250 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.E. 



?MephltisglimiIl{r, XicM Abb. Ak. Wiss. Bgt\. 1S3C> (IS2B) C Moufette mapurita or Jilaju- 



tiliqid, Gumilla, Orinoco, ii. 21G").—Schinz, Syn. i. 1844, 321, no. 10. 

 Mephitis mvso\eil(A, Licht. Darst. Savig. 1827-34, , pi. 44, f. 2; Abb. Akad. Wiss. Berl. 1836 



(1838), 271, pi. 1, f. 1 {Thiosmus) (Chico, Mexico).— IFftgm. Siippl. Scbreb. ii. 1841, 192, 



pi. 121 A.—Schinz, Syn. i. 1814, 319, no. 3.— .lui. t6 J5ac/i. Q. X. A. ii. 1851, 18, pi. 53.— 



Gieb. Saug. IS-'io, 764.— Baird, M. N. A. 1857, 192 (subg. Thiosmus).— Tomes, P. Z. S. 1861, 



280 {Guatemala).- Jraxi/n.. Arch. f. Naturg. xxvii, 1861, 212. 

 Thiosmus mesoleiira. Less. INTouv. Tabl. R. A. 1842. 66. 



Thiosmus mcsoloueos, Ohatin, Ann. Sci. Nat. 5th ser. xix. 1874, 100, pi. 6, f. 59-63 (anat.). 

 Mephitis leuoonota, Licht. Darst. Sang. 1827-34, , pi. 44, f. 1 ; Abh. Akad. Wiss. Berl. 1836 



(1838), 271 (Thiosmus) (Alvarado, Mexico) .—Schi7iz, Syn. i. 1844, 319, no. 2.— Gieb. Sang. 



1855, 164.— Baird, M. N. A. 1857, 200.— Tomes, P. Z. S. 1861, 280 (Guatemala). 

 Mephitis leuooiiotu intermedia, De Sauss, R. M. Z. 1860, 6. 

 Mephitis nasuta, Bennett, P. Z. S. i. 1833, 39 (California).— Gray, Mag. N. H. i. 1837, — .— 



Fraser, Zool. Typ. no. 4, pL — . 

 Marputius uasuta, Gray, Mag. N. H. i, 1837, 581. 

 Thiosmus nasuta, Less. Nouv. Tabl. R. A. 1842, 66. 

 Conepatus nasutu, vars. nasuta, humboldtii, chilensls et lichtensteinli, Gray, P. Z.S. 



1865, 145, 146, 147; Cat. Carn. Br. Mus. 1869, — . 

 ??" Mephitis castaneus, BOrUg. Voy. Aui6r. M^rid. 21, pi. 12, 13, f. 2."—" Giehel, Odontog. 



35, pi. 13, f. l."—Gieb. Saug. 18-55, 765 (Southern South America). 

 ?" Mephitis furcata, Wagn. Suppl. Scbreb. ii. 1841, 192" (Chili).— Tscfe. Arch. Naturg. 1842, 



248; Fn. Peru. lb44-46, 114 (Peru). 

 ? Mephitis westermauni, Reinh. Vid. Selsk. Forh. 1856, 270. 



? Mephitis americana, vars. D ? , E, F, G, H, I, M? , Q, Desm. Mamra. i. 1820, 186-187.' 

 ? Mephitis amerieana, vars. a, d? , h, m, n, o, p, 8, Grif. An. Kingd. v. 1827, 127, no. 358. 

 ? Mailiei, Patagoniau Maikei, Gray, I. c. 



Hab.— Southwestera border of the United States aud southward through 

 Mexico aud Central and South America. 



Specific characters.— Black or blackish, with a white dorsal area some- 

 times divided by a black vertebral stripe, rarely broken into several por- 

 tions ; tail white, or black aud white. 



Description of external characters.* 



This species differs materially from the North American and 

 Mexican Mephitis proper, in many points of external anatomy, 

 as well as the more essential structural peculiarities upon 

 which the genus Conepatus primarily rests. These secondary 

 generic characters are the same, as far as known, in all the 

 several slight varieties of the (probably) single species which 

 represents the genus. The general configuration of the body 

 and limbs is much the same as in Mephitis; but the physiog- 

 nomy is wholly peculiar, while the short scrubby tail, almost 

 rudimentary ears, and a particular arrangement of the sole- 

 pads, are all highly characteristic. 



The Conepate is the largest of the Skunks, some specimens 

 attaining a length of about two feet, exclusive of the tail; but an 

 ordinary dimension is about a foot and a half from the nose to 



* From specimens from Texas and Mexico, with uninterrupted white 

 dorsal area aud white tail. 



