Mammals from. Tres Marias Islands. \i 



Procyon lotor insularis subsp. nov. Tres Marias Raccoon. 



Type from Maria Madre Island, Tres Marias Ids., Mexico. No. 88978 

 c? old, IT. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Coll. Collected May 10, 1897, 

 by E. W. Nelson and E. A. Goldman. Grig. No. 10985. 



Characters. — Similar to P. lotor and hernandezi but smaller and paler; 

 ears smaller and only slightly marked at base ; top of head grayer. 



Cranial characters. — Skull in general similar to those of /'. lotor ami her- 

 nandezi but relatively shorter ; frontals at and behind plane of postorbital 

 processes broader ; squamosal arm of Z3'gomatic arch more expanded ver- 

 tically; mastoid processes decidedly shor er and thicker; pterygoids 

 squarely truncate anteriorly and of even breadth throughout (as seen 

 from below), instead of tapering anteriorly to a thin point or scale as in 

 both lotor and hernandi :i ; audital bulbe slightly smaller than in hernan- 

 dezi, decidedly smaller an 1 less inflated than in lotor. 



Dental characters. — Premolars somewhat larger and more crowded than 

 inlotor; upper carnassial as in lotor — smaller than in hernandezi ; first 

 upper molar about the same size as in lotor and similar in form, smaller 

 than in hernandezi and much less quadrate. 



Measurements. — Type specimen $ ad. : Total length 854 ; tail vertebrae 

 28(5; hind foot 132. An adult J : Total length 735; tail vertebrae 232; 

 hind foot 120. Average of 5 adult males from type locality : Total length 

 841 ; tail vertebrae 287; hind foot 131. 



Remarks. — Mr. Nelson found the Raccoon common on the two larger 

 islands, Maria Madre and Maria Magdalena, but saw no signs of them on 

 Maria Cleofa although told that they occur there sparingly. 



? Zalophus callforuianus (Lesson). Sea-Lion. 



In the absence of positive knowledge as to the identity of the Tres 

 Marias seal, it is referred provisionally to the above species. It is of 

 course possible that the Guadalupe fur-seal [Arctocephalus townsendi) may 

 occur here also. 



Mr. Nelson's notes contain the following: "A large seal or sea-lion, 

 called lobo marino or sea wolf by the Mexicans, was reported to occur at 

 several places on the rocky shores of Maria Magdalena and Maria Cleofa 

 Islands. We beard of them first before leaving San Bias and again when 

 we reached the islands. From the accounts received it was evident that 

 they had been hunted for sport by various visitors until they had become 

 comparatively scarce. We made careful inquiries, and, after learning of 

 the location of the places most frequented by them on both islands, vis- 

 ited these places under the guidance of a tortoise-shell hunter who was 

 very familiar with the shore. Only a single seal was seen ; it was on a 

 rocky islet off the shore of Maria Cleofa, and took to the water and dis- 

 appeared before we could get a shot. Cur guide informed me that at 

 times the seals disappear from the islands for a few days, and this may 

 account for our failure to find them in their usual haunts. The consensus 

 of opinion among the residents of Maria Madre Island was that these 

 animals are now very scarce. Formerly they were found at many places, 



