150 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL, 69 



tropics. They are all medium-sized carnivores with plantigrade feet, 

 naked soles, and curved non-retractile claws. The tail is moderately 

 long", somewhat bushy, and usually more or less distinctly annulated. 



Genus BASSARISCUS Coues. Cacomistles 

 The cacomistles are more slender in form than the related genera 

 of the region. They have short, rounded heads with larger ears than 

 Potos or Bassaricyon. The tail, flattened and long-haired to the tip 

 like that of Bassaricyon, is ringed in strongly contrasting colors 

 throughout its length. 



BASSARISCUS SUMICHRASTI NOTINUS Thomas 



Panama Bassariscus ; Cacomistle 



Bassarisius siunichrasii tiotiuus Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 7, 

 Vol. II, p. 379, April, 1903. Type from Boquete, Chiriqui, Panama (alti- 

 tude 6,000 feet). 



The only record of the occurrence of Bassariscus in Panama 

 seems to be that of the type of B. s. notinus, from Boquete, at 6.000 

 feet altitude on the southern slope of the Volcan de Chiriqui. It is 

 described as paler in color, with smaller skull and teeth, and longer 

 palate in contrast with B. s. variabilis of Guatemala. 



The various forms of the genus Bassariscus are all slender, short- 

 legged animals, grayish in general color and with fox-like faces. 

 Perhaps the most distinctive external character, however, is the tail 

 which is about as long or longer than the body, with alternate black 

 and white or gray rings. The general range of the genus Bassariscus 

 is to the northward, one form reaching Oregon. Except in parts of 

 Mexico where B. astutus is very common these animals are rather 

 scarce, or of local occurrence only, and owing to retiring habits are 

 little known. All of the forms are expert climbers. B. astutus 

 commonly lives in caves or crevices in clifi's, but the forms of the 

 more southern species, B. sumichrasti, seem to be more arboreal in 

 habits. B. suniichrasti also differs notably from B. astutus in the 

 longer tail, the more extensively naked soles of feet, and in dental 

 details, the cutting edges of the first and second upper incisors of 

 the permanent series being finely but distinctly trifid, while in the 

 latter species they are smooth. In very young examples of B. astutus, 

 however, a tendency to similar division of the edges in these teeth is 

 sometimes shown. The Mexicans use the native name cacomistle, 

 but no English vernacular name for animals of this group has met 

 with general acceptance. 



