30 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 75 



two specimens at hand from Chekiang as already mentioned. As 

 far as actual differences are concerned, one would be justified in in- 

 dentifying all my eight Chinese examples as belonging to one race, 

 but it is believed likely that adequate material would shoAv that the 

 west China animal is distinct. The Kansu pelt is very dark with the 

 extreme proximal portion of the hairs black instead of white. But 

 this example is very young and it is known that juveniles of Meles 

 may be considerably darker than adults. The skulls of these 

 specimens are too variable in age to be of much use in the present 

 connection. 



Family VIVERRIDAE 



Genus VIVERRA Linnaeus 



VrVERRA ZroETHA ASHTONI Swinhoe 



Viverra ashtoni Swinhoe, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1864, p. 379 (Suykaou, 

 Kiver Min, Fukien, China). 



Specimen. — One from Futsing, Fukien. 



This race has at various times been considered as identical with 

 true zibetha. The specimen at hand certainly seems to be sub- 

 spefically distinct from what is evidently typical of the latter and 

 as it is from near the type locality of ashtoni it seems wiser to call 

 it that. It does not agree very well either with Swinhoe's poorh' 

 executed figure or with his description, probably for the reason that 

 the type was evidently in thin summer coat while the present example 

 is in especially luxuriant winter pelage. Details that may be men- 

 tioned consist of the absence of dark barring upon the lower shoul- 

 ders, the dorsal crest as long and as black as typicus^ and the pure 

 white rings of the tail. 



VIVERRA ZIBETHA FILCHNERI Matschie 



Ylvarra filclmeri Matschie:, Wissens, Erg. Exped. Filchner China und Tibet, 

 vol. 10, pi. 1, 1908, p. 192 (Hinganfu, Shensi, China). 



S'peci/tnens. — Six: 2 each from Wachin and Yachowfu, Szechwan; 

 Yochow, Hunan, 1 ; and Yunnan, 1. 



Five of these are hunter's skins without skulls and it is Avith some 

 hesitation that they are thus identified. They differ slightly from 

 the Fukien pelt of ashtoni in being paler upon the sides and in hav- 

 ing the incipient spots or wavj? lines of the flanks somewhat more 

 distinct. But the Fukien pelt is in heavier pelage than any of the 

 others and the apparent differences may be due only to this fact. 

 The Yunnan skin is of a half grown animal and the pale head and 

 neck markings are mostly gray instead of whitish. 



