CONEPATUS. SPILOGALE. 519 



Measurements. Total length, 575; tail vertebrae, 129; hind foot, 74. 

 Skull: basal length, 67.5; zygomatic breadth, 50.5; palatal length, 

 32.5; length of last upper molar on its outer side, 8. 



The little spotted skunks are, in appearance, the prettiest mem- 

 bers of the tribe, their variously spotted and striped black and white 

 coats making them very attractive. But their favorable qualities are 

 all in their dress, for they are as odoriferous for their size as their 

 larger brethren. These little animals have habits very similar to those 

 of the large skunks, are omnivorous, and are often found in the vi- 

 cinity of streams and lakes. They have been divided into rather 

 numerous species, some of which are difficult to determine. 



99. Spilogale. Striped or Spotted Skunks. 



T 3-3. p i-i. p 3-3. TUT i-i _ ,. 



i-^> ^-M> r >^; M -^ 34. 



Spilogale Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1865, p. 150. Type Mephitis in- 



terrupta Rafinesque. 



"Head conical ; nose short, underside with a distinct central groove ; 

 muzzle small, bald, rather notched in front; nostrils lateral; tail short, 

 cylindrical, bushy, not so long as the body, ending in a long pencil 

 of hair; hind feet moderate; sole bald, flat, the front portion divided 

 into four oblong pads, the central one small and triangular, before 

 the others, hinder part narrow; front claws elongate, brown; false 

 grinders y$ ; upper tubercular grinder square, moderate sized. " (Gray, 

 I.e.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES. 



A. Skull narrow, arched. 



a. Size small; not over 415 mm. PAGE 



a/ Tail with tip only white 5. pygmcea 519 



b/ Tail with apical third white. 



a." Bands on thighs present 5. ambigua 521 



b." Bands on thighs absent. 



a.'" Size small; total length 345 mm. .5. angustifrons 521 



b."' Size large; total length, 378 mm. .5. a. tropicalis 521 



c/ Tail with apical half white S. a. martirensis 521 



b. Size large; over 415 mm S. interrupta 523 



B. Skull broad, flat 5. lucasana 523 



496. pygmaea (Spilogale}, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1897, p. 898. 

 SINALOA SPOTTED SKUNK. 



Type locality. Rosario, State of Sinaloa, Mexico. 



