ALLEN ON THE GENUS NASUA 165 



over which the hairs are conspicuously lengthened; throat and fore 

 linibs externally whitish; hind limbs nearly black, the long hairs lus- 

 trous black. The white face-markings are greatly restricted, the eye- 

 spots being very small, and the white nasal area greatly reduced. The 

 whole lower surface of the head posterior to the mandibular symphysis 

 is deep blackish-brown, Avithin which, just behind the oral angle, is a 

 small white spot, enclosing the mandibular tuft of whiskers. This exam- 

 ple (in full winter pelage) is a female that had apparently suckled young 

 the previous year. In general appearance, the coloration in this example 

 is similar to that of a melanistic Woodchuck (Arctomys monax}. There 

 is no white anywhere on the ventral surface, except on the chin, and a 

 sprinkling of yellowish-white hairs on the throat. Another specimen 

 from Las Graces de Candelaria, Costa Eica (Nat. Mus., No. 9069, Jose" 

 Zeledon), collected during Dr. von Frantzius's explorations in Costa 

 Eica, also in full winter pelage, is quite similar to the last, but has rather 

 more white on the face, and less white on the sides of the neck and fore 

 limbs, and the white on the lower surface is continuous from the point 

 of the chin to the middle of the body, with no cross-band of brown across 

 the posterior part of the lower jaw. There is no trace of annulations in 

 the tail. 



Another specimen from Costa Eica (Nat. Mus.^, No. 11405, J. Carniiol) 

 differs remarkably from all the others. It is little more than half-grown, 

 but the long hairs are worn off from the sides of the body posteriorly, 

 and the pelage generally has a much worn aspect. In this specimen, the 

 whole head is pale fulvous, including the parts usually white, but the 

 usual face-marking can be dimly traced. The general color of the body 

 is dark fulvous, lighter on the more worn parts. Over the shoulders 

 and along the middle of the back, where the long hairs are intact, the 

 color is darker, approaching chestnut, with short rusty tips to the long 

 hairs. This example seems to represent in this species the red phase of 

 Nasua, rufa. 



There are also in the collection two young specimens, apparently not 

 more than two to three months old. One is from Tehuantepec (Nat. 

 Mus., To. 9375, Prof. F. Surnichrast) ; the other from Belize (M. C. Z., 

 No. 5542, Dr. H. Berendt). They present a general aspect of immaturity 

 in the texture of the pelage and in the rather darker tone of the under 

 color; but they have the same general markings as the adults, the facial 

 pictura being the same, and the long hairs of the pelage being similarly 

 tipped with yellowish. The tail is, however, more distinctly annulated, 

 the anuulations in the Tehuantepec specimen being very prominent. 

 The hair on the tail is also rather short and woolly. 



A still younger specimen from Jalapa, Mexico (M. C. Z., No. 2030, 

 Montes-de-Oca), less than nine inches long (head and body), and proba- 

 bly not more than two or three weeks old, differs from those last de- 

 scribed in having the whole dorsal surface nearly uniform brownish- 



