MEPHITIS. 507 



alike in appearance and habits. The skunk is not what may be 

 called gregarious, but frequently a family of five or six may be seen 

 together; more often, however, only single individuals are met with. 

 It is a handsome animal, and the tail is really beautiful, with its long^ 

 flowing black and white hairs waving like a plume. The litters are 

 large, six to eight, possibly occasionally more young are produced at 

 a birth, and these generally remain underground until able to take 

 care of themselves. 



97. Mephitis. Skunks. 



T 3-3. pl^l. p?-l. M i-i _ 

 S-3' ^-i-i' *'3=3' M -2-2-34- 



A. H. Ho well, Revision of the Skunks of the genus Chincha, N. Am. 

 Faun., No. 20, 1901. 



J. A. Allen, The Generic names of the Mephitina, Bull. Am. Mus. 

 Nat. Hist., 1901, p. 325. Id. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., xv, 1902, 

 pp. 59-66. 



Mephitis Cuv., Lecons, d'Anat. Comp., Class Mamm., i, 1800, Tabl. 

 i. Type ? "Les Moufettes." 



Chincha Less., Nouv. Tabl. Regn. Anim., Mamm., 1842, p. 67. 



Leucomitra Howell, N. Am. Faun., No. 20, p. 39, pis. iv, vm. 



Upper posterior molar larger than the carnassial, subquadrate; 

 palate reaching to hinder border of last molar; body elongate; limbs 

 moderate, subplantigrade ; head small, nose pointed; tail long, bushy; 

 anal glands greatly developed. 



KEY TO SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES. 



A. Audital bullae not greatly inflated; divided 



white stripe on back. PAGE 



a. Body stripes narrow M. o. holzneri 507 



b. Body stripes very broad M. m. estor 509 



B. Audital bullae greatly inflated; back all black 

 or all white. 



a. Bullas small. 



a/ Tail longer than body M. macrura 510 



b/ Tail not longer than body M. m. milleri 511 



b. Bullse large M. m. vittata 512 



occidentalis holzneri (Mephitis), Mearns, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xx, 



1897, p. 461. 

 LOWER CALIFORNIA SKUNK. 



Type locality. San Isidro Ranch, Lower California, Mexico, near 

 border of San Diego County, California. 



