 

 surface of the body and tail, others nearly all black; in no case, 

 however, are there more than two white stripes. The little 

 spotted skunks of the same region, though subject to slight 

 variation, always have the four parallel white stripes. The ac 

 companying plate is presented in order to bring out clearly the 

 resemblance of Catesby's figure to the little spotted skunk and 

 its dissimilarity to the two-striped skunk. The figures of the 

 skins (made from photographs) represent the average color pat 

 terns of the two species occurring in the region in question. 



In view of the foregoing evidence, there seems to be no rea 

 son for doubting that Catesby's Polecat was based entirely on 

 the little spotted skunk occupying the highlands of western 

 Carolina, viz. Spilogale ringens Merriam. If the Florida 

 species should later be shown to range northward as far as South 

 Carolina, Catesby's animal may then be properly referred to 

 that form. 



Since the existence of a species of Spilogale in the region 

 where Catesby traveled became known to naturalists, no one, so 

 far as I know, excepting Dr. Allen, has ever questioned the ap 

 plicability of Catesby's species to some member of that genus. 



Even if it be admitted that there is room for some difference 

 of opinion as to the identification of Catesby's species, it is 

 customary in such cases to adopt the decision of the first author 

 who revises the group. The name Mephitis putorius, based on 

 Catesby's species, was first used by Dr. Coues, who applied it 

 in a broad sense to all the little spotted skunks of North Amer 

 ica.* Some years later, the name was definitely fixed by Dr. 

 Merriam to the Florida species, f Its use by these two authors 

 would seem to be sufficient to establish the name on a firm 

 basis. The only way in which it can now be overthrown is to 



*Fur-bearing Animals, p. 239, 1877. 

 fNorth American Fauna, No. 4, p. 7, 1890, 



