MAMMALS MELINAE MEPHITIS VARIANS. 



193 



ever, much larger (almost equal in size to a fox) ; the tail is longer, and instead of being 

 entirely white, is of this color only on the top and the terminal half; the stripe, too, hegins as an 

 acute angle on the vertex, instead of heing decidedly truncate. Length, 1*7 inches ; tail ahout 12. 



This species was first described by Lichtenstein from a specimen caught near Chico, in Mexico, 

 and subsequently (?) a new name was given by Bennett to one from Lower California. 



Not much information is on record as to the geographical distribution of this species. I have 

 seen but one specimen that collected by Captain Pope on the Staked Plains. It is said by 

 Audubon and Bachman to be quite common in Texas. There is no indication of its occurrence 

 in Upper California. 



List of specimens. 



MEPHITIS VARIANS, Gray. 



Texas Skunk. 







Mephitis tartans, J. E. GRAY, Charles worth's Mag. N. H. I, Oct. 1837, 581. 



M,phitis macroura, ACD. & BACH. N. A. Quad. HI, 1853, 11; pi. cii. (Not of Lichtenstein.) 



S P . CH Tail full, bushy, but attenuated and pointed towards the end, where the hairs are very long. Vertebra alone as 



long as the body. Color black ; a narrow white frontal line. A white nuchal patch, broad and truncated anteriorly, and 

 extending between the ears ; then passing backwards, narrowing a little to between the shoulders, when it bifurcates narrowly, 

 the branches passing along the sides to the hind legs ; another narrow white stripe on either side commences within the termina 

 tion of these and runs out on the posterior half of the tail. The tail black, the hairs white on the basal half; there it a patch 

 on the middle of the tail, however, where the hairs are white to the end. 

 Length to root of tail, 15 inches. Vertebrae, 15. Terminal hairs, 3j. 



For a more detailed account of this skunk I would refer to the Report of the Zoology of the 

 United States and Mexican Boundary Survey; no specimens were collected by any of the Pacific 

 Railroad surveying parties. 



This species was first described by Gray, as quoted above, and erroneously referred by Audu 

 bon and Bachman to the M. macroura of Lichtenstein, which is a very different species. It is 

 found throughout Texas, and is said to be very abundant. Its northern and southern range are 

 not ascertained; and it is not known as an inhabitant of California. 



List of specimens. 



1 Collected by Dr. Berlandier. 



25 L 



Collected by Arthur Schott. 



