MAMMALS MUSTELID^E LUTEA CANADENSIS. 63 



of producing a disease analogous to rabies canina the hydrophobia of 

 dogs and for which he claims the name rabies mephitica. He asserts that 

 the salivary virus is only dangerous when there is a corresponding diminu- 

 tion or disappearance of the peculiar offensive fluid which it uses for defen- 

 sive purposes. A paper, however, is now in course of preparation by Dr. 

 Janeway, of the United States Army, which, it is expected, will disprove 

 the truth of Dr. Hovey's theory. Should Dr. Hovey's theory eventually 

 prove true, the Mephitis should be as ruthlessly exterminated as the Caudi- 



sona (Rattlesnake). 



Subfamily MELINAE. 



Genus TAXIDEA, Waterhouse. 

 TAXIDEA AMERICANA, (Bodd.) JBd. 



American Badger. 



Mclcs taxits var. americamift, BODD., Elcnchus Animalinm, i, 1784, 130. 



Mcles americanus, ZIMM., Perm. Arktiscbe Zoo!., i, 1787, 74 (alter Boddrert). 



Taxidea amcricana, BAIRD, Ma mm. N. A., 1857, 202, pi. 39, f. 2. NEWB., P. E. !{.. 

 Eep., vi, 1857, 45. Coop. & SUCKL., N. H. Wash. Terr., 1800, 117. HAYD., 

 Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc., xii, 1SG2, 143. GRAY, P. Z. S., 1805, 141. COOP., 

 Am. Nat, ii, 1808, 529. STEV., U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr. 1870, 1871, 401. 

 ALLEN, Pr. Bost, Soc., xiii, 1809, 183. ALLEN, Bull. Ess. lust., vi, 1874, 

 40, 54, 59, 03. ALLEN, Proc. Bosfc. Soc., xvii, 1874, 38. AMES, Bull. Minn. 

 Acad., 1874, 09. 



Ursus labradorius, GM., S. N., i, 1788, 102. 



Melcs labradoria, MEYER, Zool. Arch., ii, 179G, 45. J. SAB., App. Frankl. Jour., 

 1823, 049. DEKAY, N. Y. Zool., i, 1842, 27. AUD. & BACU., Quad. N. A., 

 i, 1849, 300, pi. 47. 



Taxus labradoricus, SAY, Long's Exp., i, 1823, 201, 369. 



Mclcs jcjfcrsoni z, HARLAN, Fn. Amer., 1825, 309. 



Very common throughout Western Utah and Eastern Nevada. Several 

 fine skins and crania were obtained. Less abundant in New Mexico and 



Arizona. 



Subfamily LUTRINAE. 



Genus LUTRA. 



LUTEA CANADENSIS, (Turton) Cuv. 

 American tler. 



canaclensis, TURTON, Syst. Nat., i, 1800, 57 (not of the same work, p. 59, nor 

 of Sdireber, Erxleben, and authors. This reference, which appears to have 

 been wholly overlooked heretofore, is the first we Lave found for the species). 



