140 Bangs — Skunks of Eastern North America. 



separated by a wide area in the east. Just what forms the 

 western limit of the range of M. elongata I am unable to say, 

 l)ut probably it is the heavy swamps of the lower Mississippi. 



MEPHITIS MEPHITICA (Shaw). 



1792. Viverrnmephiticn^\\ii.\\, Museum Leverianum, 1792, p. 172. 

 1857. Mephith nvphltica Baini, Manun. N. Am., 1857, p. 195. 



Geographic distribution. — W'hole of eastern North America from Ontario, 

 Quebec, and Nova Scotia to Louisiana, except Florida and the coast belt 

 from thence to Virginia. Its range may overlap that of }f. elongala in the 

 lower Mississippi Valley, and undoubtedly does overlap the range of 

 M. hudsoiiica* in the upper Mississippi Valley. 



Description. — Size small to medium; tail short to medium, tapering to 

 a jiencil ; color pattern variable, but usually black all over except frontal 

 stripe, nuchal patch, two strips e.vtending from nuchal patch to and 

 down sides of tail, tip of tail and some scattered hairs in black part of 

 tail, all of which are white. 



Fully adult males vary in size according to locality : total length, 595- 

 682; tail vertebrae, 171-241 ; hind foot. 64-83. 



M. mephitica is distinguished from M. Icudsonica by smaller size, shorter 

 tail, tapering to a pencil, and smaller and less elongated skull. It is sepa- 

 rated from M. elongata by heavier build, much shorter tail, and propor- 

 tionally shorter and broader liind fcjot. 



This species may be divided into two well-marked sub.species. Mephitis 

 mephitica mephitica and J/, mephitica scrutator. 



Mephitis mephitica mephitica (Shaw). 



1792. Virerrn meptiiiica Shaw, ]\Iuseum Leverianum, 1792, [). 172. 



1895. Mephitis niepltitica Bangs, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. XXVI. 



Autlior's edition, July ol, 1895. (Name restricted to the Hud- 



sonian form.) 



Type localit)/. — North America. 



Oeograpldc di.'itribution. — Boreal eastern North America ; Nova Scotia, 

 Quebec, and Ontario south to about the northern limits of the United 

 States. Western limit of range unknown. 



General characters. — Size large ; tail short, tapering off to a pencil ; feet 

 very broad and long; heel usually covered with hair, rest of sole naked ; 



* .1/ep/u7is /utdsomcffl (Richardson) extends eastward to Minnesota and 

 probably to western Ontario. It is a very big skunk, fully adult males 

 measuring : total length, 690 ; tail vertebrje, 255 ; hind foot, 83, and lai'ger. 

 The skull is large and long and the dentition heavy. The palate ends in 

 an even curve, without median spine. The color pattern varies but little. 

 The tail is long, very heavily haired, and has a blunt brush-like end. 

 around wliicli the long hairs of the sides of the tail fiill. 



