968 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



A large male which I weighed in the Yellowstone Park, 

 July 29, 1897, was 8| pounds; another, a winter specimen 

 taken in Iowa, weighed 7I pounds. 



General colour black, with a thin stripe down the face 

 between the eyes, and the usual white nape from which a broad 

 white, or creamy white, stripe goes back to the shoulders, 

 where it forks and continues along the sides into the tail, which 

 is of black hairs with white bases, and ends in a blinit black 

 brush. 



Their black and white colour, with their size, their slow 

 movements, and their immense bushy tail, usually held aloft, 

 will distinguish the true Skunks from any other animals found 

 in North America. 



Brown or cream-coloured freaks of most kinds of Skunks 

 have been found. 



At least 8 species of Mephitis are recognized; of these, 3 

 enter Canada. Taking Howell's "Revision"' as a starting 

 point, these may be diagnosed as follows: 



Canada Skunk (M. mephitis Schreber). — Size, large; that 

 is, about 24 inches long, of which the tail is 8 inches; the hind- 

 foot is about 3 inches. The tail short and slender, mixed black 

 and white; all its hairs are white at base; tip, white. The 

 side stripes from shoulder are narrow, but usually reach the 

 tail. Markings constant; skull large and massive. 



Two races- of this are recognized, the typical mephitis, or 

 Northern form, and the Eastern Skunk, M. mephitis putida 

 (Boitard), which differs mainly in being smaller with longer 

 tail; that is, in length about 22 inches, tail about 9 inches, hind- 

 foot about 2| inches. 



Northern Plains Skunk {M. hudsonica Rich.). — Size, 

 very large; that is, length about 28 inches or more, of which the 

 tail is about 10^ inches; the hind-foot 3I inches. The tail 

 is of medium length, heavy and ending in a blunt black brush; 

 skull heavy, with a long palate; zygomata broadly spreading. 



' N. A. Fauna, No. 20, August, 1901. 



' Howell makes them species; I follow Rhoads in making them races. 



