eee | BANGS — NEW AMERICAN MAMMALS a1 
9 
inner cusp, not present in cadifornicus.” In my series of cadzfor- 
nicus I find a small inner cusp present on the last upper premolar 
in specimens with unworn teeth. In old age, however, it dis- 
appears. The type of S. ¢. ménusculus, with slightly worn teeth, 
has such a cusp, exactly like specimens of S. cazfornicus of equal 
age — small, to be sure, and probably very different from that of 
S. trues. 
Putorius (Arctogale) muricus’ sp. nov. 
Type, from Echo, El Dorado Co., California, & , young,” no. 9146, coll. of 
E. A. and O. Bangs, collected July 15, 1897, by W. W. Price and E. M. 
Nutting; altitude, 7500 ft. 
General characters— Smallest American species, except P. r/xosus; tail 
short, with a black tip; markings and colors much as in true P. cicognanii, but 
back more drabby brown, with —in some lights—an olivaceous cast; skull 
similar to that of P. cicognanii streatori, but smaller, with much smaller 
audital bulla, and squamosals much more inflated. 
Color.— Upper parts and tail all around, except black tip, drabby brown 
without reddish or chocolate shades (perhaps nearest to bistre of Ridgway, 
though not quite that color); fur lustrous, in some lights showing an oliva- 
ceous tinge; under parts, hands, toes and upper lips white; line of demarka- 
tion between upper and under parts straight and even. 
Cranial characters.— Skull similar to that of P. céicognanii streatorz, but 
smaller; audital bulla. smaller — shorter, flatter and narrower; squamosals 
enormously inflated, more so than in any other species. 
Measurements.— Type, ote young: total length, 220; tail vertebra, 60; 
hind foot, 31 mm. 
Skull, type, d, young: basal length, 32.2; occipitonasal length, 34.; zygo- 
matic width, 18.; interorbital width, 7.4; length of single half of mandible, 
17.2 mm. 
Remarks.—The type of P. muricus is, so far as I know, the 
only example of a weasel of the czcognanii group yet recorded from 
the mountains of California. It was to be expected, however, that 
one occurred there. . muricus hardly needs comparison with any 
other weasel. About the size of P. rixosus, or perhaps a trifle 
larger, it can at once be told from that species by the presence of 
1 Muricus — a mouser. 
2 The skull of the type is that of a youngish animal; the milk teeth have all been shed, and 
the permanent teeth are fully developed; the nasal sutures still show; and the brain-case has 
not yet attained its adult shape. 
