1906.] Allen, Mammals from Western Mexico. 219 



20. Felis pardalis albescens (Pucker an). 



Fclis albescens PUCHERAN (in I. Geoffrey Saint-Hilaire), Voy. de la Venus, 

 Zool., 1855, pp. 137-153, and atlas, pi. viii. State of Arkansas. 



Fclis limitis MEARNS, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XIV, 1901, p. 146. Brownsville, 

 Texas. 



Fclis pardalis limitis BAILEY, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 25, Oct. 24, 1905, 

 p. 166. 



"Known in Sinaloa, Tepic, and Jalisco, along the lowlands of 

 the Pacific coast, as Tigrio or little tiger. A common species, widely 

 distributed. Inhabits all kinds of country, stragglers having been 

 taken as high as 9000 feet above sea level. Most numerous on dry 

 hummocks and ridges about lagoons and swamps, especially in the 

 dry season. Feeds on rabbits and other small mammals, birds, 

 iguanas, frogs, fish, crabs, and small turtles. Hunts principally at 

 night, though it is often met wandering about in the daytime. Has 

 usually three or four kittens." -J. H. B. 



Twenty-four specimens, 18 males and 6 females, all from the 

 immediate vicinity of Escuinapa except 3 ; collected as follows: 

 Escuinapa, Jan. 14, 16, Feb. 16-29, March 4-6, April n and 19, 

 May 17, 26, 30, June 2, 21, 30, July 21, Sept. i; Los Pieles, 2 speci- 

 mens, April ii, 19; Los Limones, i specimen, May 17. All are adult, 

 except one half grown and two quite young kittens. With the 

 exception of five flat skins bought of hunters, the specimens are 

 well prepared, with skulls, and with external measurements taken 

 from the fresh specimens. 



The series presents an excellent opportunity for the study of 

 seasonal and individual variation. The seasonal variation, however, 

 is quite overshadowed by individual variation, which has a wide 

 range in respect to the general color and the size and pattern of the 

 dark markings. Winter specimens are fresher and brighter looking 

 than late spring and summer specimens, which have become more or 

 less worn and faded. 



Independently of season, specimens vary in the tone of the ground 

 color from pale fulvous gray to quite strong fulvous, none, however, 

 approaching the rich, bright fulvous of Vera Cruz specimens. The 

 markings may be small and sparse, mainly in the form of spots and 

 half -rings, without any marked tendency to form lines, or coarser 

 and more prominent, especially over the middle of the dorsal area, 

 where they have in many specimens a tendency to form interrupted 

 black lines. The variation in both the ground color and in the size 



