9. ZORILLA. 139 



triangular, before the others, hinder part narrow ; front claws elon- 

 gate, brown. False grinders | ; upper tubercular grinder square, 

 moderate-sized (Lichtenstein, Abh. Akad. Berl. 1836, t. 1. f. 2, skull). 



Mepliitis, § 2, Gray, Mag. N. H. i. 1837. 

 Spilogale, Gray, P. Z. 6'. 1865, p. 150. 



Spllogale interrupta. (Little Striped Skunk.) B.M. 



Black ; a spot on forehead, a spot on each temple, four streaks on 

 back of neck and withers, a streak on side of body, that is bent up 

 to the middle of the back behind, an interrupted band across rump, 

 a spot on each buttock, and the base and tip of tail white. 



Mepliitis interrupta, Eaftnesqne, An. of Nat. iii. No. 4, 1818 ; Licht. 



Abh. Akad. lierl. 183(5, p. 281, t. 2.'f. 1 (tail not good). 

 Mephitis bicolor, Gray, Ann. N. H. i. p. 583, 1837 {B. 31.) ; Baird, 



Mamm. N.A. p. 197, t. 19 (Mexico). 

 Var. Tail-end black. 



Mephitis zorilla, Licht. Abh. Akad. Berl. 183G, p. 281, t, 2. f. 2 (not 



Durstell.). 

 Le Zorille, Buffon, H. N. xiii. p. 302, t. 41. 



Hah. North America, California {Douglas). 



Prof. Lichtenstein has described two species — one with an oval 

 nose- spot and white tail, the other with a smaU triangular frontal 

 spot and black tail. I have only seen three specimens : one had a 

 black, the other a white, and the last a black-and-white tail. They 

 each had a different-sized and -shaped nose-spot. 



Prof. Liclitenstein has determined that the Zorille of BufFon 

 is the American animal. It had been previously regarded as the 

 Meer-Cat of South Africa. It is figured by Buffon as from America ; 

 but his figure does not accurately represent cither species. 



B. Subdigitigrade. Hind feet rather narrow ; soles hairy, with a narrow, 

 elongate, triangular bald space behind the 2)abn-pads ; toes unequal; 

 elates elongate, slender; tubercular grinders band-like, transverse. — 

 Gray, I. c. p. 150. 



Tribe IV. ZORILLINA. 



Flesh-tooth elongate, Avith a small anterior inner lobe with a 

 single tubercle. 



Zorillina, Gray, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 150. 



9. ZORILLA. 



Head conical. Nose acute, hairy, with a central groove below. 

 Muzzle small, bald, notched in front ; nostrils lateral. Ears rounded, 

 covered with hair. Fore feet strong ; toes imequal, three middle 

 longest ; claws elongate, compressed, acute. Hind foot digitigrade ; 

 sole flat and bald in front, with four unequal, large, convex pads, the 

 hinder part compressed and covered with hair : toes unequal, the two 



