340 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. XL 



On September 6, 1910, an old Skunk with three young, the latter 

 about two thirds grown, were taken by Mr. W. E. Snyder at Beaver 

 Dam, Dodge Co., Wisconsin, and the specimens were sent to me for 

 determination. The skull of the adult approaches avia, but has a 

 palatal spine slightly indicated; the tail is black except a few white 

 hairs near the middle; the end of the tail is blunt and entirely black. 

 The young show some slight cranial differences; in two of them a 

 palatal spine is slightly indicated; in the third it is entirely absent. 

 All of the young have the white stripes of the body extending on base of 

 tail and all have the tails terminating with a long white pencil (4 to 5 

 inches long). 



Mephitis hudsonica (Richardson). 



Northern Skunk. Hudsonian Skunk. Polecat. 



Mephitis americana var. hudsonica Richardson, Fauna Bor. Amer., I, 1829, p. 55. 



Mephitis hudsonica Adams, Rept. State Board Geol. Surv. Mich., 1905 (1906), p. 

 130 (Michigan). Jackson, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc, VI, 1908, p. 28 (Wiscon- 

 sin). HoLLisTER, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc, VI, 1908, p. 141 (Wisconsin). 



Chincha hudsonica Howell, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 20, 1901, p. 24 (Minnesota, etc.). 



Type locality — Plains of Saskatchewan. 



Distribution — From Lake Michigan west to the Rocky Mountains and 

 northwest through Manitoba to the Great Slave Lake region, in 

 the western portion of its Canadian range nearly reaching the coast. 

 Description — Typical form: Size large; tail with a blunt brush, the 

 end black without a white pencil ; general color black ; a narrow white 

 stripe extends from the nose, passing between the eyes to the 

 crown; a large white patch on the back of the neck extending in a 

 white stripe which narrows between the shoulders and divides into 

 two lateral stripes which continue down the back and on sides of 

 tail often nearly to the tip; black hairs of tail white at the base; 

 entire under parts black; skull large; zygomata widely expanded 

 posteriorly; palate without median spine. 

 Measurements — Total length (male), 26.50 to 29.50 in. (672 to 750 

 mm.) ; tail vetebras, 9.50 to 11 in. (242 to 279 mm.) ; hind foot, about 

 3.75 in. (82 mm.). Female: Total length, 22.50 to 26 in. (572 to 660 

 mm.); tail vertebrae, 9.25 to 10.25 "^- (235 to 260 mm.); hind foot, 

 about 3 in. (76 mm.). 



The Northern or Hudsonian Skunk is supposed to be the common 

 form throughout the greater portion of Wisconsin. Hollister states that 

 out of 28 Skunks collected near Delavan, Walworth Co., 25 were 

 hudsonica and only 3 avia (I. c, p. 141). Jackson says all the specimens 

 he examined from various parts of the state proved to be hudsonica 

 (l. c, p. 28). While the majority of Wisconsin Skunks may probably 



