176 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS: ZOOLOGY. 



shoulders, along the median line, and on the outer surface of the fore 

 limbs. Middle of the dorsal region, from the shoulders to the tail, striped 

 and spotted with dark brown, three fairly distinct stripes running from 

 just behind the shoulders nearly to the base of the tail, the median one 

 darkest, and strongly defined over the posterior part of the back, and 

 continued along the upper surface of the tail. Sides of the body indis- 

 tinctly blotched with pale brown, the spots becoming more distinct and 

 darker on the outer surface of the hind limbs. Ventral surface yellowish 

 white, distinctly blotched with dark brown, especially on the inner side 

 of the fore limbs. Top of the head darker than the nape and similar to 

 the color on the top of the shoulders, except more mixed with grayish ; a 

 narrow black superciliary streak, and above this a small oval vertical 

 blackish spot. Anterior canthus of the eye also blackish and a quite 

 broad distinct black spot at the base of the whiskers. Back of the ears 

 blackish brown, with a distinct paler median spot, not at all conspicuous, 

 so that the outer surface of the ear is nearly uniform dusky brown. Fore- 

 head from the anterior canthus of the eye posteriorly to the termination 

 of the black temple spot whitish, mixed with brownish medially. Cheeks 

 and upper lip whitish. Nose grayish brown mixed with dusky. Fore 

 and hind feet externally grayish fulvous, with indistinct dusky spots at 

 the base of the toes on the fore feet. Tail on the sides and below pale 

 fulvous brown, with a median dark stripe continued from the back over 

 the basal half; the posterior third of the tail wholly dusky brown becom- 

 ing nearly black towards and at the tip. 



Skull. — The Pearson Puma is represented by two adult specimens 

 one of which is a very old adult with strong sagittal and occipital crests ; 

 the other is fully adult. In the principal dimensions of the skull these 

 specimens agree almost exactly with the measurements given by Dr. 

 Merriam (Proc. Wash. Acad. Science, Vol. Ill, 1901, pp. 587, 588) of 

 Puma hippolestes from Colorado. The chief difference consists in the 

 much greater development of the teeth of the Patagonian form, especially 

 the upper carnassial and molar, which considerably exceed those of the 

 largest specimens of the hippolestes group. The principal measurements 

 of the two Patagonian skulls are as follows, the larger measurements re- 

 lating to the older of the two specimens: Basal length, 193 and 187; 

 occipito-nasal length, 194.5 ^^id 192 ; basal length of Hensel, 186 and 

 182 ; zygomatic breadth, 156 and 155 ; foramen magnum to plane of 



