Vol. XIV, pp. 99-104 July 19, 1901 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



SIX NEW MAMMALS FROM COZUMEL 

 I SL AX D, YUC ATAX . 



I^Y C. HAKT MKUUIAM. 



Pearly in Ajiril, I'.tOl, E. W. Xclson and E. A. (Toldman, 

 wlaile engage*! in field work in Yucatan under the auspices of 

 the Biological Survey of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 visited the island of Cozumel and s})ent two weeks in collecting 

 mammals and hirds. During this period they secured 190 si»ec- 

 imens of hirds and .■) 1 sj)eciniens of mammals. The mammals 

 comin'ise six s))ecies, all of which arc new. They consist- of a 

 Raccoon, a Xasiia, an ()possum, a Peccary, a Rice Rat, and a 

 White-footed .AIousc. With the single exception of tlu' Opos- 

 sum, all are sti-ikingly distinct fi'om their nearest relatives on 

 tlie mainland. This is the more surprising in view of the fact 

 that Co/unu'I is distant only lu miles from the adjacent sliorw 

 of Yucatan. The Opossum, Rice Rat, and Mouse are largei- 

 than the nearest related forms on tlie mainlan<l; the Rac- 

 coon, Xasua, and Peccai-y so mHU-li smaller that they may al- 

 most he spoken of as ])ygmies. 



' The (inlv mammal heard of which was not secured is a small 

 Grav Fox (rr>ici/(tii) rejiortcil hy the natives as rather rare, l>ut 

 more common on the eastern and southern parts of the island. 

 From the accounts it agrees with the Raccoon, Xasua, and Pec- 

 cary in l)eing mucdi smaller than the maiuland species, 



17— Biol. Soc. Wa.sh. Vol. XIV, 1901, (99)- - 



