1908.] Allen, M(ininmlf< front X ic<ir<i</u<i. 661 



from chin to behind fore legs, pale fulvous; rest of lower parts pale brown, without 

 distinct rufous suffusion. Nose pad rounded above, as in the Central and South 

 American forms of Lutra, not rising into a broad V-shaped point as in the L. cana- 

 densis group. External measurements, as taken by the collector from the fresh 

 specimen, total length, 1280 mm., tail vertebrae, 490. 



The skull is unfortunately broken into small pieces and is thus unavailable for 

 a complete series of measurements. Length of upper molar-premolar series, 37; 

 lower molar-premolar series, 37.5; p 4 , on outer side, 13; width at middle, 10.5; 

 oblique length (diagonally from the antero-internal point of lobe to postero-outer 

 angle), 15; p 3 , length, 16; width at middle, 8; width near posterior border, 7.6; 

 length of lower jaw, 72; breadth of condyle, 19.2; height at coronoid, 33.4; angle 

 to top of condyle, 12. Bulla? broad and flat. 



This form differs from L. annedens Forsyth-Major, in its much larger 

 size and in the relatively much greater size of the teeth, the upper premolar- 

 molar toothrow having a length of 37 mm., while the same measurement in 

 an old male annedens is 31 ; the oblique length of p 4 is 15 and in annedens 13, 

 with corresponding differences throughout the dental series. There is also 

 a marked difference in the form of the individual teeth, especially in respect 

 to p 4 and m 1 , which in latidens much more resemble the corresponding teeth 

 of large northern examples of the L. canadensis group, but they are much 

 more massive. 



42. Putorius tropicalis Merriam. Three specimens, all taken at Mata- 

 galpa (Jan. 23, 1906, May 4, 1906, and Feb. 7, 1908), and all sexed as male 

 by the collector. Provisionally referred as above. 



These specimens, all from the same locality and all of the same sex, 

 present a wide range of variation in color, especially of the ventral surface. 

 In one (Xo. 28333), the lower surface is nearly white from the thoracic region 

 to the chin, passing posteriorly into pale ochraceous. The brown of the 

 upper parts wholly covers the fore limbs from the toes to the elbows. The 

 white frontal spot is reduced to a narrow transverse line, and the white spot 

 between the ear and eye is reduced to a narrow line. The black below and 

 in front of the eye encroaches upon the sides of the throat. No. 28592 has 

 the white facial markings very broad; the anterior part of the ventral sur- 

 face is strongly yellow, passing posteriorly into ochraceous, and extending 

 down the inner surface of the fore limbs nearly to the toe pads. There is a 

 distinct black spot on each side of the throat, behind the angle of the mouth, 

 separated from the black of the cheeks by a narrow white line. Xo. 28322 

 has the white facial markings of normal extent, and the edge of the upper lip 

 broadly white posteriorly; the under parts are deep ochraceous, becoming 

 lighter on the fore neck and whitish on the chin and upper throat. There 

 is a large brown spot on the inside of the left thigh. 



Only one of the specimens is adult, and this is not 'old'. Of this the 



