86 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 60, FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



Color. — Upper portion in general pale buffy grayisli, becoming light ochraceous 

 buffy on shoulders, with rufovis tinge on nape; the longer, black-tipped guard 

 hairs over the median dorsal area are grouped on the back as unevenly colored 

 streaks, somewhat undulating or serpentine in arrangement (in marked contrast 

 to the darker general salt and pepper effect of typical Procyon I. lotor); light- 

 colored subapical band of each guard hair extends a greater distance beyond the 

 underfur tips than in lotor and results in a much paler or more yellowish cast to 

 the outer pelage; guard hairs almost entirely white along the sides and lower 

 parts, adding to the pale, shaggy general appearance of the animal; top of head a 

 light grizzled mixture of gray and brownish-black; facial mask brownish-black 

 and decidedly less prominent than in lotor; feet black, with gray hair dorsally, the 

 claws dull black (description from live and freshly killed animals) ; tail with five 

 rather narrow, brownish-black rings and a black tip, alternating with wider light 

 ochraceous buffy rings, less clearly defined below. 



Pelage. — An uneven spread of hair with respect to average guard hair length is 

 apparent, that of the middorsal area being in general slightly shorter than in the 

 rest of the pelt, due probably both to sparser distribution of hair and to variation 

 in fiber length. The very long, coarse guard hair is typical of this race and unique 

 among eastern races of raccoons. Due to the length and sparseness of the guard 

 hairs, coupled with possible decreased density of the underfur, there is a slight 

 backward slant to the direction of the hair flow. In lotor the hair is more dense, 

 shorter, erect, and more fluffy in appearance than in maritimus. 



Skull. — Of medium size, rather narrow and elongate. Compared with that of 

 lotor, the skull is slightly smaller, less heavily built, distinctly narrower, and more 

 elongate; interorbital portion more elongate, postorbital processes of frontals 

 rather weakly developed or obsolescent, frontal area relatively narrow, flatter, 

 markedly more sloped or depressed, and somewhat concave; palatal shelf decidedly 

 narrower; posterior part of zygomata less arched dorsally. 



Measurements. — Type: Total length, 718 mm; tail vertebrae, 210; 

 hind foot, 111. Adult male topotype (No. 275,296, U. S. Natl. Mus.) : 

 Total length, 762; tail vertebrae, 254; hind foot, 102. Skull: Type: 

 Greatest length, 112.2; condylobasal length, 107.9; zygomatic breadth, 

 68.8; interorbital breadth, 23.6; least width of palatal shelf, 15.1; 

 maxillary tooth row, 41.7. 



To quote Dozier further: 



Remarks. — This form appears well adapted for survival under the rather 

 exacting requirements of our eastern tidewater, coastal marsh conditions. The 

 medium size and slender build fit it for fast traveling in the marsh; the pale 

 coloration blends well with the vegetation of its habitat during most of the 

 season; and the long, coarse-haired pelage can withstand a lot of abrasive action 

 from sharp-edged sedges and coarse grasses. In Procyon I. maritimus the length 

 of the pale subapical band is the greatest yet recorded, nearest that in some 

 western races of Procyon lotor, namely, excelsus, pacificus, psora, and mexicanus. 

 The guard hairs are the longest of any known race except hirtus of the Upper 

 Mississippi Valley, in which the hairs average slightly longer. 



Specimens examined. — Total number, 34, as follows: 



Delaware: Rehoboth Bay, 1. 



Maryland: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, 29 (G skins only); Crocheron, 1 



(skin only); Vienna, 1 (skin only). 

 Virginia: Saxis Island, 2 (skins only). 



