Mcrriam Four New Arctic Foxes. 17 1 



skull decidedly shorter, as shown in shorter basioccipital and basisphenoid 

 and in the distance from foramen magnum to plane of upper sectorial; 

 similarly, the lower sectorial is nearer the condyle. Under jaw much 

 broader vertically and more bellied under sectorial. 



Measurements. Skull of type specimen: basal length 118; zygomatic 

 breadth 70; palatal length 63; postpalatal length 55; breadth of rostrum 

 at second premolar 26; upper carnassial (on cingulum) 12.5; first upper 

 molar (transverse diameter from notch on outer side) 9.5. 



Vulpes pribilofensis sp. nov. 



Type from St. George Island, Pribilof Islands, Bering Sea. No. 42,624, 

 $ ad., U. S. National Museum, Biological Survey Collection. August, 

 1891. C. Hart Merriam. 



Characters. Largest of the lagopus group. Skull much elongated, 

 resembling that of a Red fox more than that of the Arctic foxes; 

 rostrum long and set far forward, the postpalatal length exceeding that 

 of any other known form. In the type specimen the frontals are narrow 

 anteriorly and the postorbital processes are only slightly developed. In 

 skulls from St. Paul Island the frontal shield is broader and the postor 

 bital processes are much more prominent. Contrasted with skulls of 

 Vulpes from the mainland (St. Michaels and Lower Yukon region) the 

 differences are very marked. F. pribilofensis* is larger throughout but 

 the difference is most marked in the total length and zygomatic breadth, 

 and in the greater production of the rostrum. The rostrum is not only 

 longer but is set much farther forward so that the postpalatal length is 

 very much greater. In most specimens the palatal and ppstpalatal lengths 

 are subequal, but in one or two skulls of old males from St. Paul Island the 

 palatal length considerably exceeds the postpalatal. [In F. innuitus the 

 postpalatal length is always very much less than the palatal.] The brain- 

 case is longer and flatter; the sagittal crest more strongly developed poste 

 riorly; the frontal hump (at base of nasals) more marked. The teeth are 

 essentially the same as in innuitus. The species requires no comparison 

 with the small F. Jiallensis from Hall and St. Matthew islands. 



Cranial measurements. Skull of type specimen ($ ad.): basal length 

 127; zygomatic breadth 72; palatal length 66; postpalatal length 61 ; breadth 

 of rostrum at second premolar 25; upper carnassial (on cingulum) 12.5; 

 first upper molar (transversed diameter from notch on outer side) 9.5. 

 An old $ from St. Paul Island: basal length 130; zygomatic breadth 78; 

 palatal length 67; postpalatal length 62; breadth of rostrum at second 

 premolar 26. 



Vulpes beringensis sp. nov. 



* 



Type from Bering Island, Bering Sea. No. 47,109, [ 9 yg. ad.], U. S. 

 National Museum, Biological Survey Collection. June 3, 1892. B. W. 

 Evermann. 



