MAMMALS 281 



foot 63 mm.: Mississippi Valley from western Indiana into Iowa; 

 southwestward of the river to the Gulf coast of Louisiana and 

 Texas. 



Subspecies of M. mesomelas 



M. m. mesomelas Lich. From southern Louisiana to ^lissouri; 

 westward to Matagorda Island, Texas; up the Red River Valley to 

 Wichita Falls. 



M. m. varians (Gray). Long-tailed skunk. Length 758 mm.; tail 

 393 mm.; hind foot 71 mm.: southwestern Texas and eastern New 

 Mexico to Nebraska and Colorado. 



M. m. avia (Bangs). Tail very short; length 625 mm.; tail 200 mm.; 

 hind foot 65 mm.: prairies from Indiana to Iowa. 



M. ester Merriam. Dorsal stripes very broad, occasionally entirely 

 covering the back and tail; length 639 mm.; tail 285 mm.; foot 69 

 mm.: Arizona and western New Mexico. 



M. occidentalis Baird. White stripes varying much in extent, fre- 

 quently extending on to the tail; length 800 mm.; tail 310 mm.; hind 

 foot 78 mm.: Pacific slope from Monterey Bay northwards to the 

 Willamette Valley; westwards to the Sierras and Cascades. 



Subspecies of M. occidentalis 



M. 0. occidentalis Baird. Central California to the Willamette 

 Valley, Oregon. 



M. 0. spissigrada (Bangs). White stripes very broad, extending on 

 to the sides of the tail; length 650 mm.: region of Puget Sound. 



-1/. 0. notata (Howell). White stripes very narrow, often ending in 

 the middle of the back: northern Oregon and southern Washington, 

 east of the Cascades. 



M. 0. major (Howell). Size large; stripes broad; length 705 mm.: 

 eastern Oregon, and California to Utah. 



M. 0. holzneri Mearns. Size small: southern California. 



M. macroura milleri (Mearns). Back of body and tail nearly all 

 white, although in a considerable proportion of individuals the back is 

 nearly all black; two color phases present; tail very long; length 

 675 mm.; tail 350 mm.; hind foot 65 mm.: southern Arizona into 

 Mexico. 



2. Spilogale Gray. Spotted skunks. Body small and slender; 

 skull flattened and with a straight dorsal outline; color pattern in 



