58 



311 Ihr — A Nov MooHc from Afasl-n. 



Color. — General color a grizzle of black and woodbrown darkening 

 along spine and changing abruptly to clear black on chest, l)uttocks, and 

 lower part of sides. Median line of belly hairbrown. Leg8 hair-])rown 

 or broccoli-brown with darker shading. Head like back, but more finely 

 grizzled. Ears yellowish white internally, broccoli-brown externally. 



Skull and teeth. — The skull of Aires gigds differs from that of A. aineri- 

 canm in iis larger size and greater massiveness, as well as in certain de- 

 tails of form. Chief among the latter is the great breadth of the palate, 

 relatively to the length of the toothrow. In three males of .1. f/igns the 

 ratio of least palatal breadth (between anterior premolars) to length of 

 toothrow is respectively 47.1, 47.1, and 44.7. In three males of A. amrri- 

 canus it is only 36, 36, and 39. In this respect .4/ce.s , 9 1'^a.s resembles Aires 

 aires, though the Alaskan animal shows no approach to the conspicuous 

 deepening of the antorbital portion of the skull, or the peculiar form of 

 the jiremaxillary characteristic of the European s})ecies. The occiput is 

 relatively higher and narrower than in .1. aiin'rlrdnns. In two males of 

 the latter the ratio of depth between inion and lower lip of foramen mag- 

 num to greatest width acro.ss paroccipital processes is 68.5 and 72.2, while 

 in three of A. gigas it is SI. 8, S4.S, and 87.5. 



Mrasaremenis. — Of the following tables of measurements the first is based 

 on data furnished by Mr. De Weese. The skull of Aires ameriraivis, meas- 

 urements of which are given in the second, is that of a very large indi- 

 vidual from Maine, considerably older than any of the specimens of 

 A. gigas. 



Extrrnal Measurements of A Ires gig((s. 



r 



I 



Number and sex -| 



I 



L 



Tip of nose to l)ase of tail 



Tail vertebne 



Ear from crown . 



Height at shoulder 



Shnulder to hip 



Kejith of l)ody at shoulder. . . . 

 C'iicumfei'ence of body at center 

 Tip of nose to angle of mouth . . 



o 



(M 



CD 

 CO 



2550 

 76.2 



255.7 

 1955 

 1574 



812 

 2032 



152.4 



Of 



00 



1 — I 



CD 



2562 

 88.9 



297 

 1930 

 1651 



851 

 2082 



177.8 



-hi 



CO 

 00 



2946 

 101 

 304 



2032 



1701 

 914 



2184 

 177. 





CD 



00 



2946 

 101 

 304 



2032 



1727 

 927 



2235 

 179 



CD 



CD 



CO 



CO 



3048 



lOL 



304 

 2034 

 1752 



965 

 228(i 



177.8 



