280 MR. R. F. TOMES ON A COLLECTION [Juiie 25 



the description and figure given by Mr. Waterhouse of L. chilensis. 

 Especially the inner lobe of the carnassier tooth may be noted as 

 having the same angular form as in that species. In L. platensis 

 the inner lobe of the carnassier approaches more or less to a semi- 

 circular form. I regret that I have examined neither specimen nor 

 figure of L. californica ; but the figure of the cranium of L. cana- 

 densis, given by Prof. Baird, exhibits the same form of carnassier 

 tooth as in L. platensis. 



7. Felis mitis, F. Cuv. 



8. Cercoleptes catjdivolvulus, Illiger. 



9. Nasua fusca, Desmarest. 



10. Mephitis mesolexjca, Licht. ? 



M. de Saussure, in the ' Revue de Zoologie ' for 1860, p. 6, has 

 described a species of Mephitis from Mexico, which he says is in- 

 termediate between 31. leuconota and M. mesolenca, but has the size 

 of the latter ; i. e. about that of a cat. It has a single white dorsal 

 line which terminates angularly on the top of the head, and is con- 

 tinued along the middle of the back, becoming narrower as it ap- 

 proaches the tail — the terminal two-thirds of which are wholly white. 

 The length of the head and body is stated to be 15 or 16 inches 

 (French), and the tail 9 or 10 inches. The provisional name of M. 

 intermedia is proposed for the species. 



The specimen from Guatemala, while it agrees in some degree in 

 size with the Mexican one, has a much longer tail and a much smaller 

 proportion of white on the back and tail. I describe it as follows. 



"Wholly black, with a small elongate white spot on the forehead, 

 and a broad white stripe which commences abruptly on the top of the 

 head between the ears, and passing backward along the neck becomes 

 narrower as it reaches the shoulders, and about the middle of the 

 dorsal region divides into two narrow and ill-defined lines, which ex- 

 tend to the hips, and are then lost. On the rump the hair is wholly 

 black, and outwardly the tail appears of the same colour. However 

 the hairs for fully two-tliirds from its end are white at their root for 

 a fourth of their length. 



Length of the head and bodj', about 1 4 



of the tail, about 1 5 



Obs. The concealed white of the terminal part of the tail leads 

 me to suspect that, at a more advanced age, that part might becom e 

 wholly white ; and the resemblance to M. mesoleuca would then be 

 much greater. Should it, however, prove that the animal of which 

 I am now speaking is in adult livery, it must be regarded as distinct ; 

 and I would then propose for it the name of M. longicaudata. No 

 specimen resembling this is contained in our National Collection. 



11. VULPES cinereo-akgentatus. 



A flat skin, and a very young specimen in skin. 



