274 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.E. 



Upper molar. The next molar is large aud more complicated 

 than usual. It presents, in front, a large cusp, wbicli, with the 

 outer one of a pair of median cusps, constitutes the trenchant 

 edge of the tooth ; the inner cusp of the median pair is little 

 smaller than the other. The lower back part of this tooth, or 

 its tuberculous portion, which abuts against the back upper 

 molar, is seen, when entirely unworn, to present four cusps, 

 three transversely abreast, whereof the middle one is the 

 largest, and a posterior one. These all wear down level in the 

 course of time, and indeed very old skulls show this whole 

 tooth almost flat. The next tooth— last premolar — is a strong 

 conical cusp, with a secondary cusp half-way up its back 

 border, and well-developed posterior heel ; the anterior border 

 is straight. The remaining premolars, successively decreasing 

 in size, are like the last, but without the secondary cusp. The 

 lower canines are not peculiar. The low^er incisors are smaller 

 than the upper; the exterior pair are little larger than the 

 rest, and obscurely trilobate. The next pair reach backward 

 further than the rest, but all are flush on the front face; the 

 four inner teeth are slightly bilobate. 



Geogr(q)hical variation in the sTcuU. 



Like other species of the present family, the Badger has 

 been discussed in this regard by Mr. J. A. Allen.* His results 

 are here transcribed : — 



"The subjoined measurements of eleven skulls of this species" 

 (embracing all at present available) show also a well-marked 

 southward decrease in size. A fuller series would be more 

 satisfactory, but would doubtless only confirm what is here in- 

 dicated. Six of the specimens are from rather northern locali- 

 ties and five from rather southern localities, the region repre- 

 sented extending from the Upper Missouri southward to the 

 Lower llio Grande. The specimens composing the two series 

 are of very nearly corresponding ages. The northern series 

 (four from different points on the Upper Missouri, one from 

 Iowa, and one from Oregon) average 5.00 in length and 3.18 in 

 width, the extremes being, in length, 5.-I2 and 4.92 (4.75 if we 

 include one rather young example),' the width ranging from 

 3.50 to 2.97. The southern series (including two or three from 

 the vicinity of Matamoras, Mexico, and one each from New 



* Bull. U. 8. Geol. and Geo^r. Snrv. vol. ii. no. 4, pp. 330, 331. 



