32 Bangs — Descriptions of Two New Skunks. 



(in M. hudsonica and .1/. occidentalis the end of the palate falls well behind 

 such a line). From M. occidentalis it differs still farther in having larger, 

 rounder audital bullae and the palate ending in an even curve (.1/. occi- 

 dentalis having a reentrant median notch), and from M. hudsonica in 

 having much shorter, broader rostrum, wider nasals, and wider, flatter 

 frontals. 



Remarks. — Mr. Allan C. Brooks has sent me three skins and skulls and 

 one extra skull ( rf old ad. ) of this form, all collected by himself at Sumas, 

 British Columbia. The species belongs to the very distinct hudsonica 

 group, but seems different enough from either hudsonica or occidentalis to 

 merit separation, though it may intergrade with both of them. 



Mephitis avia sp. now 



Type from San Jose, Illinois, No. 5747, rj 1 adult, coll. of E. A. & 0. 

 Bangs. Collected March 10, 1897 ; skinned, measured, and sexed by 

 H. II. & C. S. Brimley. 



General characters. — Size rather small; tail very short; foot of medium 

 length ; heel clothed with long hairs along the sides, a narrow medial 

 strip naked; colors as usual. Skull peculiar. 



Valor. — Black all over, except white frontal stripe, nuchal patch, and 

 two lateral stripes extending back from nuchal patch. Tail very short 

 and bushy, black externally, most of the hairs white at base. 



Measurements. 



Total length. Tail vert. Hind foot. 



No. 5747, type, $ adult 675 190 65 



No. 5783, topotype, cT adult 607 177 65 



Skull. — The type $ adult. Basal length, 62 ; occipito nasal length 65 ; 

 zygomatic breadth 44.6; mastoid breadth 35.4 ; greatest length of single 

 half of mandible 46.4. 



Cranial characters. — Skull short and heavy; highly arched in frontal 

 region ; palate broad at end and without median spine; zygoma broadly 

 expanded at posterior end, then slanting abruptly forward (very different 

 in shape from the more even curve seen in M- mephilicr, M. scrutatoo, etc.) ; 

 mastoid and paroccipital processes very much reduced; mastoid bullae 

 very large and much inflated ; (these two last characters give this part of 

 the skull somewhat the appearance of the skull of Spilogale.) Sagittal 

 crest high ; dentition normal, with the exception of upper carnassial tooth, 

 which is unusually large. 



Remarks. — Mephitis avia needs comparison with but one form, its nearest 

 geographical ally, M. niephilica scrutator. It differs very much from that 

 form in many ways. The short tail, the broad palate without median 

 spine, the large much inflated mastoid bullae, and peculiarly shaped 

 zygoma distinguishing it. 



I have a fine adult female skunk from Denver, Indiana, that is in every 

 way exactly like examples of M. mephitcia scrutator from Massachusetts 



