RACCOONS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA 77 



Cranial characters. — Skull small, short, and flattened, with relatively- 

 short, narrow rostrum, short nasals, broad frontal region and brain 

 case, and light dentition. Somewhat similar in general form to that 

 of P. I. shv^eldti, but departing widely in the smaller size; rostrum 

 relatively shorter and narrower; frontal region relatively broader; 

 nasals relatively shorter, more rounded, less acutely pointed pos- 

 teriorly; postorbital processes of frontals well-developed and upper 

 border of orbit distinctly concave as in shufeldti; teeth similar in 

 sculpture, but relatively much smaller, the first and second upper 

 premolars more widely spaced, and the last molar with a narrower 

 internal lobe. Compared with those of P. maynardi and P. minor, 

 the skull is smaller, with rostrum shorter, frontal region flatter and 

 relatively broader than in either; nasals shorter, broader and more 

 rounded posteriorly; palatal shelf narrow much as in maynardi (much 

 narrower than in minor); auditory bullae smaller than in either; 

 postorbital processes of frontals more developed; dentition similar 

 but lighter. 



Measurements. — Type: Total length, 667 mm.; tail vertebrae, 2.30; hind foot, 

 90. Adult femalet opotype: 665; 250; 97. SkvU: Type and adult female 

 topotype, respectively: Greatest length, 100, 96.7; condylobasal length, 93.7, 

 91.9; zygomatic breadth, 58.8, 60.8; interorbital breadth, 19.5, 19.8: least width 

 of palatal shelf, 12.5, 12.3; maxillary tooth row (alveoli), 35.3, 35.5; upper car- 

 nassial, crown length, 6.8, 7, crown width, 7.8, 8. 



Bemarks. — P. pygmaeus, as the name suggests, is distinguished by 

 its small size. The general flattening of the cranium, especially the 

 flatness and breadth of the frontal region, the development of the 

 postorbital processes of the frontals, and the slight depression of the 

 brain case near the fronto-parietal suture, indicate relationship to the 

 raccoon of the adjacent mainland as might be expected, rather than 

 to any of the West Indian species. Striking differences from the 

 mainland animal in size and in other more important characters, 

 however, point to long isolation in its insular habitat. The teeth are 

 remarkably small, the second upper premolar especially, being reduced 

 in size and separated from the third upper premolar by a distinct gap. 



Specimens examined. — Five, all from the type locality. 



PROCYON MINOR Miller 

 Guadeloupe Island Raccoon 

 Procyon minor Miller, Biol. Soc. Washington Proc. 24: 4, Jan. 28, 1911. 



Type locality. — Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe Island, Lesser Antilles. 



Type. — No. -, male young (permanent canines not quite fully 



1 5481 



in place), skin and skull, United States National Museum; coflected 



by L. Guesde. Received from the I'Herminier Museum. 



