VOL. XV, PP. 241-242 DECEMBER 16, 1902 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



THREE NEW SKUNKS OF THE GENUS SPILOGALE. 

 BY ARTHUR H. HOWBLL. 



A study of the skunks of this genus reveals three apparently 

 undescribed forms, which, in advance of a more formal paper 

 on the genus, are here briefly characterized. 



Spilogale tenuis sp. nov. 



Type from Arkins, Colorado, $ adult, No. 99,365, U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 Biological Survey Collection. Collected Nov. 13, 1899, by R. 8. Weldon. 

 Original number, 2198 X. 



General characters. Similar in markings to Spilogale leucoparia, but 

 lateral stripes narrower; frontal patch long and narrow (in type speci 

 men, 32x16 mm.); terminal third of tail white. 



Skull. Similar in general shape to that of indianola, but longer, and 

 relatively narrower; braincase broad, and very flat; rostrum, postorbital 

 region, and anterior portion of braincase very narrow; palate long. 



Measurements. Type: total length, 450; tail vertebrae, 165; hind foot, 

 51. Skull (of type): basilar length of Hensel, 52; zygomatic breadth, 34.7; 

 mastoid breadth, 32.5; interorbital breadth, 14.3. 



*If the rule for fixing generic types recently promulgated by a num 

 ber of working zoologists (see Science, N. S., Vol. XVI, p. 114, July 18, 

 1902) be generally adopted, as seems probable, the name Spilogale will 

 have to be used for the little spotted skunks, instead of Mephitis, the 

 name which I advocated in my previous paper in the present volume 

 (pp. 2-6). 



47 BIOL. SOC. WASH. VOL. XV, 1902. (241) 



