MAMMALS. 



23 



Bion. The long hairs are tipped with dark reddish brown, rather than with black, the reddish 

 becoming rusty on the posterior half of the back and on the sides, the median annulus being 

 a pale rusty white. The under fur generally is of a cliestnut brown, tinged with plumbeous 

 towards the base, the colors darkest along the back. The long hairs on the sides g(^nerally, as 

 well as on the arm, are wbitisb to the tips. The feet are whitish above, the hinder ones 

 showing a slight tinge of chestnut on their outer portion. 



The tail is tipped with rich purplish chestnut, and exhibits six distinct annulations of the i 



same, with faint traces of a seventh ; of these the terminal four only are continued all round, 

 the others being obsolete beneath. The intervals are rusty whitish, and a little larger only 

 than the dark rings. The contrast between the two is not marked very strongly. 



The head is marked as in P. lolor ; the dark patch passing oblitpiely across the eye is of a 

 dark brownish black ; darker than any other portion of the body. It extends back to the line 

 of the commissure, and is there separated from a lighter patch of the same under the chin by a 

 light line prolonged backwards from the edges of the moutli. The sides of the muzzle anterior 

 to the cheek patch and the end of the lower jaw, together with the ears, are dull whitish ; the 

 upper and posterior border of the check patch is of rather a purer white. The spot behind the 

 ear is plumbeous chestnut brown. 



Total length (skin) to root of tail 27, inches. 



Tail to end of vertebrae 10 inches. 



Tail to end of hairs 12 inches. 



Ear 2 inches. 



Fore foot from wrist 3.20 inches. 



Hind foot from heel 4 30 inches. 



Length of skull 4.30 inches. 



This animal, as already remarked, exhibits a close relationship to the common raccoon of the 



United States, Procyon lotoVy although, in addition to the shade of coloration, it is readily 



distirguished from it by the larger and more naked feet and hands, longer, more tapering, and 



^^ more narrowly annulated tail ; the dark annuli being narrower and more distinct. It is in 



4 



these characters that -P. hernandezii differs also from P, lotor^ and it is with P. hernandeziiy 

 accordingly, that the comparison must be made. There is, in fact, no very appreciable 

 difference, except in shade of color. It is only necessary to replace the black tints on the body 

 of P. hernandezii by a dark reddish brown, and the dark brown by a chestnut, in order to 

 reproduce the colors of the Sonora specimen. The chestnut tinge replacing tlie brown of the 

 hind feet is very slight and quite inconspicuous, except on close examination. 



It may be mentioned that the stiffness and coarseness of hair in the Mazatlan specimen, 



together wdth the scantily haired condition of the feet, was probably owing to its occurrence 



within the Tierra Caliente of Mexico. The specimen from Espia, taken in the winter months 



at a greater altitude, and farther north, is naturally found to be clothed with a much softer 



and fuller fur. 



In some respects this specimen approaches in external appearance the Procyon cancrivorus of 



South America. The latter is, however, much redder in its general colors, the tail longer^ 



with more rings, the cheek patch smaller, being rather a dark border to the eye than a patch 



on the side of the head. The lower part of the legs is dark brown, and the toes more naked 

 above. 



A second specimen was seen by the party of the Boundary Commission, which agreed very 

 well with it in general appearance. 



